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At Patrick Henry College, freshmen have the unique experience of sharing most of their classes and adventures together as the freshman course load is standardized. Unless you have transferred in credits or start taking your major classes early, you will likely take the same few courses with the same people. Although everyone’s class times and experiences will differ a little, you will all share some similar themes throughout your days.
If you're a freshman at PHC, here's an example schedule of what an average day might look like:
7:00 AM: Startled awake by your alarm, you flail around in a frantic attempt to press the snooze button so you do not sour your relationship with your brand new roommates.
7:04 AM: Snooze button.
7:08 AM: Okay. Now you have to actually get up. You stumble into the bathroom and start getting ready for the day. You tiptoe around and turn on as few lights as possible, trying not to wake anyone up. You fail in this endeavor when you accidentally slam the closet door after pulling out your brand new favorite piece of business casual wear.
7:45 AM: Rush to the dining hall for breakfast. Order an omelet, wait a few minutes, but then realize you do not have time to wait for it and also eat it before your class. Grab a box of cheerios, a quick cup of tea, and rush upstairs to the BHC South classroom.
8:00 AM: Sit down in Western Civilization I with only seconds to spare. Dr. Favelo walks in a few minutes later nearly dropping his papers and laptops. He smiles at everyone and begins lecturing on the ancient Greeks. He shows you many pictures of horses and Google Map street views.
9:05 AM: You pack up your pens and notebooks and walk over to the BHC Northwest classroom for History of the United States I with Dr. Spinney. He enters the room wearing a tweed sports coat, carrying a little folder full of handouts and notes. He stands at the front of the classroom and silently goes through role, since he already knows everyone’s name. He quietly hands a mint to the student falling asleep next to you as he lectures about the Puritans.
10:15 AM: You walk over to Town Hall for chapel and scan in. At first, you look around frantically, worried you will not be able to find anyone to sit with. You realize you already know almost everyone, though, and you locate a group of friends. You listen to announcements, worship with the school, and listen to a local pastor before the last song.
12:00 PM: You walk to lunch with your roommates. It is a Friday, which means chicken tenders and macaroni and cheese! You get two plates and, of course, several helpings of buffalo sauce. You make a salad, too, so that your mom will be proud when you call home this weekend.
12:50 PM: You walk back upstairs for Logic with Dr. Roberts. You hand in your homework and settle in to take notes. He tells funny analogies about his beagle and children. You learn about Aristotle and remember you have to do your discussion post for the weekend.
2:00 PM: You head back to your room and change out of business casual—time for sweatpants and a nap (or a game or two)!
3:00 PM: You wake up and pull out this week’s US History Lecture, Western Civ notes, and Logic homework. Your roommates do the same and you turn on some loud music. If you have to study on a Friday afternoon, you are going to have some fun.
5:00 PM: You have done enough school for the week and you head to the dining hall to grab some dinner. You sit with your new friends and laugh about the funny moments you have all shared already and discuss the things you learned in class today. You make plans for the night and for the coming weekend.
7:00 PM: You head to the lounge to watch a movie and hang out with your friends. Everyone nervously comments, "We should be working on homework..." In the end, you choose not to because you deserve a break. When the movie finishes, you chat about the next trip into DC, then say goodnight.
11:00 PM: You and your roommates pile into your beds and talk about the day. You laugh about how one of your roommates walked into the wrong classroom and how another one almost fell into Lake Bob. You fall asleep quickly, exhausted from a long first week, but excited to see what the future days hold.
How does this schedule compare with your experience as a Freshman at PHC? Let us know in the comments!
