Have you ever had that moment when you wake up, it’s still dark outside, and there is this kind of soft weariness in your heart and in your bones? You lay there in bed and you start to wonder why, why do I do this to myself every day. Then the second alarm goes off and you have no time to ponder such existential questions. Well, welcome to a typical day in the life of a Northeastern chemistry student!
I’m not going to lie; it can be a rough life. Waking up at 7-7:30 in the morning is not the hardest thing in the world, but it certainly sucks when the first class you have is some crazy chem lab. You can barely see, barely talk, you’re still waiting for the coffee to hit you, and they want you to pour dangerous chemicals, why?!
After the first lab, it’s a mad dash to the next class. Off to learn about elements and electrons, and something about a synthetic reaction, that you think you understand, but no, you definitely don’t. “That girl in front asks questions about things I’ve never heard of, am I in the right class” is a thought that springs to mind, probably constantly.
Whew! It’s finally time for a mid-day break, where eating is the only thing on your mind. Rebecca’s lines can be heinous, but the warm, delicious, made-to-order sandwiches are definitely worth it. Taking a break and eating a meal is honestly a life saver in a hectic chem-filled lifestyle.
After the lunch break is another gift from the gods, a reprieve from all of the science and math, an elective class! It’s probably something that will be fun and creative and totally not a hard writing or business class. Who has time to overachieve…
Finally the last class of the day, which is either another lab or some kind of math or science class. At this point, the brain has become gelatin and the will to learn is even weaker than it was in the morning, but it’s alright, stay strong there’s only an hour left, that’s two half hours, or four 15 minute periods of time, you can do it!
As you get home, you can literally feel the tension in your body leave as you deflate into the bed. But before the sweet release of sleep, there is much work to be done. To begin with, there are definitely two lab reports that were left until the last minute that have to be done pretty much yesterday. Then, on top of that, there is probably a quiz that needs to be studied for from a textbook that is so big you’re pretty sure it has its own gravity. Work is almost never-ending when you’re a Northeastern chemistry student.
Now, after all the work, after such a crazy, long, chemistry filled day, you finally get to lie in bed and reflect on the question you were asking yourself in the morning. Why? Why do I do this? And as you start to fade off into dreamland you realize, you love chemistry. You love the challenge, the people, the teachers, and you love being able to say, “Someday I’ll be a chemist”. There are a lot of people that groan and moan when they hear about chemistry, thinking back to that one class they took and barely passed. But here you are slaving away, and you realize you might be good at it, this might be a great path for you, and as you smile to yourself, you fall asleep dreaming of cool experiments, and maybe even, some rad explosions. That’s what’d I’d say is a typical day in the life of a Northeastern chemistry student.
Growing up in California is the best - lets be real. The weather is spectacular and you only have to…
Procrastination is the phenomenon of conveniently forgetting the existence of a task of a task until the last possible minute.…
Fear in relationships is completely normal, especially if you are just starting out. But, it is important to not let…
Whether you’re from the great state of Ohio or from one of the other 40+ states represented at UC, you…
If you ask any college student why they are going to college, chances are most of them will say "to…
How can such an expansive campus, and such a massive student body, seem so small when you're going about your…
