Fridays at Amherst don’t have a “typical” rhythm—but that’s exactly what makes them so much fun! Here’s a glimpse into one of mine.
6:49 AM: The day begins with the ever-painful sound of my alarm. I drag myself out of bed (emphasis on drag) and head to the gym for leg day with my gym rat friends. Nothing says bonding quite like collective squatting before breakfast.
8:07 AM: Back in my dorm, I take a lightning-fast shower—and then accidentally fall asleep for 13 minutes.
8:32 AM: I rush into chemistry lecture two minutes late. It’s a 95-person class—the largest at Amherst—so being fashionably late doesn’t cause much of a stir. Just in time for my professor’s usual Friday ritual: a quick run-through of upcoming campus events. This week, he reminds us to support the men’s soccer team (playing semifinals against Conn College) and attend the senior orchestra concert next Wednesday.
11:28 AM: I sprint across campus to the Octagon for my Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought class (LJST for short). We spend the hour debating the United Nations’ efficacy in enforcing international law. I eat my grab-and-go lunch mid-discussion—it’s not glamorous, but it’s efficient.
2:03 PM: After submitting a five-page economics paper on pharmaceutical collusion, I dive straight into a heated class debate. The intensity of discourse jolts me out of my mid-day slump.
4:17 PM: On my way to do laundry, I get hijacked by friends and end up at a piano recital to support one of our own. He absolutely crushes it. Worth the delayed laundry.
6:22 PM: A group of us take the free bus to Northampton for dinner at a cozy spot my favourite professor recommended… only to run into him there. He jokes about me stalking him. I tell him to stop making it so easy by emailing us his restaurant recs!
9:35 PM: We wrap up the night with a beach volleyball session, music blasting and laughter echoing across the courts. Later, a few of us climb up to the rooftop of the Science Centre to stargaze.
And that, my friends, is just one Friday.