A Day in the Life: Victoria

(a.k.a. an uneventful Friday)

6:30 a.m. – My alarm goes off and I wake up instantly. Living in a dorm with two other roommates has actually been helpful, because it motivates me to turn off the alarm ASAP so they don’t hate me.

My day starts the night before, when I force myself to be in bed by 10:45 (ideally) and I fall asleep around 11:00. I try to wake up at 6:30 everyday and I’ve been successful so far this year. But before I get out of bed, I usually check my notifications and emails to see if anything important came up (#screenagers). Then I immediately put my earbuds in to listen to my morning news podcast while I get ready.

7:00 a.m. – I get to BFit and it’s pretty empty on this Friday morning, which is why it’s my favorite day to go. I’m trying to be active at least five days week and I’m proud that I’ve been on track so far this year! This is a big accomplishment for me, a really, really unfit person. I listen to more of my podcasts as I work out today.

No one wants to wake up early after frat parties.

7:45 a.m. – I do a shorter routine today because I want to study for my midterm later today. I leave and go to BCaf to get a lunch to-go. The Korean veggie wrap was surprisingly good when I had it for the first time, so I get another one of those with a side of banana.

It has tofu in it.

8:00 a.m. – I’m back in my dorm and I shower before I eat my breakfast. I’m on 14P so I usually make my own breakfasts. I used to make smoothies for myself but it’s just too hard to clean a huge blender in a tiny dorm sink. Lately, my breakfasts have been just an apple, a banana (purloined from the dining halls), and some greek yogurt. I also take the time to make some matcha for myself, 1. because I’ve gotten used to drinking it at home 2. my body can’t handle coffee and 3. I refuse to spend $4 everyday on it at coffee shops.

The goods.

9:00 a.m. – I try and get some last minute studying in for my chem midterm. I don’t have class until then (it’s an in-class midterm) but I do have volunteering in an hour. I change into my uniform and pack everything I need for the day, since I won’t be coming back to the dorms until 6.

9:45 a.m. – I head out the door and walk down to the shuttle stop. UCLA has its very own shuttle between their Ronald Reagan and Santa Monica medical centers. I get in and feel very official with my uniform and badge.

10:30 a.m. – I start my office assistant shift. This is where I stop taking photos just because everything I do is in such a rush. My tasks include scanning papers, uploading files, and auditing documents. It seems a little tedious but I actually enjoy it! I quickly eat a bar as I work because I’m starting to get a little hungry. Everyone who works in the volunteer office is really friendly. My supervisor gives me a free lunch coupon at the cafeteria but I wistfully decline because of my midterm.

12:30 p.m. – I speed out the door to catch the 12:30 shuttle back and continue my very last-minute studying. Once we’re back on campus, I speed walk to the nearest bathroom to change out of my uniform. Then, I speed walk all the way to north campus (for some reason our chem midterm is here?). My stomach is making all sorts of noises at this point, and I scarf down that wrap I packed that morning. To my annoyance, it got crushed in my backpack and spilled all over the inside pocket. I have more important things to attend to though, and I whip out my chem notes and do one final read-through.

1:45 p.m. – I walk with my friend to the midterm and wait for the class before to end. We’re just the right amount of nervous.

2:50 p.m. – First chem midterm of the quarter: DONE. We both agree it wasn’t too terrible and feel pretty good about it. I think that cramming in the shuttle paid off. Of course, you should always study in advance too :) We immediately have to speedwalk back to south campus though; our math lecture is starting soon.

3:50 p.m. – Last class of the week: DONE. We’ve just started to learn about matrices and linear algebra. It seems a little abstract at first, but luckily, my professor is incredibly patient at explaining things. It’s Friday and I feel liberated. I say bye to my friend and sit down at a table nearby. I check my phone after a long day of back-to-back activities. It’s not over yet, though. After a quick rest and recharge, I walk over to Royce to meet up with my club.

4:25 p.m. – One of the board members of the club (a health care student advocacy group) volunteered to take free headshots for us. She works fast and I head back to the hill.

5:00 p.m. – I’m starving again. I get in line for BPlate before it even opens and make a beeline to the grilled fish. I politely ask for three pieces and continue piling things on my plate.

I promise there's fish under there.

5:30 p.m. – I try and pace myself but I finish my first plate quickly and move on to a bowl of soup. The desserts catch my eye and I get a vegan chocolate loaf and some sort of Italian tart.

I don't even like chocolate.

6:00 p.m. – Once I finish eating, I go pick up some packages from the mail center. My brother accidentally packed one of my shirts with him when he left during winter break and he mailed it back to me from New York. That makes me realize I should probably do laundry, and I hurry back to my dorm to snatch the last available washer.

We love laundry!

8:30 p.m. – The whole process took a while because I kept forgetting things to wash, and then I forgot to bring my detergent. What’s more is someone thought I had already finished and took all my dirty clothes out of the washer for me. I explained to them and they kindly understood. College laundry is stressful, especially since that room is so hot and stuffy. I make it out alive, though.

After I fold all my clothes, I sit down, put on an episode of a show, and take some time to relax. I’m trying to take breaks from schoolwork more often. I used to feel a little guilty about not being busy every waking minute but I find that this is a lot more balanced and effective in the long run. I could have gone out, but what I truly enjoy the most is having some time to myself.

I promise I have friends.

10 p.m. – I don’t know where the time goes, but it’s already 10 o’clock. I start to plan my day tomorrow and can’t resist the urge to get a little work done. I’m feeling a little tired so I wash up and head to bed. Even on weekends, I like to wake up early so I’m thankful my internal clock is taking over. I fall asleep by 11. Good night!