I woke up around 9 a.m. today, ready to tackle some homework. First on my list was working on my computer science labs, which are due on Monday. I wanted to get them out of the way so I could focus on other assignments. I like to finish as much homework as possible during the weekend so I don’t feel too overwhelmed during the week. Since I’m an international student, I don’t have a lot of family or social activities, so I spend most of my time studying.
Right now, I’m taking an Introduction to Programming course, and we’re learning Python, which I absolutely love. It’s so interesting, but it definitely comes with challenges. Sometimes, I spend two hours on a single lab assignment that’s worth just 12 to 21 points. It’s not always hard, but it can be frustrating. Still, I enjoy it! I spent the morning finishing two labs, which took me until noon.
After that, I got ready for the day. I put on a light brown jacket, blue pants, and white sneakers, and tied my hair up in a ponytail.
I met my friends for lunch, and we talked about last night’s performance of the play, The Hijabis, which I’m a part of. We’re performing again tonight, and they gave me suggestions on how to style my hair to match my character’s outfit. We had fun laughing about how funny my characters are. We also wished each other luck for our midterms—it’s that time of the semester!
Around 1:15 p.m., I headed to a cozy spot in Hope College, the Haworth Hotel, where I grabbed a coffee. It’s the perfect place to study, especially for writing assignments. I spent two hours working on the rough draft of my research-based essay. I’m writing about how standardized testing negatively affects mental health and arguing that college entrance exams should be optional in Asian countries. I’m proud of my progress so far.
At 3 p.m., I switched gears and wrote a journal entry for my health class. I’m working on a long-term project called SMART Goals, and my goal is to run a 10K in under two hours. Recently, I ran 6 miles, which is close to a 10K, but it was tough, and I’m focusing on getting more comfortable running without feeling like I’m going to pass out! After finishing the journal, I treated myself to another matcha latte with extra matcha—it was delicious.
I took a quick break to scroll through Instagram and watch some reels, which I love doing. By 4:30 p.m., I got back to reading Born a Crime by Trevor Noah for my First-Year Seminar class. I love this book so much that it doesn’t even feel like homework. After reading three chapters, I worked on my homework for the class, answering questions about the book and reflecting on how the themes connect to my own life.
At 5:30 p.m., I tried to catch dinner with my friends, but they had already finished, so I ended up eating alone, which I don’t enjoy. As an extrovert, I hate eating by myself. At 6 p.m., I rushed to the theater for call time, as we had to get ready for tonight’s performance of The Hijabis. We spent the time getting into costume, doing makeup, and even making TikToks.
By 7 p.m., the theater doors opened, and at 7:30 p.m., the play began. The audience was so engaged, which made the performance even more fun. We wrapped up around 9:30 p.m., and I was so happy with how everything went.
After the play, I headed back to my room and spent some time on my phone. I felt good after having such a productive day. Around 11 p.m., my friends came over, and we watched an episode of True Beauty. It’s such a good show! By 12:30 a.m., I was ready to sleep.
Thanks for reading about my day!