Blog post written by Andrew Marshall
College life looks different for everyone, and living just moments away from campus makes the experience uniquely immersive. When you’re within walking distance, the university begins to feel less like a destination and more like an extension of home. My apartment (The Union at Dearborn) isn’t just a place to live, it’s where you encounter friends, work on group projects, and create memories.
This side of college life has late-night walks home after study sessions, opening your door to familiar faces, and feeling constantly connected to the campus community. It’s a different rhythm of college living, one where UM-Dearborn becomes a living, breathing part of everyday life. Here’s a glimpse into that world: a week filled with creativity, connection, and the small moments that make college feel truly alive.
Monday
Mondays are my designated reset & work days since I don’t have any classes. I usually sleep in until around 11 a.m., so I start the week feeling fully rested. Once I’m up, I run through my morning routine and head out to start the day.
My first stop is the Renick University Center to meet with the campus radio club, WUMD, which I am a member of. The atmosphere at WUMD is always so welcoming, so it’s become my go-to space to focus. I usually spend the morning studying or working on projects for my job. Being surrounded by interesting and motivated people makes it easy to stay productive. After I wrap up my work, I head home, grab something to eat, and throw on a show or movie while I recharge. Once I’m done relaxing, I shift into creator mode. I usually spend the afternoon making videos for YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram. I also like to experiment with new music just for fun. It’s my way of keeping the ideas flowing so I can stay creative.
At night, I hit the gym for a lifting session to end the day on a strong note. By the time I get home, I wind down with another show and call it a night. Mondays may not be packed with classes, but they’re one of my most productive and balanced days of the week.
Tuesday
When Tuesday comes around, it’s always the busiest day of my week because of how my schedule is set up. I start the afternoon with my photography class from 12-1:45 p.m., then head to my Intro to Media Production class at 2 p.m. Tuesdays are usually our editing or instruction days, so we spend most of the time working in Photoshop or Lightroom, polishing our assignments, or listening to our professor outline the current project and what’s coming next.
Once finished, I head down the hall to my next class. Before we get started, I usually chat with a few classmates about our upcoming projects or the ideas we’re developing. Everyone in that class always seems to have something creative and unexpected brewing, so those conversations are always inspiring.
After both classes, I usually stop by WUMD to see if anyone’s around. If people are there, I hang out and unwind with them. One Tuesday at the campus radio station, I overheard a friend working on a beat, and he turned to me and asked, “You trying to slide on this?” Without hesitation, I said, “Heck yeah.” After working out the kinks and sharing what we both liked about the sound, we ended up creating a full song together. It was one of those moments that perfectly captured campus life. I got to spend time with a friend and make music at the same time, I honestly was killing two birds with one stone.
Wednesday
When Wednesday pops up, the pace of my week finally slows down a bit. Since my film and music class doesn’t meet until later in the afternoon, I actually get the whole morning to myself. I usually start the day by watching a show, catching up on movie review content, or working on whatever project I’m excited about at the moment. Sometimes I’ll head up to campus just to study and reset.
By the time the afternoon rolls in, I’m actually excited for class, which says a lot for a mid-week lecture. My film and music course is always one of the highlights of my week. My professor has this teaching style that’s laid-back but still engaging, and his lectures never feel like lectures. He keeps things moving, encourages questions, and actually wants us to jump into conversations. The whole vibe feels more like one of those surprisingly good high school classes in a TV show where everyone’s awake, participating, and genuinely having fun. Getting to talk about music in such a chill, welcoming environment always puts me in a great mood.
Thursday
When Thursday comes around, I usually roll out of bed around 10 a.m. to get ready for photography class, and yes, it's the same one from Tuesday. Thursdays are typically our work days, which means there isn’t much instruction. It’s nice, but also slightly mind-numbing when you’ve been staring at Photoshopped images of cats driving for an hour. But hey, learning is learning.
Luckily, my professor makes the class worth it. She’s genuinely awesome, super sweet, incredibly supportive, and clearly invested in helping us grow as artists. Once class ends, I brace myself for the cold walk to work. Every icy patch becomes a mini–near-death experience. Regardless, I trudge along to my job as an admissions blogger, getting there 10 minutes early. I head upstairs to my boss’s office (she’s amazing by the way) and during our meeting, we talk about upcoming projects and ideas.
After work, I head home, and I’m done for the day. I get ready to go to sleep, and as I’m drifting off, I realize…I’ve made it through the week.
Friday/ The Weekend
I usually spend my Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at home, relaxing and recharging. It’s my unofficial creative reset day—I'll get a workout in, put on some music, and just let my brain do its thing. Sometimes that means making music, sometimes it’s writing movie reviews, and other times it’s me staring at my screen waiting for inspiration to show up. These days aren’t the most exciting, but honestly, the quiet is kind of nice.
Sundays, though? Sundays are easily one of my favorite parts of the week. A few of my friends from back home and I made a pact: every Sunday, no matter how busy we are or where we are, we all try to watch IT: Welcome to Derry together. It’s become our weekly tradition, and honestly, it’s been an amazing experience.
Watching the show with them is always a blast. Even though we’re all in different places now and don’t get to see each other in person as much, Sunday nights feel like we’re all back in the same room again. We joke, react, overanalyze everything, and reconnect in a way that makes the distance feel a little smaller. It’s one of those simple traditions that ends up meaning a lot more than you expect.
As the weekend wraps up, I start gearing up to do it all over again. Sure, the routine might look the same each week, but the results never are. New conversations, new ideas, new memories, and yes… new almost-slipping-on-ice moments. College life keeps you on your toes, even when you’re just trying to walk to class without falling.
