The morning sun hits my face as I wake up to my sister’s 8:00 a.m. alarm. But I’m not at home, I’m staying in El Portal, one of eight dormitories at UC Merced. As my sister, Stephany, and her roommates rush to get ready, I decide to observe what a typical day looks like for a civil engineering major and how they balance school and life.
Morning
We walk to the Pavilion, one of two campus dining halls, for breakfast. This dining hall serves meals throughout the day, and this particular morning I grab waffles and hash browns. I enjoyed the waffles as well as the other options of foods that I tried that morning. Stephany prefers a healthy option for breakfast like sausage and eggs, which also gives us a much larger range for food options. On Mondays, Stephany doesn’t have an early class, so she studies from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m., preparing for General Chemistry ll. Afterward, she heads to her 10:30 lecture in a large hall filled with hundreds of students.
Once chemistry ends at 11:20 a.m., she rushes to her next class, Statics and Dynamics, at 11:30. This engineering course is her favorite because it applies math and physics to real world structures like bridges and buildings. “This class helps me see a perspective on how a life of a Civil Engineer could look like for me in the future and that’s why I think it’s a great course to take.” – Stephany says
Afternoon
After class ended at 12:45 p.m., we headed to Yablokoff Wallace Dining center, also known as the DC, which is the second dining center on campus. Unlike the Pavillion, the DC doesn’t serve breakfast, but serves lunch,dinner, and late night dinner, giving students a larger flexibility for meals. Stephany and I ate at the DC, and lunch hour was our favorite time to eat because of the great options for meals. There are also about four different small markets on campus and food trucks for quick snacks and meals on the go in between classes.
Stephany’s next class, Calculus ll, begins at 3:30 p.m. Her professor reviews past exam problems and explains solutions step by step while students take notes. After class ends, around 4:20 p.m., she has a short break before her final class. She uses this time to be productive, either studying or doing some outdoor activities with her roommates.
Evening
At 6:00 p.m., she heads to her final class, General Chemistry Lab, where students conduct hands-on experiments. That week’s focus was Charles law, which demonstrates how temperature affects volume.
Experiencing these classes in person was very fun, feeling the tension of students around the room while taking quizzes for their classes. Hearing the lectures of the professors were very interesting, actually helping me learn a few things about the subject they were studying made this adventure much more realistic.
Once her classes are finished, Stephany returns to the DC for her 9:00 late night dinner. She usually chooses a balanced meal that includes protein, a pastry, and a drink.
Night
After eating, she takes a short break before heading to the campus gym for a workout. Later, she studies for about two hours, or more, depending on her workload. Once she’s done, she showers and prepares for bed at around 12:00 a.m. or at times much later, sometimes staying up planning the next day’s schedule.
Stephany admits her schedule isn’t always consistent. Some nights she stays up late studying, while other times she relaxes with her friends. Each day at UC Merced feels different, with new activities and interactions.
During my visit, I noticed how social and active campus life is. Students organize events, spend time together, and build strong communities within their dorms which is something I personally don’t see often with teenagers my age. College life requires responsibility and dedication. Unlike high school, students must learn to manage their own schedules, balancing academics with personal time, and adapt to living independently, giving them a perspective of how adult life could look like. But something that I really loved about this experience was how much I was able to fit in even without being a student there, making my experience much more enjoyable, making me feel apart of a community when visiting UC Merced.
Although college can be challenging, it also offers exciting opportunities. My experience showed me that a civil engineering major involves hard work, but also a rewarding daily routine, just like Stephany’s at UC Merced.