A Week in the Life

For next week's post, I will answer questions. If you have a question you want me to answer, leave a comment here, or send me an e-mail ( sberghel [at] hmc [dot] edu). I will then answer the question on this blog! If you want me to send you a reply and not put your question here, that's OK too.

I will also talk about jobs next week. Stay tuned.

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In case you were wondering what a week at Mudd is like, here's mine. I'm taking 16 credits worth of classes (essentially 5 + 1/3 classes), and I have two jobs.

Monday:
I have 3 classes--a core math class (which changes every half-semester), a biology lecture, and a CS class on programming, data structures, and code style (referred to at Mudd as "CS70", or simply "70"). I have a dinner meeting for one of my jobs, and then I finish the larger of the two Algorithms assignments, which is due Tuesday. I also meet with my partner for CS70 and do some work. (All work in CS70 must be done in pairs. While this limits the time that I can do my homework for that class, it also means that we can help each other figure out what we're doing wrong. Since the class homework mostly revolves around writing and fixing complicated code, pair programming actually makes the class easier.)

Tuesday:
I have two classes---my algorithms class, and a macroeconomics class. Until recently, I also had a class that met in the late afternoon on Tuesdays only. (That's the 1/3 of a class referred to earlier---there's not a lot of homework, and the class meets once a week for 2/3 of the semester.) I meet with my CS70 partner again, and do more work. I also get started on the smaller of the two weekly Algorithms assignments.

Wednesday:
In addition to my Monday classes, I have another dinner meeting---this time for the class that I'm grading. If my partner and I aren't done with CS70 yet, we work until 11:59 (since homeworks for this class are due at midnight) or until we're finished, whatever comes first. I then finish my Algorithms homework (due Thursday), and start on my math homework if I have time.

Thursday:
Thursday is when my week starts lightening up. I only have two classes, and I have no homework due Fridays. I usually work on my math homework and run errands in the afternoon. At night, I hang out, goof off, or (usually) both. Since some of my friends are seniors who don't have morning classes on Friday, the biggest challenge is to get to bed at an appropriate time for a morning class.

Friday:
I have a math class in the morning, and a staff meeting at noon. My CS70 partner and I start work on the next assignment before dinner. After dinner is free time, which I usually spend hanging out with my friends.

Saturday:
Afternoons are for math and algorithms homework. Nights are for doing many things that are not homework, including going to the grocery store. (Vons, the local grocery store chain, closes at midnight.)

Sunday:
Like most Mudders, I spend Sundays doing work--in this case, math and Algs, since both are large assignments due at the beginning of the week.