A day in the life of a 3rd year Biomedical Engineering student

Hi! I’m Safia, a Biomedical Engineering student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). I’ve always been fascinated by how engineering and medicine come together to improve lives, from prosthetics to wearable health devices. Every day is a little different, but here’s what a typical one looks like for me.

I start my morning with sunny-side-up eggs and two sausages before getting ready for the day. Since I commute to campus, I always make sure to leave early to grab a good seat on the subway and review notes on the way. I actually enjoy early mornings because they feel calm and help me organize my thoughts before things get busy.

Before class, I like to fit in some movement, and tennis is my go-to during warmer months. I love Trinity Bellwoods park, and it’s not a far commute from campus, so it’s perfect! I love tennis because it helps me clear my mind and gives me energy for the rest of the day. It’s the perfect balance between staying active and refreshing my focus before my afternoon lectures. In colder months, students can use the gym or indoor courts at the Recreation and Athletic Centre (RAC).

Today’s lecture is for BME 501: Bioinformatics, one of my favorite classes in Biomedical Engineering. I love how it blends biology and data science to understand how information inside the human body can be analyzed and applied to real-world health solutions. Every class feels like unlocking a new layer of how technology can be used to improve human health. 

Lately, we’ve been learning how to compare gene sequences, build phylogenetic trees and use computational tools to identify mutations. What makes this class even better is how many real-world applications bioinformatics has. It plays a huge role in developing vaccines, understanding disease outbreaks, designing targeted therapies, and even personalizing medicine based on a person’s genes. Knowing that the tools we learn can directly impact global health makes the course feel important and motivating.

We also have an upcoming assignment where we analyze a gene dataset and write a short report based on our findings. I am excited about it because it brings together everything we have been practicing in class. Bioinformatics is one of those courses where I can see my skills improving every week, and that is why it has become a highlight of my semester.

I stopped by Alpha’s Shawarma, which is hands-down one of the best shawarma spots next to campus. Their wraps never disappoint. It’s my favorite quick bite before heading to the lab, and it’s always packed with TMU students, which makes it feel like a mini social break between classes.

Labs are where everything I learn in lectures comes to life. My BME 516: Fluid Mechanics Lab is one of the most hands-on parts of the semester, and it really helps connect theory to real biomedical applications. In this lab, we explore how fluids behave inside the body and inside medical devices, which is important for understanding things like blood flow, IV systems, ventilators, and even the design of artificial organs.

We run experiments using equipment that measures pressure, flow rate, and viscosity, and we learn how to interpret the data the way real engineers would. Some of our labs involve studying laminar and turbulent flow, calculating drag forces, and testing how sensors respond to changes in fluid behavior. It feels very tied to the work biomedical engineers do when designing safe and efficient medical devices. I like this course because the labs show how the math and equations we learn in class are actually used in real-world situations. It also teaches us how to work as a team, troubleshoot equipment, and write technical lab reports, which are all skills that will matter later in the program. Labs are always busy but in the best way because there is something satisfying about solving problems together and seeing your results match the theory you learned earlier in the week.

After lab, I like to study at Balzac’s Coffee Roasters. It’s one of my favorite spots when the weather is nice. Normally, I go for the 8th-floor cubicles at the TMU Library because they’re so quiet and perfect for long study sessions, but Balzac’s has such a cozy atmosphere that helps me stay focused. On average, I study around seven hours a day, depending on the amount of classes or labs I have that day.

After commuting home, I settle in for another study session. I’m currently preparing for my midterm next Monday, so my evenings are all about writing notes and practicing problems. I like eating before my study session, so I usually make a quick dinner. Even though the days are long, ending the night feeling accomplished always makes it worth it.

And that’s a wrap on a day in my life as a Biomedical Engineering student at TMU. Every day brings something new, and I love finding little moments of balance between studying, friends, and exploring the city. It can get busy, but it’s definitely rewarding.

See you around campus!