Day in the Life of a Student-Athlete at Case Western

When looking at colleges, I was obsessed with finding out what the typical day was like for a student at that university. I would find so many videos of different students in different situations and I felt they provided so many different aspects about the campus. I decided to film a Day in the Life Vlog to give an inside look on what it’s like to be an in-season D3 athlete at Case Western Reserve, a private university in Ohio.

5:00 AM - Wake Up & Get Ready for Practice

Every weekday is an early day for me. Practice starts at 6:30 and our training facility is a 15-minute walk. Since I have a giant duffle bag to carry and it’s dark outside, I like to catch the shuttle that leaves at 5:45 AM. My morning routine consists of brushing my teeth, my skincare routine, putting my practice clothes and sweats on, eating a quick protein bar, and filling my water bottle.

Before practice begins, I usually catch a quick nap or chat with some teammates. When I filmed this video, class registration for the next semester opened up, so I registered for my classes.

6:30 AM - Track Practice

This vlog was filmed a week before our season opener so practice focused a lot on polishing up our specialized events if we were competing. We usually lift individually so this is our only “required” practice time of the day. We have the option to schedule personalized training sessions or rehab at our own discretion.

8:45 AM - Team Breakfast

On campus, there are two main dining halls: Leutner and Fribley. Leutner is located in the middle of the North Residential Village, the Freshman Dorms. Fribley is a mere five-minute walk away from our indoor track. Our team regularly walks over to grab a tasty and nutritious breakfast. My go-to meal is a freshly made omelet (included with sausage, ham, peppers, and spinach) with a tall glass of chocolate milk!

9:30 AM - Shower and Get Ready for First Class

Since my classes are scheduled to start in the later morning, I have time to head back to my dorm and freshen up. I shower and change into my clothes for the day before heading to my first class.

10:35 AM - 1st Class

My first class of the morning is FSSY 185Y: Weird Fictions. CWRU is famously known for requiring all students to take classes as a part of their SAGES curriculum. First-year students take what is known as a First Semester Seminar. This class serves as an introduction to the writing and critical analysis process. This week, we are focused on peer-reviewing each other’s drafts for our final essay for the class. My essay focused on determining the significance of Toni Morrison’s “Recitatif”.

11:30 AM - Lunch & Mid-Day Study Session

Because I have such an early breakfast, I like to grab lunch at one of our food stops (included with our meal plan!) and study for upcoming exams. Today, I ordered some sushi from Tomlinson Hall and headed back to my room to study some chemistry in preparation for our upcoming finals.

2:15 PM - Second Class

My next class of the day is CHEM 105: Principles of Chemistry I. It’s one of my general premed class requirements.

3:35 PM - Third Class

My last class of the day was my BIOL 214: Genes, Evolution, & Ecology class. This is another one of my general premed classes.

5:00 PM - Dinner & Studying at the Library

I usually like to go back to the dining hall and sit down and have dinner with friends, but since finals are two weeks away, I opted to go to Dunkin’ at the Tinkham Veale University Center for a coffee and bagel before heading to the Kelvin Smith Library to an independent study room to study for a few hours. Around 8 PM, I pick up food from The Jolly Scholar, an on-campus restaurant, for a burger and fries and meet my friends in a study room to prepare more for finals.

10:15 PM - Head back to my Dorm

After a long day, I head back to my dorm to finally decompress, shower, and get ready for bed at 11 PM, ready to start the day over again tomorrow!