A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A STUDENT AT UT AUSTIN (zOoM)
As many Texas universities resume classes, we decided to share what being a student at UT is like in this new remote normal – from the perspective of one of our amazing interns.
8:30 AM: Morning routine
“Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday…” – Kimmy Schmidt
Since I’m in Virginia and running on Eastern Standard time, my 9 a.m class in Texas will start at 10 a.m here. Extra sleep, I love it!
It’s a beautiful Virginia morning! I love how the sun shines and brings out the color in everything. I love looking out into these woods— it’s so peaceful.
Every morning, I begin with my routine of warm water. Three glasses: the first with lemon, the second with wheatgrass powder, and the third with flaxseed and aloe vera.
It’s a relatively busy day: we have a quiz and lectures to get through. Onward!
10 a.m: “Y’all are gonna be quizzed on the differences between ser and estar.”
So it begins! After a first week littered with homework assignments, we have a quiz too. I finish it, 8/10. Not as bad as I thought— I guess. Usually after class, I have an omelet and cereal for breakfast. Today, I was feeling a little fancy. I wanted something sweet, but something that wasn’t hard to make. Something that everyone loved and only required few ingredients. The only possible solution? Pancakes! I’ve seen healthy pancake recipes consisting of bananas and eggs, but this one was different. It was easier to make, and the pancakes were so fluffy! To make them a little more structured, I added a little four, but that is optional. Check out the recipe here!
12 p.m: Lecture time! After a delicious breakfast and a mid-morning nap, I decided to watch my online lecture. Even though I have assignments due every week, I can watch the lecture videos at leisure and then complete my assignments.
1:30 p.m: Everyday, after I’m done studying, I do some meal prep. On a normal weekday, I get started on lunch around 1 p.m., but we already had okra leftover from yesterday. I enjoy cooking, but I will admit that life is a lot easier when you have leftovers.
3:30 p.m: Time to chill. I feel like milkshakes, and I’m tired of the usual cereal and hot chocolate, so we boutta mix it up! I ran to a nearby convenience store to get some chocolate ice cream. I didn’t have regular milk, but I used fat free and the milkshake still turned out so good! Check out the Texas Tasty recipe I used.
5:30 p.m: It’s time to work out! I try to exercise six days a week— if my schedule allows. With the start of the semester, the going gets a little tougher when you remember all the extra responsibilities that come with being a student. Anyway, it’s cardio day today! Laced up and warmed up, I hit shuffle on my workout playlist — “I’m Gonna Be (500 miles)” by the Proclaimers starts to play. Let’s go!
6 p.m.: By this time, I’m heading to the nearby soccer field for a few sprints, push up variations, burpees, squat jumps, and mountain climbers. Check out my energizing workout playlist here.
7:30 p.m.: Phew! That was tiring! Time to chill a little, rehydrate, and walk back to the house for a shower and some relaxation.
8:30 p.m: Dinner time! We usually cook, but today we have…drumroll…pizza! Shoutout to my friend Papa John’s for dinner tonight!
9:00 PM: Time to watch a geography lecture before I call a day and ring in the long weekend!
9:30 PM: We’ll do the rest of my homework another time! After I watch “The Theory of Everything” on Netflix I’ll call it a night. Thank you for tuning in to “A Day in the Life of a UT Student!”
This pandemic has drastically changed the landscape of the world, with no normal being the new normal. Hopefully, the world will see better days soon and we’ll all be able to return to our normal lives. For now, stay safe, stay strong and take care!