Yes, we have all been there before. These five words have repeatedly exited our mouths when talking to hometown friends. We wish to have our friends experience a day in our life at college while simultaneously desiring to experience a day at theirs. However, it is tough to fly across the country every other weekend to visit and become a part of their student body. Luckily for us, it is possible to do so mentally and remotely.
This post, in particular, will showcase a typical day in the life of a student attending the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Here's a typical day in the life of a student at Wharton:
7:45 AM - This is the scheduled time for my alarm to go off. However, I must admit that I may press the snooze button a couple of times. Regardless, I somehow always find the strength to drag myself out of bed. I take the next hour to shower, get dressed, and pack my laptop, water bottle, and supplies into my backpack. Making my bed is also a must. After that, it is now time to leave Lauder College House and make my way towards campus.
9:00 AM - After walking for about ten minutes, it is now time for my first class. I begin the day with a recitation for OIDD-101: Introduction to Operations, Information, and Decisions in Vance Hall. You may be asking what a recitation is. Well, a recitation is a smaller class that follows a big lecture. Its purpose is to review and practice the previous lecture's material while granting students a more comfortable space to participate and ask questions. Because this is a recitation, the class size is a lot smaller and in a traditional classroom setting with tables to facilitate group discussions and assignments. The first half of the class consists of reviewing the lecture's content, while the second half consists of practice problems. A worksheet is to be completed and turned in by the end of class. Luckily, group work and collaborations are allowed. I typically tend to stay away from classes and recitations this early. However, this one was unavoidable. Nonetheless, I enjoy the hour and twenty minutes that this recitation lasts.
10:30 AM - I do have an hour and a half break before my next class. During this time, my friends and I will make our way to Pret, inside Huntsman Hall, to grab something to eat. If I am feeling hungry that day, I will go for a sandwich or soup. If not, I will grab a fruit cup and eat it there as I check emails or get some work done.
Fun fact: Pret is one of my favorite spots on campus. It is a cafe-style shop where you can always find some fresh sandwiches, warm soups, salads, fruit, pastries, and coffee. Their seating area is perfect for eating while getting some studying done. However, Pret is also great for on the go. I definitely recommend the Chicken & Bacon sandwich, the Tomato Feta soup or their warm chocolate chunk cookies.
12:00 PM - A couple of minutes before noon, I start heading downstairs to the forum of Huntsman Hall for class. Huntsman Hall is short for Jon M. Huntsman Hall, and it is one of Wharton's newest buildings. A significant amount of Wharton classes take place in this building. Therefore, you can always count on Wharton students to spend a lot of time here. My second class of the day is STAT-101: Intro to Business Stat. This course is a lecture; therefore, there are many more students than in the previous one. I do have this course alongside many of my closest friends. Thus, we get to see each other and sit together at this time. Like my previous recitation, this class is also an hour and twenty minutes. Throughout the entire duration of the course, we listen and write notes down as the professor lectures.
1:30 PM - After my second class, I start making my way towards Williams Hall alongside two of my friends. Walking down Locust Walk, getting fresh air, and seeing other familiar faces is always a great feeling at this time of the day. You can always count on stopping to say hello to classmates and friends while on Locust. After arriving at Williams, it is now time for my third class of the day. This class is my writing seminar course, also known as WRIT-025. This class has about 20 students, making it the smallest one that I have this semester. The setting is very similar to that of a high school classroom. There are desks throughout the room and chalkboards at the front. Similar to the others, the writing seminar lasts for an hour and twenty minutes.
3:00 PM - It is now time for my last class of the day. After getting out of the writing seminar, I make my way back to Huntsman Hall. That is where I have my recitation for MKTG101: Introduction to Marketing. Because it is a recitation, there are about 25 other students in this class. The classroom setting, again, is very similar to a traditional classroom. I stay in this class for another hour and twenty minutes. For the most part, the recitation consists of discussing and applying marketing concepts to a case that was part of our homework.
Fun fact: this is the class in which I participate the most because I love marketing and because participation significantly impacts final grades.
4:30 PM - This is definitely my favorite time of the day! At this time, my classes for the day and week are officially over.
Fun fact: the Wharton School does not have classes on Fridays. Therefore, it is common for Wharton students to have their Fridays free. Often, I will go out to eat with friends or my sister around this time. Chipotle or SweetGreen are always great options given that Huntsman Hall is nearby both of them.
5:30 PM - After a long day of classes, seeing my friends is a must! Around this time, I will make my way towards Hill College House, the residence hall where most of my friends live. I typically spend the next couple of hours with them in a social lounge. Time flies by as we catch up with each other and get some school work done.
7:00 PM - If you are a part of an organization, general body meetings and events tend to happen around this time. Today, I had a marketing committee meeting for Wharton Women. Thus, I will make my way back to Huntsman Hall and into a group study room, also known as a GSR, where my meeting will take place.
8:00 PM - After leaving my meeting, it is now time for dinner! By this time, I will have already made plans with my friends for dinner. Today, we agreed to get dinner at the Hill Dining Hall inside of the Hill College House. I will then walk back to Hill and head downstairs for dinner. This specific dining hall has a large variety of food. It is so hard to stay away from pizza, pasta, and fries every single day! Depending on my appetite, I will go for some grilled chicken and salad or some chicken, rice, and veggies. Dessert is always a must at dining halls! Typically, some fruit will do, but sometimes I will spoil myself with a chocolate chip cookie.
9:00 PM - It is now homework time. For the next couple of hours, my friends and I will gather at a lounge or study area to get some work done. I typically use this time to finish homework assignments, do any readings that I have to do, or study for an upcoming exam. There are study breaks in between. An exciting conversation or hilarious act never fails to be present during this time. Nonetheless, it always feels great to spend time with my favorite people.
11:30 PM - After getting some work done and wishing my friends goodnight, I will make my way back to my dorm in Lauder College House. My suitemates are usually getting ready for bed around this time as well. Therefore, I will wish them goodnight and go into my room. I tend to put my stuff down and charge my laptop while I watch Netflix. Lately, I have been loving Elite and How to Get Away with Murder. I will watch either of these shows while taking the next couple of minutes to do any cleaning or organizing that I may have to do. And of course, I will then get ready for bed. Once in bed, I will continue to scroll through social media apps. You know, Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok, the usual.
12:30 AM - After setting my alarm for the next day, it is officially time to go to sleep.
Conclusion
As you may be able to tell by now, a day in the life of a Wharton student is eventful and unique. Although it may seem long or tiring, a walk down Locust Walk or a gathering with your friends at night makes it all worthwhile. Everyone should definitely experience life at Wharton or the University of Pennsylvania at least once in their life. However, the aforementioned activities suffice to describe Wharton undergraduate student life and a day at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.