A week in the life of a 19-year-old university student in Canada
Alison writes about working as an e-commerce intern, preparing for a big dance recital and watching a Taylor Swift cover band. (Courtesy of Alison Batallas)
Alison writes about working as an e-commerce intern, preparing for a big dance recital and watching a Taylor Swift cover band.
Monday, 13 June
Today I woke up bright and early to get to a doctor's appointment. I start my workday at 9 a.m. so I made sure to get home quickly afterwards. I finished my second year of university in April (I’m in an English literature and professional communications program) and am spending my summer working a full-time digital and e-commerce internship. Getting experience in a field that I would not have been exposed to in school has been really fascinating and I find that I’m learning more by working hands-on in this role than in the lecture hall.
I am working remotely right now with other interns from around the province of British Columbia as we support small business owners with their e-commerce presence. This means meeting with clients to discuss digital marketing strategies and build their websites.
I was still feeling a little tired after my appointment this morning so I texted my friend and neighbour Carmen to come with me to grab some snacks from the local market and go to the beach. The amazing part about living on an island is without a doubt the close proximity to the beach wherever I go. We pick up a carton of raspberries and a green tea Snapple and head to the beach. Even though it’s summer, the Vancouver Island weather has been less than ideal. After some fresh air, I drop Carmen off at her house and go back home to finish off my workday.
At 5 p.m., I am able to log off for the day. I am feeling a little achy so I make some soup. The rest of the evening I am not super productive. I finish reading my current book “The Summer I Turned Pretty” and watch some episodes of “Peaky Blinders” with my parents. Then at around 12 a.m., I finally head to bed.
“At rehearsal we run over our three dances that we will be performing on Sunday night at a show. This will be my first time performing for an audience in over two years, so I am feeling very excited to get back on stage.”
Tuesday, 14 June
Today started out like usual: waking up and having an oat milk latte with my oatmeal and berries for breakfast (it never misses). I hop onto a team meeting at 9:15 a.m. to troubleshoot some technical difficulties with our Outlook accounts and discuss client needs. After the meeting, I get ready and hop on another call with a client. Because I work from home so often, I start to feel a little bit antsy around midday. I hop in my car and drive over to my university campus to work in the library. A change of scenery really helps my focus. Once the workday is over, I spend some time on my scholarship applications and class selection for school next year. I am moving to Denmark for university in August for a year abroad and have quite a bit of work to do in order to prepare.
When I get home from campus, my family and I walk over to Carmen’s house for dinner. Her parents are basically family to us at this point. Then at 7:30 p.m., I’m out the door on the way to dance rehearsal. Since February I have been on a heels crew, which is a blend of commercial jazz, hip-hop, ballroom and latin all performed in high-heeled boots! I’ve been dancing for years, but this style is relatively new to me. At rehearsal we run over our three dances that we will be performing on Sunday night at a show. This will be my first time performing for an audience in over two years, so I am feeling very excited to get back on stage.
Wednesday, 15 June
Halfway through the week! I started my day by logging emails, scheduling meetings, and doing some research for my clients. After work, I headed over to my grandma’s house. I was dog-sitting her Westie dog, Hogan, for the night. I took Hogan for a little walk around her property and then called up a Chinese restaurant and ordered takeout (I’m too lazy to cook for myself tonight). When I went to pick up my food, I witnessed a woman drive the wrong way down a one-way street (thankfully it didn’t end in a crash).
The rest of the evening is incredibly uneventful. I just enjoyed some quiet time by myself and watched “Peaky Blinders” while I had my dinner. At around 9 p.m, I headed to bed for an early sleep.
Alison’s grandmother’s Westie dog, Hogan. (Courtesy of Alison Batallas)
Thursday, 16 June
I started my Thursday by attending a group meeting and doing some research for clients. During my lunch break I went to pick up oat milk lattes (my grandma’s house lacks my beloved espresso machine so I had to resort to a café for my caffeine fix). I dropped one off at my mom’s office and spent some time chatting with her.
