Candid at Cornell

I remember, when I was a prospective Cornell student, that reading these “Day in the Life” posts helped me get an accurate perspective on student life here. I always thought learning about the small things were interesting, so I’ll try to pay it forward. As the semester is wrapping up, I’ve realized that I’ve gotten into a pattern with my days. So, here’s exactly what went down in my life, chronologically, on Wednesday, November 28, 2012:

8:20 A.M.– Wake up. Living on West and getting up around this time affords me plenty of time to get to my 9:05 Stats lecture in Ives Hall. I leave my room after tossing my textbooks and binders for the day in my bag, after making a mental note of which classes I have today. I’m out my door by 8:37.

8:40 A.M.–Grab a banana from the dining hall; I don’t have time to down for a full meal. While many juniors and seniors frown at the idea of living on campus during their last two years, the hot breakfast and this fruit selection pictured below–only a few steps downstairs–is part of the reason I came back this year. I then run out the door to the bus stop to grab the TCAT # 10, which comes regularly and takes me to the top of the hill (yes, I sometimes refrain from excessive physical activity in the morning…like climbing the slope):

9:05 A.M.–Stat begins, and there’s abnormally high attendance today because word got out the professor is giving a surprise participation bonus point in class (which you can only get if you attend). The professor, a very enthusiastic woman, makes statistics so engaging. Today’s activity? We were given 4 colors of paper, and she describes a hypothesis testing scenario. We have to pick the type of test to use (T-test, matched samples test, etc.), using the colors to denote our choice. Soon, the whole lecture hall is energized and raising their hands with red/blue/green/white notecards.

10:00 A.M.–I have some time to kill before financial accounting in Statler Hall, at 11:15. I park myself in one of the new comfortable chairs at the Hotelie library, because that’s near where my next class is. As I’m surfing the web and getting ready for class, I hear Hotelies talking about elasticity of demand for hotel rooms or something.

11:15 A.M.–Financial accounting is stressful. Our final exam is next Friday (a little over a week from now), and I have to master the intricacies of bonds and how to prepare a cash flow statement by then. I can’t begin studying for this just yet, though…because I have a managerial economics exam tomorrow. Gulp.

12:20 P.M.–Grab something to eat at Trillium, one of my favorite eateries on campus. I want to make it to managerial economics office hours to clear up last minute questions, which occur during this time, so I scarf down chicken nuggets and fries fast. After that, I head off to Warren to interrogate the TA’s about price discrimination analysis.

1:10 P.M.– Off to the “language of chemistry,” where we discussed the chemistry behind modern day topics, like AIDS and cancer. The course and subject matter has been an interesting break from the five business courses that I’m taking this semester. Good news, though: the professor curved the latest exam intensely, so much that a “B-” on the test is a 52%. Wow…collective sighs of relief must have been performed by the entire 200 person class.

2:40 P.M.–Hang out in Libe, do some assorted work/studying, and prepare for tomorrow’s economics exam. Yes, I asked someone to watch my stuff as I went to the bathroom at one point.

6:00 P.M.–Dinner back at Cook, with friends. I can relax and eat, but have to check my watch occasionally because I have a 7:30 statistics discussion.

7:30 P.M.–Attend said discussion, the last stat discussion of the semester. In order to celebrate the 2 hours that we’ve spent a week learning stats, the TA called for a holiday party while we review the last of the material for the semester. It was a pretty chill class, considering one of the practice problems involved sampling 6 different types of cookies, ranking our favorites, and doing statistical analysis on them. Night classes can be difficult to focus in, but I have to get used to it considering my Business Law class next semester is from 7:30-10PM on Monday nights.

9:30 P.M.–I come back to Cook, study more economics, then socialize a bit, browse the internet, and go to bed relatively early–after all, I have an exam tomorrow, and my final digital business strategy class at 8:40!

Well, if you’ve read this far, I’m officially flattered. Hope this gave a perspective of one student’s daily life on the hill!