Hello Bears,

We are rolling into week nine after the chaos that was week eight, at least for me. I hope your semester at Missouri State is going well and that you are excited about what’s to come.

Due to the pandemic, I have been an online student these last few semesters and I’ve been actively figuring out how I operate during the day and with each individual class that I’m taking. I’ve discovered that being online and being on campus are two entirely different experiences. For this blog post, I thought I would give you a look at my daily life as an online student. Hopefully, you find my daily life to be a little interesting — I know I do.

The Daily Life of an Online Student (Me!!)

7 a.m. – 8 a.m.

I wake up for the day around 7:30 or 7:45 a.m. I like to help my mom in the morning with getting my little brother and sister ready for school. I often go along for drop off so I can spend a little time with them before seeing them off.

8 a.m. – 10 a.m.

After dropping off my siblings, my mom and I spend some time talking about the day or things that have been going on. While we are in the car, I usually make phone calls or schedule meetings, such as with my advisor.

10 a.m. – noon

My mom and I make a couple stops on the way home; it’s easier to get in and out when it’s just the two of us. We typically get groceries, shop for clothes and just eyeball shops to see what they are offering. We may eat breakfast out or get something to have at home. I spend most of my mornings with my mom and my sister because we don’t usually have any other time free.

Noon – 1 p.m.

This is the time when I typically have my meetings, plan which assignments I’m going to do for the week and handle emails or things that I need to do for my job. I work as a peer mentor for the Center of Academic Success and Transition, so I could be drafting a blog post, filling out my timesheet or checking in with students. I’ve found that my afternoons have become the most chaotic for me as an online student, so the more organized I can be, the better.

1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

During this time, I’ll work on my assignments. I could be taking notes, reading, typing up a discussion board or even taking a quiz. I start with the assignments that are a priority; otherwise, I might forget about an assignment or think that I have done it already. At some point I’ll also get a snack and take a break from sitting at my desk.

4 p.m. – 5 p.m.

I try to have lunch at this time so I can take my eyes off my laptop and catch up on some tv shows. (I’ve learned that if I don’t have a set time for lunch, I will sit at my desk all day.) If I’m not in the mood to eat or if I finish early, I might take a nap.

5 p.m. – 7 p.m. 

These next few hours, I help my mom with my siblings again, especially with my younger brother and his fourth-grade homework. My mom and I will also see my dad off to work.

7 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Unless I have an assignment that I couldn’t get to or that’s due at midnight, I usually spend this time with my siblings. We’ll watch a movie or play games like Uno or Roblox.

8 p.m. – 9 p.m.

I eat dinner, take a hot shower and spend some time reading. Nights are when I take the most time for myself and attempt to unwind from any stress from the day. I like to read, so you can catch me reading a mystery book, my Bible or a textbook for class so that I’m ahead in the reading.

9 p.m. – 11 p.m.

I could be doing anything but typically I’m getting some clothes washed and cleaning the disaster that is my room. With online classes, I have to keep everything orderly so that I can keep up with all my classes and all the papers that I need. I do sometimes work on assignments at night, if something is due or if I want to work ahead.

11 p.m. – midnight

I should be asleep and on my way to dreamland or watching some television to help me get there.

Takeaways for the Week

Everyone has their own daily routines. Take some time to think about how you operate throughout the week because it can help you in the long run. Taking notes on what you do during the day can help you figure out when you are the most productive and what you need to do to get your work done.

See you next post! There are some interesting topics coming up.

~Alexandria

(Bio: I’m the middle child of seven kids in my immediate family. I’m currently a Senior Business major at Missouri State University.)

A Week in the Life of a Cell and Molecular Biology Major

At some point in college all of us will come around and find out what major we fall into. Usually our choice lines up with our end career goal or a research interest that we want to study one day. But have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a different major for a day? Well, luckily today I am going to share what it’s like to be a Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB) major!

Whenever I tell people that I am a CMB major, they usually cringe and tell me it’s too much science for them. Little do they know that’s the best part! Because of all the science we do in our major, every class we take is always something a little bit different. This semester I have four different classes: Molecular Cell Biology (BMS 521), Peer Instruction in Biomedical Sciences (BMS 490), Introduction to Physics II (PHY 124) and Abnormal Psychology (PSY 304).

In BMS 521, we learn about the small processes and cell functions that make life possible. For me and other students who are planning on going into a medical field, it is important to understand the little complexities of the human body. BMS 521 also has a lab attached to it. This year we have a semester-long experiment revolving around a desensitization pathway in our cells. This requires us to be in and out of the lab many times throughout the week, culturing cells, making solution calculations and observing changes in our cells that lead to a better understanding of what we are trying to study.

BMS 490 is a class that gives undergraduate students a view into the life of a professor and shows us ways that we can help teach students. In my case, I work with a professor in her BMS 321 (Biomolecular Interactions) lab. Throughout the week, I do lab prep, zoom meetings with the students and help facilitate labs that the students do during the semester. Along with this, I meet with the other students in BMS 490 once a week to talk about teaching strategies and how we can use our own past experiences to make a better learning experience for students taking the labs. This course really does give a great opportunity to step up and do something for the students following in our footsteps, while also reinforcing our own knowledge and interest in our field.

Although I am a CMB major, I also have the opportunity to dive into some other fields of science. In the case of Physics 2, we get to learn things about electromagnetic fields and magnetism. Believe it or not, learning physics can teach us a lot about medical machinery and even some cell processes driven by physics concepts. Who would’ve guessed!

My last course this semester is Abnormal Psychology. This class is very interesting, and I know many people agree with me. As the name describes, we learn about people who face psychological disorders that cause distress in their lives and how those people can find help. I get a lot out of this course because it gives me another way to understand people and be able to help them in any way they need!

It is true that my week consists of a lot of reading and lab work that is required to be successful as a CMB major. In some people’s eyes, this may seem horrible and hard to keep up with, but I wouldn’t have it any other way! Every day I go to class or the lab I learn more and more about how the world and the human body works. In the end, I hope to be a genetic counselor and use all the knowledge from my classes to help people one day! In my opinion, as long as you love what you’re doing, you can never go wrong!

(Bio: My name Is Michael Rexroad, a transfer student from Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City. I am a junior currently studying cell and molecular biology with a minor in chemistry.)