I went to college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and I studied Psychology. I have worked in financial advising, sales, and education. I also have a small background in statistics and computer science.
It is my pleasure to share with you all what a typical day in the life is like at the Institute!
Disclaimer** this is not a one size fits all. Your experience at the Institute is solely determined by you**
Morning
7:30 – 7:45: Wake up, Coffee and Breakfast
I am not a morning person, so I do not typically try to be one; however, I have found that getting up at least an hour before class starts helps with focus and engagement.
7:45 – 8:30: Devotional, chat with housemates, get dressed
I wake up earlier to study if we have an exam coming up, but I try to save this time to spend with my wife and housemates. My faith is important to me and my overall wellbeing, so the morning is a great time for me to mentally reset before the day starts.
8:30 – 9:00: Commute to school and prepare for class
Class
9:00 – 12:00: Class – Anything from Logistic Regressions to Resume Building!
The academic variety of the IAA is one of the many reasons the institute sets itself apart from its competitors. We spend ample time learning the hard skills that will be a part of our day-to-day job, but where we provide value to our future employers and ourselves is the soft skill communication classes taught. Neither of these two dimensions outweighs the other, but they are both crucial to success after the institute!
12:00 – 1:00: Lunch/Meetings
Many lunches are spent with practicum or homework teams to get projects and outlines ready to turn in.
1:00 – 4:00 Class
Depending on the day of the week, I could be collaborating with my homework team on our next report, or listening to one of the many outstanding companies that meet us in person for our Analytics In Practice program.
4:00 – 4:30: Head home, debrief for the day
Many students stay at the Institute to get work done away from home. I recommend finding the best way to balance and separate school life from home life.
Evening
4:30 – 5:30: Run/Workout
To fully function at the highest capacity, some part of my day needs to be spent physically exerting myself. In the fall, I trained for a half marathon (no prior running experience) and have found it to be a great way to take my mind off the worries of the day.
5:30 – 7:00: Study, review notes from the day’s lectures
I found that the best way to stay on track is to review notes every day and make sure I understand what is going on! This is crucial to stay ahead of the mighty workload of the program.
7:00 – 8:00: Dinner and Cleanup
8:00 – 10:00: Review and debrief with my wife about the day
10:00 – 10:30: TV and getting ready for bed
10:30: Bedtime!
My schedule may sound like too little or too much, but this is what works best for me!
Find and do what
works best for you.
Thanks for following along.
Columnist: Davis Swann