A Day at MHC: Lucy Anderson

7:45 am: Wake up! To start my day, I usually scroll through email and text notifications on my phone in bed for a while and then I like to open my blinds and make my bed. This is the view out of my window. Since I am currently living at home in Minnesota, there is snow on the ground and some frost around the window frame. When it’s not frozen, there is a wetland in my backyard.

8:00 am:  While getting ready in the morning, I listened to a podcast. Today, like most days, I listened to “The Daily” from The New York Times.

8:20 am:   I decided to start making banana pancakes for my breakfast. Since trying this recipe for the first time on Saturday, I’ve been wanting to make it again.

8:44 am: I sat down to eat my breakfast. While eating, I like to read the Star Tribune, Minnesota’s local newspaper.   

10:09 am: I changed out of my exercise clothes and got dressed for the day. I opted for a sweater and one of my most beloved pairs of jeans. I bought them from a local vintage/thrift store in Minneapolis a couple of weeks ago and have been in love with them since.

10:27 am: I checked my schedule and to-do list for the day and got started studying for my physics midterm, which is tomorrow. I got three problems from a practice test finished!   

11:46 am: I ate a quick lunch of leftover pasta and meatballs.    

11:58 am: I logged on to Zoom for my first class of the day, Statistics in Psychology. This is a UMass Amherst Honors College class that I am taking through the Five College Consortium.   

1:15 pm: During the 15-minute break I had between the statistics lecture and lab, I ate a snack and answered some emails.       

1:28 pm: I logged into zoom for the lab. Most of our labs involve learning how to code in RStudio.       

2:45 pm: When my lab finished, I went straight into another Zoom call. I met with one of the other research assistants in the Sabariego Lab to go over some updates on one of our projects. The photo is of me waiting for that meeting to start and features my cat, Emmett, sleeping on my bed in the background.

3:37 pm:  I did some more work studying for physics.    

5:59 pm: I joined my electromagnetism class Zoom. We have class from 6 to 9 pm. most nights of the week. Fortunately, we get a 15-minute break in the middle of class, so that it’s not just three hours straight on Zoom. Tonight, we were reviewing for our midterm.   

8:56 pm: I finished with synchronous physics class. After a quick snack, I did a bit more physics studying.   

10:03 pm: I started to get ready for bed. While doing this, I like to listen to audiobooks. Currently, I’m reading/listening to “A Darker Shade of Magic” by V. E. Schwab.   

10:28 pm: I journaled. I’ve journaled every night since 2015. It helps me process my day and clear my mind before bed.

10:45 pm:  Good night!   

7:25 am: I woke up slightly earlier than usual today because I had an early meeting. 

7:32 am: After making my bed and opening my blinds, I started to get ready for the day. Although I usually listen to a podcast while I get ready, I was in a bit more of a rush this morning so I opted to listen to music instead, in hopes that it would give me an energy boost. The photo is of my February 2021 playlist on Spotify. I always spend a couple of hours at the beginning of each month making a new playlist.

7:49 am: I ate a quick breakfast of cinnamon bread toast with peanut butter on it. It may sound like an odd flavor combination, but it was really good!   

8:00 am: At 8:00am, I had a Sabariego Lab meeting to work on our current project studying emotion and cognition in humans. Since one of our collaborators is in Thailand, we had to choose a time that would work for everyone.   

9:19 am: As soon as that first meeting ended, I logged onto a second meeting with the two other students working on that project  with me. We briefly discussed the proposal we are collaborating on to apply for Harap grant funding, a resource we have through Mount Holyoke’s psychology department. With funding, we hope to offer a second phase of the study we are currently working on.       

9:44 am: After updating my to-do list, I ate a snack and skimmed through the newspaper a bit. I then answered emails.   

10:16 am: I watered my ferns! I really like having indoor plants around the house, especially during the winter.    

10:29 am: I shoveled the driveway to help my dad out, who was too busy to do it this morning. I listened to an audiobook while shoveling, which made it quite pleasant.

11:06 am: After finishing shoveling, I changed out of my pajamas and braided my hair.   

11:43 am: I ate a quick lunch of pasta with pesto, fresh tomatoes and parmesan cheese.   

11:59 am: Waiting for class to start. I had a Statistics in Psychology lecture from noon to 1:15 pm. This is the UMass Amherst Honors College class that I am taking through the Five College Consortium for my neuroscience and behavior major.  

1:15 pm: After class, I got a quick snack and started on my statistics homework that is due tomorrow. Our homework assignments are usually R files that program a random set of practice questions for us to complete in RStudio.   

1:53 pm: Having finished my statistics homework for the week, I moved on to reviewing the General Chemistry problem set 5 to prepare for the PLUMs (group tutoring) session I am leading tomorrow. Being a PLUMS mentor is one of the three jobs I have through the College. I like to review the material ahead of time so that I feel well-prepared to answer student questions.    

2:14 pm:  I moved on to other assignments, including watching a recording for my Medical Anthropology course (a UMass Amherst course that I am taking for a Five College Certificate in Culture, Health and Science) and researching for the Harap grant funding proposal that I am writing for the Sabariego Lab.       

3:50 pm: I logged onto Zoom to run a study appointment for the Sabariego Lab’s current project on the effects of emotion of cognition. The study, listed as The Cognitive Challenge, is offered to Mount Holyoke students in the psychology and neuroscience departments. They receive study credits for participating, which can be used for extra credit in their class.      

5:40 pm: Dinner! Tonight, we had leftovers, which included breaded chicken, rice, roasted vegetables — and a biscuit for me.   

5:58 pm: I logged onto Zoom for my physics lab. Although most of our labs for this course are hands-on using supplies shipped to our addresses, tonight we learned about RC resistors through a demonstration and small-group discussions.       

7:42 pm: Having finished lab, I started work on the corresponding RC circuits post-lab assignment.    

9:29 pm: I updated my to-do list for tomorrow (reflecting what I couldn’t get finished today) and started getting ready for bed. While getting ready, I listened to the audiobook I’m currently listening to, “A Darker Shade of Magic” by V. E. Schwab.  

10:01 pm: I listened to my audiobook for a little while longer while adding stickers to my Paint by Sticker sheet.