Monday, November 27, 2017

Day in the Life of an HNC Student - Emily Rivera

 7:45 a.m –  I wake up and scurry over to Skyways to grab a morning coffee. If you purchase a coffee before noon, your purchase includes a free baked good (croissants, muffins, and even gluten free options are available!)

Skyways Bakery 云中食品店

8:15 a.m. – I settle into the library and finish legal research for a Moot Court meeting I have later this afternoon.

9:50 a.m. – On Fridays, my only class is History and Philosophy of Law in the West: Critical Thinking and Legal Reasoning, my only English course this semester. Professor Simon hands back our papers on human nature and finishes his lecture on the topic of the week: Constructivism.

Walking to the West Building to meet up with my roommate & language partner

11:30 a.m. – I leave class and walk to the West Building to meet my roommate and my language partner. We go to a nearby noodles restaurant that is popular among HNC students. I order 羊肉拉面. During our conversation, I try my best to stick with Chinese and they do the same in English.

12:30 p.m. – Meeting with the Jessup Moot Court Team. I assist with legal research on international law. The legal issue of this year is very interesting and highly relevant to current events.

Mini-course lecture

3:30 p.m. – I sit down for my last class of the day. Technically, I don’t usually have another class on Fridays, but I signed up for a mini-course this weekend called Creating Good: Entrepreneurs for the Environment. Mini-courses are a unique aspect of the HNC. Mini-courses are short courses taught by outside expert scholars and are intended to provide HNC students with an enrichment experience outside the normal curriculum.

Left: 红烧牛肉面 at靖 Right: 鸡腿现烤 at 靖

6:30 p.m. – Class is over so I head to 靖 for dinner. This is my favorite close-by Chinese restaurant and only a 1 minute walk away. Every dish is fresh and tastes like a home-cooked meal. My favorite dish is their 鸡腿现烤.

8:00 p.m. – I catch up on e-mails, FaceTime my parents, and research law schools.

11:30 p.m. – I’m mysteriously hungry again so I convince some friends to order “外卖” (take-out). We decide on a restaurant called “Spicy Joint.” We talk about our weekend plans and set aside a time next week to watch a Chinese movie: 宋家皇朝.

Written by Emily Rivera, Certificate '18