I then headed back to my grandma’s house to finish up my work for the day. I logged meetings, took notes and connected with my cohort. After work was done, I headed back to my house in order to complete the booking process for my new apartment (!). Next year will be the first time I live alone. Even though it feels super daunting right now, I am very excited to move out and experience solo living in a new country. After dinner, my friend Zoe came over and we spent the rest of the evening watching the TV adaptation of “The Summer I turned Pretty.” It exceeded our expectations (seriously, go watch it) and then I went to bed.
Friday, 17 June
Finally Friday! After a lazier start to the morning (thanks to staying up a little too late binging “The Summer I Turned Pretty”), I got started with work. Today was a pretty busy day, so I opted for a triple shot latte instead of my regular double. After meetings and the usual day-to-day internship work, I rushed out the door to catch a ride with Zoe to Carmen’s graduation ceremony. It was a beautiful day and after the three-hour ceremony, we gathered to celebrate in the foyer of the school.
As soon as the social portion of the evening was over, I quickly changed out of my dress and into my dance clothes. Zoe dropped me off at my dance studio for a dress rehearsal before our show on Sunday. We got to see the other crew’s dance routines. Being together with all of the students in full dress really helps get the excitement for the show going.
“Being together with all of the students in full dress really helps get the excitement for the show going,“ Alison shares. (Courtesy of Alison Batallas)
The owners of the studio gave a speech that reminded me about why I love dancing so much. It feeds my soul, helps me relax and connect with my body and emotions, allows me to explore artistry and technique and overall is just a fun time. Being a part of a community where dance is seen as a way to encourage self-confidence and self-worth is such a blessing. I finished rehearsal at around 8:30 pm and then met up again with Zoe and Carmen to hit up our favourite bubble tea place and watch the sunset.
Saturday, 18 June
I woke up bright and early in order to get some cleaning done before Kem, my friend from school, came up to Vancouver Island from Seattle for a quick 24-hour visit. Kem and I met through Her Campus (the collegiate magazine that we both write for) and became super close over the last semester. I picked Kem up from the ferry at 1 p.m. and we had a very hyper reunion (scaring the passengers leaving the pick-up area with our screaming in the process). We grabbed coffee and spent the next hour catching up on everything. After heading back to my house to drop off her things, we headed over to her new apartment building to check out the area. We grabbed a few things and got ready for the evening's activities back at my house.
Tonight we are seeing a Taylor Swift cover band and could not be more excited. We made our way downtown and grabbed a light dinner at a restaurant next door before getting to the show. It was the most fun I’ve had in a while. We screamed the hits and lost our minds when the band played “All Too Well” (the ten minute version!!). After the show and some dancing downtown, we went to a mutual friend's birthday party, until finally making it home around 1 a.m.
“Tonight we are seeing a Taylor Swift cover band and could not be more excited,“ Alison recalls. (Courtesy of Alison Batallas)
Sunday, 19 June
Finally showday! I woke up pretty early to grab breakfast with Kem and then drop her off at the ferry. I then went back home so I could catch up on some sleep before the big show tonight. After a late lunch, I headed to my friend and fellow dancer Demi’s house to pick her up before the show. We headed downtown and arrived at the show venue at around 5:30 p.m. We ran through our pieces and then had a couple hours to kill and get ready before showtime. After we got into makeup and costume, the doors opened and the audience started filling the house. I didn’t realise how much I missed the infectious buzz of the theatre before a show. It truly is such a special feeling. Soon enough, it was time to hit the stage. The show passed by in a blink of an eye. Performing is so fun that you truly lose sense of time and before you know, it’s time for final bows. After the show, the seating area was cleared and our post-show dance party celebration started.
Trying to balance so many things at once can feel super daunting as a young person. Something I try to do to take care of my mental health and prevent burnout is making sure each of my buckets are filled. I try to feed my soul with movement, have social time by connecting with friends, spend time getting important tasks done by working effectively and efficiently and making sure I have time to just chill and relax. I hope you enjoyed spending the week with me!
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