Day in the Life: Pre-Med Sophomore at Columbia University

8:30 a.m. … or maybe 8:45 … or 9:00 – Wake up and get ready for the day. For me, this consists of lying in bed on my phone for a few minutes, washing my face, eating breakfast, and changing my clothes.

10:10 - 11:25 a.m. – Introductory Biology I: Biochemistry, Genetics, and Molecular Biology. This is a popular course – not only as a requirement for pre-meds, but also for biology, neuroscience, and other related majors. Overall, I’m enjoying the subject matter – especially more than I did General Chemistry, which I took last year – but studying for Biology does take up a significant portion of my time.

11:25 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. – Lunch - usually at Ferris Booth Commons or John Jay Dining Hall. Depending on the day, this might be with some friends or on my own, but either way, it’s a welcomed break.

12:15 - 12:50 p.m. – Time to squeeze in some studying – typically at Noco (the Science and Engineering Library in the Northwest Corner Building) or Avery Library – before my next class. For me, Noco and Avery are good quick study spaces. If I want to spend hours in a row on work, I usually choose Butler Library, but it really just depends on my mood that day.

1:00 - 4:00 p.m. – General Physics I Lab. This is also a pre-med requirement, and I find it’s a great way to gain some hands-on physics experience and apply what I learn in class to the real world.

4:00 - 6:00 p.m. – Contemporary Western Civilization. I wouldn’t call myself purely a “STEM person,” so Contemporary Civilization (CC) is a welcome break from science in my day. CC is part of the Core for Columbia College students, and although it can be a lot of work, I usually find the subject matter really interesting.

6:00 - 7:00 p.m. – Dinner with friends, usually at whichever dining hall I didn’t go to for lunch. This is a time of day I definitely look forward to; it helps me recharge before continuing on with my night.

7:00 - 7:30 p.m. – I’ll take the 1 train up to New York-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center for my once-a-week volunteer shift.

7:30 - 11:30 p.m. – New York-Presbyterian volunteer shift. Volunteering at a hospital is a super important part of being pre-med. Not only does it show medical schools that you’re truly interested in being a doctor, but it also gives you an idea of how interested you are. Being a real-life physician is nothing like sitting in class and learning biology or chemistry. Luckily, volunteering has shown me that I am as interested in medicine as I thought I would be. However, that might not be the case for everyone, and that’s totally okay.

12:00 a.m. – Arrive back at my dorm and shower. Not only is showering after spending hours in a hospital good hygiene, but it’s also super calming after a long day.

12:30 - 1:00 a.m. – More studying. I’ll typically use this time to finish anything I have due the next day that I have yet to complete. On the rare occasion that this is already done, I’ll either head straight to bed or work on other homework or studying.

1:00 - 1:30 a.m. – It’s finally time to get ready for bed and get some long-awaited sleep.

I hope you enjoyed this day in the life of a pre-med! Of course, it’s important to note that every day is different depending on what classes and extracurricular activities that day might hold. This day is definitely on the busier side, but I think it gives a well-rounded look at what being pre-med is like.