Day In The Life Of A College Senior: Neuroscience Major

Hi! My name is Rahema, and I am a college senior who is a Neuroscience major. 

I thought, why not share what a day in my life looks like!

I will warn you that sometimes my day can get hectic, but I guess that’s what being a student is all about, lol. 

My Mornings

For the most part, I always have morning classes that last till noon. 

I wake up at around 6:30/7:00 and get ready. I put on makeup, choose a cute outfit, and choose matching jewelry to wear. Personally, I do this just because it gives me a bit of motivation to be productive, and why not? It’s my last year. 

My mornings typically end with me making my bed before I go and grabbing coffee. I am not a breakfast person, but I am trying to make a habit of eating a light snack (granola bar, goldfish, pretzels, etc.) before I head out. 

For university, I live in Downtown Chicago and walk to campus. Living off-campus lets me enjoy and live in this beautiful city, and it’s not a far walk to get to classes. 

Class Time

Now on to what I actually study and the types of classes I am taking. 

The majority of my classes as a college senior are 300 and 400 level classes. As a student, you take higher-level classes as you advance in seniority. 

For example, freshmen are more likely to take 100 and 200 level courses compared to what I am taking. 

I am currently taking Neuroscience 2, Neuroanatomy, Biology of the Brain, and a Psychology Laboratory in Sensation and Perception. 

I am not going to lie when I say that juggling these classes can be difficult, especially when I have more than 2 exams and quizzes within the same week. But it is my reality. 

I honestly love my classes this year compared to my previous years in college.

This is because freshman and sophomore year, at least for me, were filled with taking general education courses and prerequisite courses. They are needed to take the more advanced Neuroscience classes required for my Bachelors in the subject. 

These classes entailed chemistry, biology, math, and philosophy (my favorite). 

After Class

As soon as I am done with class, I like to come back to my apartment to make myself something to eat. 

Being Pakistani, my mom packs me some Pakistani meals that I can eat throughout the week. This is because I can’t go that long without eating Pakistani food! 

Either I eat what my mom has packed me or whip myself up some pasta or do an easy air fryer recipe. I highly recommend an air fryer if you have a college apartment (easy and fast to use)!

When senioritis kicks in and I get lazy to cook, I most definitely eat out. I actually wrote a blog post on how to tackle senioritis and you can check it out here: Sure Fire Way To Beat Senioritis!

Make sure to drink plenty of water as well to avoid dehydration! I was that person that would only survive off of coffee, and it catches up to you at some point! 

Then I am off to either a café or my apartment’s working lounge to get stuff done. I always study and do homework for a good 4-5 hours. Sometimes I will work from my apartment, but I like switching up the setting to do work. 

A tip that I recommend to any STEM major or if you can use this in your class is to start early on studying material for exams and quizzes coming up. 

At the start of each unit for a class, I like starting with either physical flashcards or starting a Quizlet. After each lecture, I added information that I learned on my flashcard sets. 

This is a lifesaver and helps from wasting time last minute doing this! (Thank me later!)

My Night

After studying and being exhausted, I get dinner ready. 

Dinner is the same thing as lunch for me, but if I have the time, I’ll spend more time making myself a super nice meal if I am not eating a Pakistani one my mom prepared. 

I also love indulging in some dessert! 

After eating and watching Netflix (right now, I am watching Criminal Minds), I wash the dishes and get ready to work out. 

I am so grateful to have a gym in my apartment, so I don’t have to leave the building. 

Working out is my time to destress and relieve anxiety. It also helps me take care of my body, and it’s the perfect self-care. Although, I do get lazy at times. 

Once I am done, I take a nice hot shower and get ready for bed. 

I am so guilty of just scrolling through social media before I sleep, and it’s a habit I am slowly but surely trying to get rid of. 

I try and fall asleep by 11 or 1 at the latest. As a college senior, getting sleep is so underrated, and you need it! 

This is the basic routine that I have as a college senior majoring in Neuroscience! Let me know down below what your major is or what you want to major in!