WWYou: A day in the life of Western students

What does a day at Western look like? With more than 15,000 students each going their own way the possibilities on any given day are endless. Join us on an adventure through one day in the eyes of 14 real Western students.

I begin my day… right at 4:15 with just enough time get to the 5 a.m. men’s crew practice on Lake Whatcom… with a tap to the snooze button, but just once, and then am up at 7:30 and heading to my 8:30 Biology class… at 8:30, eat some breakfast, and walk to school where I spend and hour of research photographing butterflies in the butterfly collection here… with a warm cup of black tea and class to follow at 10 a.m.

Today I… rewarded myself with a break and made pancakes with my roommate… did research for my independent study about athletic training… taught a Spanish class through my job at Extended Education… walked to Taylor Dock to research algae… met with a professor as a student on the hiring committee for a multicultural psychologist for Fairhaven… tabled for lung cancer awareness… attended round two of practice… finished my safe zone training… did research about ethical practices in media… worked with a non-profit organization as a service learning project… had an interview with the Western Front… had a meeting with the Women’s Center about events on campus and ongoing social issues… prepared for a presentation on editing surrealist films… took a Latin class.

I like to spend my evenings… with good friends watching the sunset over Bellingham Bay… playing intramural sports… reading… at the To Write Love on Her Arms club meeting…watching The Office re-runs… at a potluck with friends playing games and talking about the fun things we’ll do this weekend… doing yoga… studying, eating dinner and catching up on some zzz’s… going downtown and visiting with friends… at rugby practice and then comparing bruises with my teammates…

My favorite part of college life at Western is… the location! From downtown, to the lakes, to hiking in the Chuckanuts, there is always something to do… the wide variety of opportunities I have to explore new interests and do things that I enjoy… that I get to study what I find most interesting and am surrounded by students who also appreciate being in college… all of the great people I have met here… developing a strong work ethic and responsibility… professors make an effort to connect what you learn in their class to real world situations… the tons of really interesting speakers and performers that come to campus… the art sculptures on campus… The sense of community, I love feeling like I’m part of something wherever I go. I know there’s always someone watching my back and ready to help me out if I need it… The people! And my job on campus… Being faced with challenges every day that help me reflect on my personal values and how I interact with people on a social level… learning new things every day.

Erin Aldag on a hike with friends along Mt. Baker Highway on a crisp fall day.
Students sit in the PAC Plaza and enjoy this unbeatable view of Bellingham Bay from campus.
Meet the students.