by Kaitlyn Chow
If you were to ask someone what they think the life of a Biotechnology High School student would be like, they would probably say “attending school and studying.” But, is that really the case? No, not even close! In fact, the life of a Biotech student is much more packed than just going to school and studying. Yes, those are probably two of the biggest factors of a Biotech student’s day, yet a lot more actually goes on behind the scene.
Wake Up: 5:30 am
You were probably just wondering if you had read the title wrong, but as you have probably realized by now, yes, what you read is in fact true. Although school doesn’t start until 7:45 am on a majority of school days, I, the crazy author of this article, surprisingly enjoy waking up every day when it’s still pitch black outside. I don’t know if anyone else would agree, but waking up when the entire house is still quiet (other than the sound of people and dogs snoring) is such an amazing feeling. It’s like I have the entire house to myself!
Workout Time: 5:45 - 6:45 am
In just 15 minutes of being awake and ready for the day, I, a bizarre sophomore, change into my workout clothes and begin my workout. As the house is completely silent and birds outside are still quiet and sleeping, I (a psycho) jump from one corner of my room to the other (literally shaking the entire second floor), doing more than 50 burpees each morning, along with other brutal and remorseless exercises (usually led by the wonderful YouTube influencer, Lilly Sabri). This usually leads to pools of sweat and a rush of endorphins right off the bat before the dreadful school day.
Breakfast: 7:10 am
After a shower, I usually go downstairs to the kitchen to prepare my breakfast, which is often a bowl of oats topped with a banana, other fruits, and a whole lot of peanut butter (not to mention the large cup of black coffee!). I often go over my daily devotions, write down that day’s goals, and read a book if I have time while preparing and eating breakfast.
School Time: 7:45 am - 2:05 pm
After a long and relaxing (omitting the workout part) morning routine, dreadfulness kicks into my body as I prepare myself for the soon-to-be long and exhausting school day filled with classwork, homework, projects, learning, and more. The school day begins at 7:45 am, and constant typing and utilization of my mind becomes a nonstop process until Block 2 ends and it is time for lunch. However, the term “lunch break” only refers to the continuation of already-assigned homework, which usually lasts for the entire block; occasionally, though, I do go out for a quick walk and eat some lunch. As the clock ticks to 11:35 am, the dreadfulness continues as a load of work is piled onto my to-do list every class. Constantly working throughout the entire 75-minute blocks and even throughout the given ten minute breaks in-between, my brain is usually burnt out by the time 2:05 pm hits and school ends.
Work Time: 2:10 - 4:30 pm
Being a good student, I continue sitting at my desk after the school day ends and finish completing all of the assignments and projects. Drowsy and tired, this is when I would usually have my second 16-oz. cup of coffee and push my way through all those mind-tasking assignments (especially physics) like my bajillion pushups in the morning, for the next two hours. I work on school assignments, study for upcoming assessments, work on my volunteer activities, respond to emails pertaining to my organizations, and much more. Honestly, I’m actually quite surprised about how much stuff I can do in such short periods of time.
“Relaxation” Time: 4:45 - 9:30 pm
After a long day of studying and doing schoolwork, I usually take a break around 4:30 pm and watch some YouTube or Netflix (or sometimes even read). However, I usually tend to do some schoolwork or extracurricular activities during this time period because of my constant urge of trying to be “productive.” Since I wake up so early each day and do so much during the day, I’m often exhausted by the time it’s 9:30 pm, so I typically go to bed around 9:30 pm or 9:45 pm although many would probably consider this early. Lying on my bed, exhausted from the long and tiring day, I usually end up falling asleep within five to ten minutes (unless I had drunk too much coffee!), ready to stop thinking about school and other things and to just pass out.