Day in the Life of a Freshman CS Student
By: Rachel Boroda (Barnard ‘27)
Hellooooo WiCS blog readers! Welcome to the Day in the Life series, where I’ll feature blog posts dedicated to a freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior studying computer science. For the inaugural post, I’ll share a bit about myself!
My name is Rachel, and I’m a first-year at Barnard (prospectively) majoring in Math and Computer Science. Since I took Data Structures last semester and am taking Advanced Programming next semester, my CS course-load this semester is a little lighter than that of most freshmen who may be taking Intro to Java, Data Structures, or AP!
9:00am I wake up to the sun shining directly into my face. The day has begun! While I don’t have class on Tuesdays until 11:40, I always have some homework to catch up on. Last Friday, I wasn’t able to watch the recitation for Discrete Math, so I use this time to watch the recording and review the content.
10:30am It’s time to get some fuel for the day. My roommate and I head to Liz’s Place, the cafe on Barnard’s campus. At Liz’s Place, we chat for a bit over coffee and breakfast sandwiches. Afterward, I set out for Uris–just a short walk away.
11:40am My first class of the day is Discrete Mathematics with Prof. Ansaf Salleb-Aouissi. It’s part of the CS Core, and the material in class is super approachable–a great introduction to logical thinking.
12:55pm Once Discrete is over, it’s time for my second and last class of the day. I walk over to Hamilton Hall and trek up the stairs to the sixth floor.
1:10pm Now, I have Honors Math B, the second semester of the two-part Honors Math sequence (a rigorous proof-based approach to Linear Algebra and Multivariable Calculus) with Prof. George Dragomir. Though it’s challenging, Prof. Dragomir’s passion for the subject is one of the reasons why I plan to also major in mathematics. It truly is a fascinating class.
2:25pm After math, I meet up with a few friends at John Jay to catch up and eat lunch before we hit the books.
3:15pm The time has come to make my way over to Butler Library. There are three of us, which makes finding a table a little challenging. First, I double-check my submission for the Discrete Math coding assignment (in Python) due tonight. Then, I open Overleaf and start on a written problem set for the same class.
5:00pm I switch over to my First Year Writing Seminar homework. I need to perform a close listening exercise on Louis Armstrong’s “(What Did I Do To Be So) Black And Blue” and craft a discussion post on CourseWorks. Overall, successful work session!
5:40pm I pack up and walk back to my dorm just in time to catch the sunset. There, I start reading over the class notes for Honors Math.
7:00pm I pack up and head to Uris for a quick meeting before grabbing dinner at Chef Mike’s.
8:15pm - 11:30pm I head back across Broadway to Barnard. Once I get to my dorm, I settle in for the night. I work on a couple of applications for the summer and look over the assigned articles for my Russia and the West class tomorrow morning. Then, I read, shower, and head to bed. Goodnight!
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