A typical day at Jacobs University...
Waking up, is definitely the hardest part when you went to bed so late, with so many equations in your head. Getting up and going to the first lecture of the day, there is nothing like some probability and random signal processing to get your five senses into the awake mode. After one class is over, my day continues with bar activities. It is just that in the Jacobs campus, it seems there is always something to do. Since my job, working at the student café-bar TheOtherSide usually has something going on, checking the email for new news is a must after a lecture. If there is anything that needs to be done at the bar, then that would be the next activity in the list. The bar usually either has the normal week activities or is planning the biggest parties in Campus. Going in shopping sprees for the various things needed at the bar is usually an activity of a usual day in campus.
If there is nothing going on at TheOtherSide, then there must be homework due sometime soon. I usually have those in the back of my head and whenever I have time I get down to do them. Either if its Math, Probability, or Fundamental Electrical Engineering, not a week goes by for an ECE major without a Homework to be handed in. Then the afternoon lectures take place, and sooner than you know its dinner time.
If it would be a Thursday or season right before a competition, there would be cheerleading practice. It is quite rewarding to be part of the Jacobs cheerleading team, we have learned so much since our coach Jasmin, who has been performing with professional cheerleaders for 13 years now, joined us. I thought that I would never have the strength to lift a girl, throw her and catch her in my arms before I became a cheerleader, and learned that is all about technique, not strength. The practice is usually around 2 to 3 hours, in which we warm up, stretch, do jumps, stunts (my personal favorite) and, before a competition, dance. The reason I became a cheerleader was because of the adrenaline rush of the performance, as well as the learning and bonding experience with the girls. It gives me a physical activity to forget for a while about academic life.
After practice I’m usually exhausted, I take a shower, and get on with the homework that I’m working on at the time. Sometimes when I actually have the energy to do so, room parties and gatherings are going on all over the place. In another case scenario when a Homework or lab report is due the next morning, we usually gather with study groups in the quiet study areas to finish them up, sometimes we stay there until 5 am, and it’s not rare to pull “all nighters”. Breakfast is only eaten when we don’t go to bed, which is usually the case for science students. Then, if the night allows it, it’s bed time and the cycle repeats again. However, I do try to break the cycle by making some personal time doing paintings on the weekends which I found to be very relaxing.
