A Week in the Life of an HDS First-Year Student: Lexi Kallaher

Hello! My name is Lexi and I am a first-year MTS student. This gives a brief overview of my week, but it is important to keep in mind that no two weeks look the same! 

Mondays are my time to get ahead! I wake up at 7 am and try to head over to one of the Harvard Libraries by 9 am. I work all day, with plenty of snacks and coffee breaks, until about 2:45 pm when I head over to Theories and Methods. This is the required class for all first year students. This class usually gets out around 4:30, but I stay behind to talk to people in my program I do not see often or I just want to chat more with. Afterwards, I head home to have dinner, finish up lingering homework and typically go on a walk to shake out the Monday scaries.

Tuesday is, by far, my busiest and most stressful day. I have my French translation reading section from 9:30 am-10: 30 am. Next, I have Religious Literacy and the Professions, which is the required class for the Certificate in Religion and Public Life. Then, I rush over to the Kennedy School for my afternoon class on Religion in U.S. Politics and Policy. This class is actually taught by an HDS MTS alum! We have a lot of really good conversations about the way that policy in the US has been shifted by the religious landscape. Then, I head back to the Divinity School to work in admissions from 2pm to 4pm. I usually spend this time catching up on emails from over the weekend or brainstorming social media ideas with another GA, Sarah! At 4, I head up the stairs to go to Community Tea. Community Tea is a chance for the HDS community to come together over good food and tea every Tuesday, and it gives me a chance to relax! I head over to Lamont Library afterward to work my evening cafe shift. When I get home I have dinner and usually look over my French homework for the next day.

Wednesdays are fun because they always look a bit different! I work in admissions from 9 am-2pm. We usually have an event or team meeting on this day which is always enjoyable and gives me a chance to meet people! I love getting to connect with my coworkers and prospective students! When I get off of work, I head to the library to do some work before my evening French class. I am in the introduction class for French Translation. I had not originally been planning to take French, but the universe pushed me towards it, and it has worked out well. The class is very interesting, and Professor Torracinta is incredibly kind! Last week she brought us a cheese plate! After class I head home. At this point in the week, I can see the end in sight!

I start Thursday by waking up at 7 am and heading to HDS by 8:30 am. I send off emails, finish readings, or hold meetings (like meeting with the Career Center) until 10:30 am when I have the Religious Literacy and the Professions class again. On Thursday we meet with our professional section. I am in the government section, so we typically look at various policies and the way religion has played a role in crafting/implementing them. After that, I head to the Kennedy School for the U.S. Religion, Politics, and Policy course. Just like on Tuesday, I head back to HDS after class to do some reading. I try to wrap up any major things for the week before I head to my section for Theories and Methods. Since all first year students take the course, students are divided into sections that meet as small groups once a week with a Teaching Fellow. This is a chance to dive deeper into the material! When my section ends I head home, have dinner, and then usually get ready to go hang out with friends! I try to reserve Thursday nights for connecting with friends because people tend to be available!

Friday mornings I work in the admissions office virtually from 9 am to noon. I answer emails and finish up blog posts (like this one)! After that, I aim to go to campus and do some work. But, if I am being honest, I usually end up staying at home to rest, and then resetting for the weekend. I do laundry, sweep, mop, and basically anything else that I have been putting off for the week. On Friday nights I usually go spend time with friends, have a long walk, or watch a movie. I have gotten decently into film these past few years, some of my recent favorite watches are: A Separation, GoodFellas, The Last Temptation of Christ, Incendies, The Graduate, and Pride and Prejudice 2005 (I have rewatched this a concerning amount of times).

Saturday mornings I sleep in till 8:30 am and try to head off to the library by 9:30 am. I work better in the mornings and so the earlier I start, the better. I work till about noon and then I take the rest of the day off! I have been trying to do something new and fun every weekend since school started. Sometimes this means going to a museum in Boston, trying out a new cafe with a friend, or going to a fall themed farmers market! On Saturday nights I usually make myself a new dish and get froyo as a nice treat! If I am staying in, I read my book for my book club or just something on my “to be read” list. My book club is currently reading “North Woods” by Daniel Mason. It was actually recommended in the Office of the Chaplain and Religious and Spiritual Life email newsletter last month!  

On Sunday I try to sleep in again and usually spend about half the day looking ahead for what the next week brings and the other half outside. I keep in close contact with a lot of friends from undergrad/ my life before HDS, and Sunday is typically reserved for catching up with them. Sundays are also a perfect day to walk around aimlessly, which is another activity I enjoy doing. Especially as the weather has been incredible this fall! I try to do any of my discussions post for the next week on Sunday because I think it helps me stay more focused on class discussions and larger assignments during the week. Once I finish those, I conclude Sunday nights by meal prepping my breakfasts and doing any grocery shopping for the upcoming week!