A head-and-shoulders illustration of Hala. She has long, sleek dark hair, medium-toned skin, and is smiling. She is wearing a green sweater and a gold necklace with a cedar tree hanging from it.

LIVE BLOG: see MIT through my eyes by Hala K. '29

On a very normal, inconsequential day

Hi guys, welcome back to the channel – it’s Hala! I’ve been wanting to do a “day in my life” blog for a while, but kept waiting for the perfect day. A day when I had a blogger meeting or plans to go out for ice cream with friends. But then I thought about it more and realized that makes NO sense. I should be showing you a normal day in my life – not some rare one that creates this amazing, out-of-this-world version of college life.

So, here it is: a random Monday. Monday’s aren’t my busiest day of the week (I hate Wednesdays) but they’re not my most free either (I love Fridays)

Side note: I originally wanted to make this like a game of “Episode” where you guys could make decisions for me throughout the day. But, I don’t expect enough people will be stalking this blog to interact with it that much. HOWEVER, if you are reading this – PLEASE comment things you would want me to do. You will make my boring Monday a lot more fun.

Anyways, without further ado…

10:34 AM: I just woke up. I usually would not wake up this late but I slept at 2:00 AM last night, after submitting an essay, facetiming a friend from home, and doomscrolling. This also means that I did not set an alarm… But it’s okay because my first class of the day is at 12:00 PM.

View from a dorm bed looking toward the ceiling and window. Red hanging decorations and small photos are strung from the ceiling light. Morning sunlight is coming through the window, showing buildings outside while the blankets in the foreground suggest the start of the day.
GOOOD MORNING + peep the ramadan decorations

11:09 AM: Okay so I just finished writing that intro plus my 10:30 AM description (the future ones will be written at their respective times) and now I NEED to go shower and will probably be late to class… wish me luck

Dormitory bathroom area with several shower stalls covered by white curtains. Wooden cubby shelves line the right wall, holding personal items and toiletries, while sinks are visible on the left side of the room. Bright overhead lighting illuminates the tiled and carpeted space.
McCormick showers... they're actually better than a lot of others I've seen - no complaints.

11:35 AM: THAT WAS THE FASTEST SHOWER EVER!!! Okay so time to Get Ready With Me. I need to get dressed, brush my hair (I will need to leave with it basically dripping but it’s okay), do my makeup (all of two items), and make my bed (not the olivia rodrigo song).

Person standing in a dorm room wearing a light beige button-up shirt layered over a pink top, blue jeans, and sandals. The photo is taken from above, showing the outfit and part of the room floor and closet area.
all dressed up! the weather app told me that it should be 50 - 60 degrees farenheit outside
Wooden desk with everyday getting-ready items including a perfume bottle, Vaseline, blush compact, hairbrush, eyelash curler, lip gloss, and gold jewelry laid out neatly.
what more could a girl ask for
Simple dorm room with a neatly made bed on the left and a small wooden desk on the right. The desk holds flowers, small decorations, and a laptop, with a plain wall behind it and shoes on the floor nearby.
BED MADE! also look how cute my lego flowers + roommates duck collection is

11:55 AM: Walking to Physics now! THE WEATHER IS SO SO SO GOOD. This blog is kind of manipulating all of you because two days ago it was freezing. This walk was so peaceful I’m so excited for spring.

Sidewalk on a sunny campus day with trees casting shadows across the pavement. Cars are parked along the street near a large curved-roof building in the background.
just outside of McCormick - i swear i heard birds chirping
Gravel walking path cutting through a grassy campus lawn with bright green outdoor chairs nearby and a large concrete building in the background.
hypotenuse it!! i walk this way to the main building because it's significantly faster to walk the diagonal (thanks pythagorean)
Covered outdoor walkway between campus buildings with several students walking through the corridor.
entering the outfinite (basically the parallel line of the infinite but outside)
Wide pedestrian walkway lined with modern buildings and bare trees, with people walking toward campus buildings on a clear day.
this is always my favorite part of the walk - i love the stained glass bridge. no matter how cold it is, i almost always take this path

12:35 AM: Currently in 8.02 – electromagnetism. I forgot to do the homework last night and am not paying attention as I write this… so look at the sacrifices I make for you all. We are currently learning about magnetic fields with the slide titled “How Magnets Work” (as I’m not paying attention, I do not know how they work. explain to me in the comments if you do). BUT I guess the homework wasn’t posted last night (not why I didn’t do it…) so they’re giving an extension. I’M SO LUCKYYY. Another side note, when I walked into class today, my friends all gasped and said “YOU’RE WEARING COLORRR!! Spring is truly here” since most of my clothes are all monotoned black, brown, or navy. They’ve now agreed that rather than following the groundhog, they should just follow my decision on when spring starts.

