A Day in the Life of Amanda Borok ’15

Howdy! My name is Amanda Borok and I’m currently a freshman majoring in Environmental Engineering. My typical Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays start with my phone alarm going off at 7:30, leaving me just enough time to roll out of bed (literally), wash up in the bathroom, throw on some clothes, and head off to Statics. The professor throws some diagrams and equations on the chalk board and explains how important it is to know all of the forces acting on a stationary structure.

After statics, my stomach tells me it’s time to go to Java city to pick up a delicious muffin and some strawberries if possible. Next is Chemistry II, and the lecture hall is packed with students hoping for a fun demonstration from the professor. We go through the class with interactive questions and polls, and often an exciting demo involving flames or explosions. Then I get a well-deserved 10 minute break before Physics II. Once physics is over, I head off to Calculus II, looking forward to the charismatic and often sarcastic Professor Martin. This is when I start to count down the minutes until the end of class. The class begins to close their notebooks and pack up with minutes to go, forcing the professor to wrap it up. This is when I jump out of my seat and head happily toward lunch at the Student Center. The lines are long, but boy are they worth it after a solid block of morning classes. My favorite meals are the tortellini soup and the stir fry. I try to meet up with my boyfriend for lunch when we make sure to sit near the sunny windows.

On Mondays, every other week I have Chemistry lab from 3-5pm, so I usually spend my free time hanging out with the TA’s and checking my pre or post-lab worksheet. On Wednesdays, I have my honors discussion class, where we usually work on our group projects. Then at 6pm, I have Honors Matlab, a computer programming class that may or may not be the death of me (I try to stay away from programming). Tuesdays and Thursdays are much more relaxed for me, where I only have a few classes (honors and recitation classes).

Now don’t get me wrong – I don’t just spend all day going to class and doing work. This fall I was a member for the Women’s Cross Country Running team, which was a challenge but a great way to learn how to balance fitness, sleep, and nutrition. I’m also the co-chair of the Honors Service Committee, where we come up with fun service opportunities (like baking, trail clean ups, etc.). I’m also a Student Ambassador for the Honors Program and the VP of the Charity Knitting Club. These commitments keep me pretty busy during the week, but Friday afternoon until Sunday, I get to relax both stay up late and sleep in. I’ll admit that I probably have more relaxing time than I account for because of all of my weeknight homework procrastination, but hey – it keeps me going. I live on the Honors Floor so I’m surrounded by my friends all the time so all I have to do is knock on some doors and someone’s usually home. Over the weekend I’ve been trying to get off of campus by at least walking into town or driving to Lake Placid just to get some variety. And that’s how my weeks generally go!