A Day In My Life At College In California

Intro

A lot of people know me through extensive reviews on the internet, offering looks into premium cabins when flying, as well as off-the-beaten-path destinations such as Somalia, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Ukraine. 

However, most probably don’t know that I am actually a full-time student in college in Southern California (in person). While I tend to miss a lot of college due to traveling, I figured it would be cool to walk you through a traditional day with me. 

Some might call me sad for not embracing college, but this is my way of living. 

A Normal Monday 

Typically, every other Sunday, I get back from traveling somewhere in the hours of 7-11 pm, in order to maximize my day. So when that alarm goes off at 5 am to wake up jetlagged, I feel as if a rock has hit me. However, what I do know is that I am most productive in the early hours of the morning, and I tend to use this to my advantage.

Grabbing a cup of coffee, I sit down for the next 2 hours and get to work on some essays for college, and if I finish that, I’ll begin writing a blog post or two for the day. I attempt not to check my phone in the mornings as it isn’t good for productivity, but we all know how that goes 😅. 

Around 7, I get ready, shower, make my bed, and head off via Uber to the Starbucks right by my University. Oftentimes, I have this Iranian driver who picks me up, and we talk about the world dynamics and politics in countries such as Afghanistan and Iran. It’s one of my highlights of my day, in all honesty. 

Around 7:50, I arrive at Starbucks, grab a coffee, and head off to my first class (not Emirates First Class, college 🥴) of the day. It’s a short class from 8-8:50 with a professor who is an absolute sweetheart from the North of France. 

From 9-10, I usually engage in some sort of physical activity to get those natural endorphins flowing, and then head off to write 2 blog posts from 10-12 somewhere on campus. With any luck, I might be able to squeeze in my first meal of the day. 

Sometimes I will treat myself in the mornings to a sandwich, but I try and conserve money or cook at home

At 12:00 pm is when my next class comes, and this one only lasts 50 minutes, which is nice. It’s a decent class that ties in rhetoric and personal reflections, an area where I tend to shine in the academic realm. Another lovely professor, who is vulnerable with his class, which I respect. 

One of my college classrooms

From 1-5:30 is where I have a large gap to focus on work. Usually, this entails reaching out to clients in attempts to sell another tour (trying to build that angle, it's not going very well yet, but I had something fruitful come up recently), writing another blog post, and finishing up my assignments and essays, but sometimes I’ll treat myself to a nice lunch somewhere if I have been productive enough in the morning. 

By 4 pm is when I usually start shutting down, and my brain gets tired, but it’s still a long way to go until the end of the day. Most of the time, I’ll take a walk to get my brain and body moving, or sometimes I’ll take a 20-minute power nap on the floor somewhere on campus. 

At 5:30 pm, the University starts to really pick up. I am taking my senior thesis, so this means that I have to focus to the extreme in this class, no researching my destination (Haiti), and no faffing around. Although I will say, the professor for this class is the nicest professor I’ve had in 4 years here. 

I tend to work very hard in these classes, even though I am exhausted. Perks of running a double life.

Straight after that is my final course of the day from 7-10 pm, which is food science. Not up my alley whatsoever, but I have to take it to graduate, so there is that… Usually, I’ll set my schedule for the next day, and if I am not emotionally and physically exhausted, I attempt to get ahead for the next day. 

By 10 pm, class is finished, I take a 20-minute Uber drive home, run a bath, turn off my phone, and go to sleep by 11:00-11:15, ready to do it all over again the next day.

Final Thoughts 

While a lot of people see me living an extravagant life when I am away, when I am in college, I run around trying to find a way to get everything done all at once. With missing so many classes, the fact that I have to take 18 credits this semester, working, and running a blog, it becomes a lot. I don’t see any of my friends here very often, it’s a lonely world, but a world that is a good fit for me. 

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it, just wanted to share!