Student standing at a rolling lab workstation in a classroom, working with equipment mounted on a wooden cart.
EXPERIMENT! I tried started a clap after this but he was still talking and it was really embarrassing
Classroom projection screen displaying a physics group problem about angular motion, with students seated at tables working on laptops and notes.
8.02 works as groups of 3 going up to whiteboards throughout lecture to do practice problems. here is one of the problems we solved!
Four students sitting together at a classroom table with laptops, smiling toward the camera during a group work session. Headphones rest on the table in the foreground.
FRIENDS!! there are 9 sections and I somehow ended up in the one with ALL of my friends so I love this class!

1:56 PM: Physics ended at 1:30 PM and my next class 6.1010 (Fundamentals of Programming) starts at 2:00 + MIT Time (5 minutes extra). In the 30 minutes between, I usually walk around with friends or get some quick work done. I had a reading summary for one of my classes due at 4:00 PM so I finished it up really quick in The Lodge. The Lodge is a study spot along the infinite which makes it so convenient to work in between classes + I think is overall good vibes for a quick lock in. Okay attaching a photo of the lodge and going to class or I will be late!!! no phones in next class so will update you all at 3:00 PM.

Quiet study lounge with orange couches and a small round table near a large window with partially lowered blinds. A whiteboard on the wall contains handwritten math and physics equations, while a laptop in the foreground shows the Google homepage.
i like the color scheme

3:05 PM: BACK IN THE LODGE! 6.1010 was fun today – we learned about generators in code which is something I’ve actually never even HEARD of, which made it fun. I have heard that the pset for this week is absolutely terrible so I am not excited for it at all. Also, I hate recursion.

Okay I have ONE MORE class for today at 4:00 PM. It’s a recitation for 17.20, Introduction to the American Political System. The recitation is usually especially interesting because we talk about real-world current-day politics which right now, there is a lot of! Today, it’s my job to present a news update that relates to our reading so that’s what I’m working on for the next hour! Wish me luck…

3:20 PM: A friend visited me – look how cute!

Person standing indoors wearing a long black winter coat and holding a phone while showing an ID card toward the camera. A green wall, recycling bins, and a small glass room are visible in the background.
stole my identity

3:50 PM: All done with my little report and I think it sounds good! I have to get to class so here are some fun pictures from my walk

Large interior hall with tall floor-to-ceiling windows letting in sunlight. The space has high ceilings, decorative light fixtures, and tables set up near the windows with boxes and supplies.
i have SO many pictures legit right here
Entrance to a marble hallway framed by tall columns and decorative architectural details. Overhead lights illuminate a long corridor where people are walking in the distance.
sooo pretty

4:58 PM: ALL DONE WITH MY CLASSES FOR THE DAY WOOOHOOOOO!! On my walk back with the sun SHINING ON ME, I decided to call my dad and hear some updates from him. He said he’s been busy all day and I happened to call him at the perfect time. Michigan is 70 degrees Fahrenheit so they seem to have us beat since it’s 63 degrees Farenheit here. He spent about 5 minutes trying to take a picture of me, and the other 5 minutes were spent with me teaching him how to say candid in English (him having used the Arabic synonym).

I’ll be having dinner at around 7:00 PM so I’m thinking to head to the student center right now to 1) catch up on this blog (which I’m actively doing… so meta) and 2) to catch up on LOTS of work! AHHH look who I found on my walk….

