“A Day in the Life of an English Major” is pretty much what it says on the tin: a look at how the elusive Rice English major spends their time each day. Do they really spend six hours a day reading Mark Twain up in a tree, as the pre-med students suspect? Do they hide out in the library waxing poetic about Sylvia Plath, like the econ majors hypothesize? Find out in this month’s edition of “A Day in the Life of an English Major.”
Hello, and happy Spring to all of our dear readers! Finals season is upon us, which means that we’re extra lucky this month to have the wonderful Alexis Robertson fit us into her busy schedule. Alexis is a junior from Sid Rich who’s majoring in English with a Concentration in Literature & Literary History as well as pursuing a Minor in Sociology. Growing up as a military kid, Alexis moved around a lot, but also spent a majority of their time between Germany and Texas. Alexis’ tentative plan after graduation is to teach English at a military base in Germany or somewhere in Europe, to try and improve the American education system and make sure that other military kids have at least one teacher who makes them feel seen and valued.
Without further ado, let’s hear about a typical day for Alexis:
8:30 AM- Even though my classes start at different times each day, it’s better for my brain to have a consistent schedule, so I always try to get up at 8:30. Some people seem to have really elaborate morning routines that work well for them, but I just get up, wash my face and brush my teeth.
8:40 AM- The most elaborate part of my morning is picking an outfit, mostly because each day I might want to present differently. First I open up the weather app to check the temperature and humidity, which— along with my mood, sensory needs, and current gender vibes— will affect the colors and shapes and layers of my clothing. Some days I feel comfortable in more masculine, loose-fitting outfits or clothes that cover more skin. Other days I prefer something more fitted or feminine. One thing that’s fairly consistent is my love for colorful earrings.
9:50 AM- I’m not a big breakfast person, so once I’ve taken some time to get ready, I’ll spend time chilling and re-reading things for class, then walk to the classroom. Walks between classes are honestly my favorite part of the day because being outside is so peaceful. It might be cheesy of me, but I love getting to look at the trees and flowers. I like to snap photos of the scenery along the way; photography’s a pastime I love, particularly nature photography. I’m always inspired by the world around me.
10:00 AM- My first class of the day is Intro to Latinx Studies in Baker Hall. It’s funny, during our first week of classes we actually talked about what our preferred word is for gender-inclusive Latin studies, and I think mine is Latine, so I’ll use that. Being half-Mexican, it’s really nice to be part of a whole class that prioritizes Latine literature, which is something that’s sorely lacking from the American public school canon.
11:00 AM- At this time, I head to Kraft Hall for a class on Sci-Fi and the Environment. Capped at 50 people, it’s a much bigger English class than I’ve ever had, and I really like it because I’ve come up with many great writing ideas in there, and it’s helped me reckon with what it means to be living in the Anthropocene. We’ve also read a lot of different things that I wouldn’t have read on my own.
12:00 AM- Straight after class, I head to lunch. One of the fun things about my ADHD is that if I don’t incorporate food into set times in my schedule, I will forget to eat, so it’s important that I grab food right after class while it’s on my mind. I usually take my food up to my dorm and start doing work there.
12:00 PM- After lunch, I spend several hours working on homework. I do different work on different days depending on my next classes; for example on Wednesdays, I often do sociology readings and write discussion group prep for the Race, Space, and Place sociology course I have the next day. At any point during my studying process, you can usually find me listening to music. I tend to listen to dubstep, like Skrillex or Knife Party, while studying. Don’t judge. At other times, I might listen to punk, metal, video game soundtracks… you never know. I do consistently love Bring Me the Horizon, though.
5:30 PM- At four, I’ll have my Sociological Imagination class, which predominantly focuses on sociological research questions and methods, and then after that it’s dinner time! My favorite part of dinner, and often the part that helps me look forward to eating, is dessert! I definitely have a sweet tooth, and Seibel Servery has great desserts. Some of my favorites are chocolate cake, autumn pumpkin rolls, and multi-cereal treats, which are like Rice Krispy treats but with many different cereals like Froot Loops!
6:00 PM- After eating, I’ll work on more homework and then if I’m lucky, I’ll have time to play video games. I’m a huge gamer; my favorites can range from Minecraft to Slime Rancher. The most important thing is creativity and attention to detail in design. I stream on Twitch a few hours every week, and I love playing games by myself and with other people, like my younger siblings or online friends. Maybe it sounds cheesy, but the online community I’ve found through things like Twitch and the Rice Class of ‘24 Discord truly feels like a virtual home to me. As a disabled person, I find a lot of solace in hanging out online because it’s a place I can go without having to physically go anywhere.
9:00 PM- Around this time, I’ll take a shower for a sensory and mental break. If there’s any homework left, I can finish it after that. On nights before I have Intro to Poetry, I’ll spend time in the evening reading everyone else’s poems and writing feedback. We write our feedback on postcards for the writer, so I bought a pack of Pantone postcards, and I give people whatever color of card I feel like matches the vibe of their poem. I think it’s fun, and people seem to like it. I love this course in general. It’s my first course where I get to write just for the sake of writing, and the workshop-style setup works well to motivate me. The critique also feels so encouraging and helpful. It’s a wonderful environment.
10:30 PM- It’s really hard to fathom time with ADHD, but if I remember to go to bed at a reasonable hour, it will be around 10:30 or 11:00. I often fall asleep while on FaceTime with my partner. Long distance relationships, you know? In the same way that there’s not much of a morning routine, there’s also not much of a night routine. One consistency is that I tend to have background noise and lights on to sleep with. Check out the rainbow lights on my PC! They’re a nice way to end the day. Goodnight!
That’s all! Come back next semester for more issues of “A Day in the Life of an English Major.” Any English major who wants to be featured in an upcoming issue can let us know via the Submissions page. Until next time!