6:10 a.m.—Rise with a smile and do my morning yoga and meditation … I wish. After some internal reflection I realize my lab report doesn’t need that many edits.

6:30 a.m.—Snooze button.

6:40 a.m.—Nicolle Rhim ’16 is up, which means it’s definitely my turn. I roll over and have a stare down with the animal sleeping next to me (not a euphemism). I try to quietly sit up and grab my computer.

6:41 a.m.—Stare down has failed. Lucille has sprung forward and begun rattling the bars of her cage, like some sort of miniaturized King Kong. The horror movie genre definitely needs a rat thriller.

6:42 a.m.—I thank Lucille for the lovely wakeup call and hope she’ll get bored and go back to sleep soon.

6:52 a.m.—Lab report sent and Lucille asleep! Resolve to go back to sleep for 20 minutes.

7:09 a.m.—It’s time. I know it’s time.

7:22 a.m.—Dressed (finally) and ready to go.

7:26 a.m.—Fill to-go box with English muffin, strawberry jam and an apple.

7:40 a.m.—Arrive in Noyce with breakfast, a slightly less full cup of coffee and a slightly more scalded hand.

7:40.5 a.m.—Realize that the professor has shown up early to lab and try to brainstorm ways to impress him with my wit and charm.

7:50 a.m.—10 minutes of silence later, Professor [David] Lopatto, Psychology, has left. 

9:00 a.m.—Lab ends, compounding my deep love for Professor Lopatto.

9:06 a.m.—Go to Grill to finish my other paper.

10:00 a.m.—Start typing.

10:40 a.m.—Head back to Noyce for my Cognitive Psychology experiment. Only slightly bitter that I am a science major without a lab coat.

11:20 a.m.—No major catastrophes and the PSELLers [Psychology Student Experiential Learning Lab students] leave.

12:45 p.m.—Lunch with Nicolle and Vasilisa Bashlovkina ’16.

2:00-4:45 p.m.—Shower, play with Lucille and recognize I should work but don’t.

5:00 p.m.—Struggle to print off packets for math tutoring with the Grinnell-in-Prison Program. Note the hilarity in being unable to work a printer and deciding to tutor other people in math.

5:45 p.m.—Dinner with Wesley Pollock ’16 and Vasilisa.

6:30 p.m.—Leave for the prison—highlight of my week!

9:00 p.m.—Home—head to Professor [Ann] Ellis’s Psychology lab and work on emails.

9:36 p.m.—Finally, my bed! Change into pajamas and use talking to Nicolle as the perfect distraction from doing real work.

12:45 a.m.—Nicolle and I finally resolve to go to sleep.