A Day in the Life of a Freshman at NC State

Hello, Wolfpack Families! I am excited to share with you a day in the life of a college first-year student at NC State as I discuss my own average day on campus.

First and foremost, I make sure to fuel my body and eat for the day. All students are required to have a meal plan during their first year on campus, and this is something that I do not plan to change after my first year. Campus provides plenty of food options and a variety of ways to get the right amount of nutrients to stay healthy. After eating, I head to my classes for the day. Students are in control of their class schedules, and most classes are in relatively similar time slots, allowing students to choose when they want to have class. Being a morning-oriented person, most of my class time gets done in the morning while the afternoon provides me with the freedom to explore other activities on campus.

I am currently planning to major in chemical engineering with a concentration in biomanufacturing or sustainability. This does require larger workloads, but through the right balance I can still achieve the normal life of a college student rather than one spending all of their time in the library. College is all about achieving this equilibrium between work and social lives, so encourage your students to take advantage of campus resources and study groups to help reduce the stress and workload of classes. As of right now, I get involved through intramural soccer and ultimate frisbee while staying active throughout the rest of the week by implementing a workout regiment. After my classes, I try to engage in these sports as long as time allows because these activities increase my productivity and keep me healthy, so these are vital in order for me to enjoy the day.

Then comes the evening, where I will hang out with friends and take my mind off of school for a while (unless an exam is right around the corner). However, sleep is also important to stay functional throughout the day and thus, I try to get a minimum of 6 hours of sleep per night in order to maintain good brain function and not wear out during class. Surrounding myself with people that respect my beliefs and build an entertaining environment is important so that I stay productive and align myself with those who share some of my values. If none of my friends are available, I always have the opportunity to go out and meet new people. People on this beautiful campus provide an extremely friendly environment and this allows my extrovertedness to release and take the spoils of an amazing community.

GO PACK!

• Kaden Steinmann