Typical Day
During our time in Moscow, the schedule was fairly consistent: Russian classes, lunch, and then an excursion some time in the afternoon. Since leaving Moscow, our day begins when our group decides is best to meet. Our time in Kazan and St. Petersburg has been very relaxed compared to the beginning of our trip, as we usually have one or two excursions and time to relax for the rest of the day. Below is an example of an average day in Moscow:
8:00am: Wake up and get ready for class. The weather was very humid so wearing light layers were essential.
8:30am: At this time, my host mother called me to have breakfast, usually toast or pancakes with green tea.
8:55am: I left at this time to make it exactly at 9:30am for my class. I walked for about six minutes to reach the train station, but the walk down the escalators was at least two minutes, since the trains are very deep underground. I had one transfer and usually didn’t spend more than 15 minutes on the train itself. Our language institute was fortunately only a few minutes from the Novoslobodskaya station, which made the commute very easy!
9:30am: Each student went to their Russian class. The classes were usually fewer than six students, depending on the week. In my course, we usually reviewed advanced grammar rules and our conversation skills.
11:45am: During this time, the other students and I would walk around the neighborhood and find a cafe or restaurant. On some days, our breaks were only 30 minutes, so fast food like McDonald’s and KFC were our only option—it actually tastes much better in Russia!
12:30–2:00pm: We met with our professor or Assistant Program Coordinator, Masha, to visit a museum, cathedral, or park around the greater Moscow area.
5:00pm: Around this time, I would usually go back to my home stay and work on my homework. The assignments were fairly short, so I was able to explore the city afterwards or simply relax in the apartment.
8:00pm: Dinner time was almost always at this time. My host mother usually made dumplings, soup, and a salad. If there was a lot of food, I would attempt to finish the entire meal, which would take up to 1.5 hours…
9:00pm: If I had class the next morning, I prepared for bed at this time and packed my school bag. Of course, I have spent many nights watching Netflix. The movie and television offerings are different in Russia but are mostly from America and in English.
The average day in Moscow was very long, so I had many early nights. However, I met up with some Northeastern friends during the weekend to explore to city and visit local bars. Each city we’ve visited has many great opportunities to get out and have fun with the other students!
