Emily’s Fall Routine

One of the questions I am always asked concerning my college experience is about my routine. And to be honest, I have never really had a solid answer. As I’ve experienced college, I’ve found that every student’s routine is very unique and different. Even week to week, our routines change a lot, and that is part of the fun of college. With new social events, restaurants, and assignments each week, I have to be fast to adapt. I love this ever changing part of college, but I also love the constants in my schedule. Thus, to reflect a bit more on this all-important question, I’ve decided to lay out my routine for this past semester. 

• Rock climb outside at a local crag or train at the gym
• Attend lecture for my signals and systems class (BME 413)
• Work in lab for my senior design class (BME 405)
• Meal prep lunches and dinners for the week

• Record Viterbi Voices podcast
• Get COVID tested
• Attend my senior design (BME 405) class lecture
• Work in research lab
• Volunteer with Troy Camp elementary school programming
• Coach SC Climbing Team practice

• Volunteer at a local hospital 
• Attend Intro to Archaeology (ANTH 202) discussion (side note: this is the best GE ever, highly recommend)
• Attend lecture for my signals and systems class (BME 413)
• Viterbi Voices podcast meeting and work 
• Group meeting for my senior design (BME 405) class
• Run SC Outfitter’s member event

• Attend my senior design (BME 405) class lecture
• Work in research lab
• SC Outfitter’s meeting 
• Volunteer at adaptive climbing program 
• Train and climb on my own 

• Attend emergency medicine lecture (MEDS 460)
• Attend signals and systems discussion (BME 413)
• Drive to go climbing/camping/backpacking/skiing etc for the weekend with friends (or SC Climbing / SC Outfitters)

• Spend time outside for the weekend (normally doing homework at night or in local coffee shops)
• Relax 🙂

• Homework and study (preferably outside)
• Complete extracurricular to do list items 
• Spend time with friends and attend social events 
• Make tea and light a candle 
• Journal

Most importantly, I think it is really vital to give yourself time to unwind and sleep. Sleep is crucial to physical and mental health, and I have found throughout my years that I need about 9-10 hours each night to feel my best. While this may seem like a lot, I’ve found that I just cannot work or train well if I don’t, and I end up wasting even more time if I cut back. Whatever the “magic number” is for you, I really encourage you to listen to your body. 

Another thing you may think is weird from my schedule is that pretty much every weekend, I prioritize going on some sort of outdoor trip. This again may seem a bit abnormal, but I have really found that my free time in the outdoors is invaluable to my work-life balance. To make this happen, I work really hard each week to minimize work and involvements on weekends. This may mean missing a few football games, but I have found an awesome crew of SC students that also have similar desires from their college experience. 

I think it’s important to note that this routine was not perfectly designed and was definitely NOT flawless when I first started to mash it all together. Each year of college, I have discovered that certain things are really important to me (like climbing, time with friends, and volunteering). These things I prioritize in my schedule each semester, but I constantly have to adjust as the semester goes on. However, just as the semester comes to a close, I seem to have perfected my routine ironically. While this process is certainly frustrating, I think I’ve been able to learn a lot about how I work best and what I would like to prioritize in my career path.