A day in the life of a 3rd year Economics and Finance student

My name is Princess, and I am an international student from Nigeria in my 3rd year studying Economics and Finance! I am going to take you through just how a day in my life has been looking this semester.

After snoozing my alarm at least twice, I finally wake up and get ready. Luckily, I have an off-campus apartment, so I only have a short eight-minute walk to class. I always take a bite for breakfast on-the-go—it's crucial fuel for the long day ahead!

My very first class is ECN 627: Econometrics. We're diving deep into the linear regression model, estimation, inference and nasty problems like heteroscedasticity and endogeneity. It sounds challenging but it’s oh-so-satisfying! The best part? We get to apply everything we learn by coding with R.

Class is over by 11! I always pop in for a quick pit stop lunch at the Hub Café. It's a campus cafeteria with affordable prices and different food options every day. I ordered my favourite, a large coffee and the rosemary chicken with potato wedges. It's the best sweet and cheap pick-me-up.

Lunchtime is when I start my work as an International Student Ambassador for International Student Enrolment, Education & Inclusion at TMU. One of the big parts of my job is handling online chats—so if you're a reader and want to get an insider’s perspective on what it’s like to study at TMU, don't be shy to reach out to an International Student Ambassador! I dedicate this hour to answering messages from amazing prospective students and preparing for my campus tour.

This is the highlight of my work! I get to interact with pleasant prospective students at the Student Learning Centre (SLC) and take them on a campus tour. I adore enlightening them about TMU life and informing them about all that I have experienced. It's a pleasure promoting our beautiful campus.

After my tour, I head to my apartment gym for a quick workout. Then it's no haggling: I have a self-sustaining power nap. It's my little trick to energize myself before homework.

Woken from my nap, I head to the Arts Lounge —my all-time favourite study spot—to finish up an assignment for FIN 631: Financial Modeling with my buddy. This is an intro to using Excel to tackle common finance problems, and it's definitely my favourite class of the semester. Every time I work on an Excel assignment, I feel like I'm in my corporate era. We love some hands-on learning over here!

After arriving back home, my friend and I sit down to relax. We cook a good dinner for ourselves and use the time to study our Econometrics notes! To balance all the numbers and equations, I always make sure to do something creative, either writing poetry or a short story. This is my way of unwinding and keeping sane. After this, I am usually ready for bed. It has been a productive, busy, and rewarding day.

My survival of busy days as a university student is predicated on balance. Synchronizing schoolwork, work, socializing and some creativity is what keeps me moving and smiling. Thank you for walking through the day with me. See you soon!