I woke up this morning bright and early for my 8:40 class. Luckily, as a North Campus resident, I was able to step outside and straight into Morrison Dining to get breakfast before heading over to Ives Hall, the home of the ILR School. While there are some exceptions, the majority of ILR classes are held in Ives, especially when you are completing your required courses in the first two years.  

My first class of the morning was Economics of Wages and Employment, where we talked about the opportunity cost of attending college. Labor Econ is one of my smaller classes, meeting twice weekly with no discussion section. Although I had some concerns going into the course, Professor Bloesch explains concepts in a very understandable way and is very accessible during office hours.  

Next, I had Intro to ILR with all the new students (freshmen and transfers alike). In class we had a guest speaker, Jake Dillabaugh from the Einhorn Center for Engagement, lecturing on self-reflection. The course is meant to help students adjust to college life, and more specifically, ILR.  

After Intro I had a break for lunch. Some friends and I went to Trillium, a popular eatery right across the street from Ives. Trillium has several different stations, allowing students to choose whatever cuisine they are jonesing for that day. Post lunch, I returned to Ives, and more specifically, Catherwood Library. Catherwood, the ILR library, is where many ILRies, myself included, spend a considerable amount of time. My personal favorite spot is the quiet section of the 24/7 access basement area.  

As an ILRie, my prelims are primarily in the form of essays. I have three due in the next week, so I have been working away in Catherwood. Luckily, my professors and TAs are quite accessible, and the ILR culture lends itself to collaboration among peers which can be exceptionally helpful when it comes to peer-editing.  

My last class of the day was Intro to Labor History, in which we discussed the conditions that would lead workers to strike and the infamous events at Haymarket Square. The class is very discussion-based, with students frequently being encouraged to share their own experiences and opinions on conversation topics.  

After spending some time working on my essays and doing readings for class (it is a joke among students that ILR stands for “I Love Reading”), I ended up at a training session for news writers for the Cornell Daily Sun. Cornell has a tremendous number of clubs (over a thousand), and they are a great way to both develop your skills outside of the classroom and  grow your community here at Cornell.  

After my training session, I ended up at Morrison to get dinner with some friends; I can confirm that the food truly is that good. Ultimately, I rounded off the night by getting into lounge clothes and hunkering down at my desk to do more class readings and finalize my essays.