The virtual semester is in full swing at Barnard, with those in Fall A classes finishing up their exams and midterms. To share how students have adapted to online courses, Teri Franco ’23 logged a day in her life as she progressed through virtual courses, caught up with friends, and spent time with siblings.
After she graduates, Franco is excited to apply everything she has learned in her psychology coursework as she pursues a career in marketing. Outside of class, she enjoys participating in the Columbia Women’s Business Society and the Columbia Marketing Club, both of which Franco said are good background experiences for securing and excelling in her dream job. While the transition to remote learning hasn’t always been easy for Franco — “I miss going from class to class and bumping into friends. I miss Kay from Peet’s Coffee. I miss Ricky the chef in the kosher dining hall. I miss our gorgeous campus” — she’s still been able to find community with other Barnard students in her neighborhood and is excited by her class schedule.
“I am really surprised by my Intro Psych Lab and Psych of Learning Lab,” Franco said. “I didn't think I’d gain so much from these once-a-week courses, but I am really sharpening my quantitative skills. Plus I am learning Microsoft Excel from all the data we record on it!”
See how Franco takes on a day of online schooling below:
9 a.m.: Good morning! I start my day by catching up with my Barnard friend Jen Shalam ’22 over coffee. We were familiar with each other before Barnard but were never friends. When I started my first year at Barnard, she really took care of me. I call her my “campus mommy.” She would cook me dinner and help me choose classes. We meet up at our favorite local coffee shop, Rook Coffee, which is a gem on the Jersey Shore. They have the best New Orleans cold brew coffee, and I’ve been going for almost three years now!
9:45 a.m.: Breakfast for me is almost always eggs! Today I am having a sunny-side up with tomato, avocado, and cucumber.
10:10 a.m: My work-from-home setup (I’m a fan of this wireless phone charger and cannot live without this water bottle) as I attend the Psychology of Learning with Professor Peter Balsam, my first class every morning. Professor Balsam is so knowledgeable, and I love TAs Josie and Carter! I really enjoy the videos we watch, which serve as examples for different concepts. Psych of Learning really sets up the academic day for me. I like having a reason to wake up early and get my day going. I always make sure to schedule morning classes each semester.
12 p.m.: Getting some fresh air outside with my sister in between classes. We love to sit on the porch while the weather is nice. I think my family uses our porch more than any other family in the neighborhood. We are truly obsessed.
1:10 p.m.: My next class is Intro Psych Lab. I find it super helpful to print out the slides before class and annotate them during the lecture. Pro tip: Print multiple slides on each page in order to limit the amount of paper used.
4:30 p.m.: Now that I am done with classes, I am working on an Instagram post for the Columbia Women’s Business Society on Photoshop.
7:30 p.m.: Ending my night by putting my brother to bed. The perks of living at home this semester! After I tucked my brother in, I ate dinner with my parents and then watched a bunch of Shark Tank episodes with my younger sister. Signing off.
Check out more stories from Barnard’s “A Day in the (Remote) Life of …” series.