Two people standing together on the steps outside a large building with tall columns, smiling with their arms around each other in the sunlight.
BLOGGERS CALEB AND KAYODE!!!! Caleb says that EVERYONE reading should get Afroshake tickets - Sakata Afrique's spring showcase. I will be there, therefore you should be there too
Person sitting on stone steps outside a building holding a large sign that reads “FREE LISTENING.”
Caleb also stopped by to talk to the "Free Listening" guy Kip, and having never spoken to him before, I joined! Read more here: https://thetech.com/2024/06/13/free-listening

5:20 PM: Found a spot in Stud 5 – basically my second home – and SOME FRIENDS! They seem to be ultra locked in on organic chemistry as I write this but I still forced them to take a picture. I fear that once I complete this section, I need to do actual work and that’s not fun. But, we all have to face our fears so 8.02, I’m coming.

Two students sitting at a wooden table in a study area, working on laptops. One student gestures toward the camera while the other smiles, with notebooks, a phone, and headphones on the table.
AHH lock in time

7:45 PM: All done eating!! I’m Muslim so this month, I’m observing Ramadan meaning that each day, I fast (as in abstain from eating food, drinking water/beverages, and overall avoiding negative thoughts/behaviors) from dawn to sunset. Each day, the Muslim Student Association hosts a community-wide iftar (dinner) where we cater food, pray, and eat together! It’s genuinely so so fun and a good opportunity for me to see all my friends each night. The food was SO good today, it was rice, kebab, hummus, etc. Here are some pictures!

View of a campus courtyard in winter with leafless trees and a stone path leading to a white statue at the center. In the background stands a large neoclassical building with tall columns and a domed roof. A few benches and lampposts line the walkways, and the scene is viewed from the top of a set of steps looking down into the courtyard.
sunset was SOOO pretty from Stud 2 today
Large indoor gathering in a spacious hall with a high grid-pattern ceiling and bright lighting. Round tables are filled with people eating and talking, while others stand and mingle throughout the room. A staircase and balcony overlook the space, and the atmosphere appears lively and social, like a banquet or community event. Several tables have plates of food, drinks, and small floral decorations.
look how full it is - WOW
People standing in line at a buffet-style food table, serving themselves from trays of hot dishes. Several large metal trays filled with food are arranged along the table, and guests hold plates as they scoop portions. A young girl and several adults wait in line, and a water bottle sits on the table nearby. The setting appears to be a casual indoor event with a group meal.
FOOOOOD!
A young woman wearing a gray hijab and a light-colored sweater sits at a table holding a fork and smiling at the camera. In front of her is a small layered dessert on a blue-and-white patterned plate. The setting appears to be an indoor dining area with warm lighting and large windows showing the dark outdoors. A phone rests on the table beside her.
DESSERT + ZAYNAB - so so cute!!

8:10 PM: I don’t think I’ve started a single study session here without going to Concord – the grocery store in the student center – first and buying a bunch of snacks. If you are on a full dining plan, then MIT gives you $150 to use in on-campus store locations that I seem to burn through SO quickly (I’m at about $10 and not even halfway through the semester). However, the issue with this lies not in my spending habits but instead in my indecisiveness. I spend at MINIMUM 30 minutes in the store just walking in circles deciding what I want to eat/try. Today, it’s clear they restocked because the shelves are STOCKED UP.

Grocery store aisle with long shelves stocked with packaged foods such as pasta, sauces, and canned goods, with bright overhead lighting and a polished floor.
do i want cookiessss
Refrigerated grocery store display case filled with various yogurt and dairy products arranged in rows behind a glass door.
orrr icecream (this is what I had picked last night)
Store shelf filled with a variety of packaged snacks, including chips, pretzels, crackers, and candy bars arranged in rows.
ooh or chocolate pretzles

PICKED ONE! My decision is a surprise so wait.

After picking up my snack from concord, Aiden commented that I must get a fun drink, so I walked over to TeaDo – the boba store in the student center – to pick a drink. Transparently, I went in with the intention to try a new drink but got too much anxiety that I wouldn’t like it so I picked a classic! Without further ado, here are my picks!

Laptop on a table with a box of Cheez-It crackers and a cup of bubble tea with a sealed lid placed in front of it.
Cheez-Its + Brown Sugar Tiger Milk Boba

8:43 PM: All caught up on my liveblog and now forced to lock in. My goal is to be done with my reading in one hour so I will update you all then. If I am not done – know that I got distracted.

now multiple days later: i fear i facetimed a friend and did no more work that night. but alas, life goes on.