By Kimberly De Oliveira
A part of the essence of an academic journey is going through seasonal changes in your workload. Sometimes my school workload and other responsibilities quickly accumulate, and I spend every waking moment immersed in a task. At other times, I barely have any assignments due or tasks to complete and enjoy the “nothingness.” Regardless of which season I find myself in, I find myself sticking to a similar kind of schedule, often without even realizing it.
I once saw a video online saying that to make your life more memorable, you should do one new thing every day. It may be easier to do so with more trivial things such as trying a new coffee combination, but to try something new, on a bigger scale, every day is quite a tall order. Not only does that require significant creativity, but also access to these novel tasks.
In the LA&PS faculty, we have an immense diversity of students, each with their own unique routines and lives. I decided to pivot on that idea of personally doing something new every day by, instead, getting to know the daily lives of other people. I interviewed four LA&PS students and asked them about what a typical day in their life looked like.
Agamjot Singh is a 1st year international student pursuing a degree in Information Technology. He usually starts his day at 8 a.m. with his typical breakfast of french toast and coffee. He commutes to campus four times a week for classes, spending between 1–3 hours in classes and an additional 2–5 hours on assignments. Outside of schoolwork, Agamjot works part time and enjoys spending time with his friends. His favourite parts of the day are the breaks in between classes where he goes to the Break Room or Stong College to hang out with his friends or to York Lanes for a meal. Agamjot wishes to dedicate more of his time to developing new skills.
Anudari Chingis is a 2nd year international student studying Commerce. Although waking up can be difficult, she typically gets up between 8 a.m.–10 a.m. on weekdays. Anudari hopes to incorporate a better sleep schedule into her daily routine. To save money and eat healthier, she has started enjoying oats with flax seeds and fruits, alongside matcha lattes for breakfast. She commutes to campus five days a week, spending around 3 hours in classes with extra time spent in PASS sessions. Another 3 hours of her day are spent doing homework. Beyond academics, she spends her time as a Work/Study student, a student-athlete for the Varsity Track & Field team, a Global Outreach Volunteer, an International Peer Mentor, and an executive member of Peace by Peace, an organization that helps elementary school students overcome bullying. She enjoys going home after long days and watching Netflix or YouTube while she enjoys her meals to relax.
Isabel Amato is a 3rd year student in Law & Society. She usually wakes up between 6:45 a.m.–7 a.m. on weekdays to accommodate her LSAT studies. She enjoys coffee, and Greek yogurt with granola and frozen blueberries for breakfast. She commutes to campus 3 days a week and has around 4 – 4.5 hours of classes. According to her, she spends “a long time” doing homework, averaging 4-5 hours per day. Outside of school commitments, she studies for the LSAT, attends private vocal lessons, and goes to the gym. Her favourite part of the day is waking up and having breakfast as it is a time she can relax as she gets ready for the day. Without hesitating, she identifies her commute as her least favourite part of her day. She wishes to manage her time better and incorporate some “me-time” into her daily routine.
Amelia Wassay is a 4th year student pursuing a degree in Social Work with a minor in Public Administration. Depending on the day, Amelia will wake up at 9 a.m. and typically enjoys eggs, naan, and banana milkshakes for breakfast. After commuting to campus, she has around 6 hours of classes and then spends “too much” time doing homework. She enjoys attending on-campus events to network, connect with students, and gain feedback she can use as the President’s Ambassador next year. She is also a Peer Coordinator for the LA&PS professional mentorship program Advancing YU. At home, she enjoys connecting with her family and taking care of her two birds. Her favourite part of her days is going home knowing that she has done her best and is satisfied with her day-to-day life. She hopes to incorporate more confidence into her communication with her superiors.
When you are used to a similar routine like I am, you can sometimes completely forget that there are so many people out there with unique schedules. It was really nice to hear about the different ways in which other students at LA&PS spend their days and how they are striving to continually improve their lives each day.