A Week in the Life of a Quadruple Major

Greetings, everyone! I'm Princess Igwe-Icho, and I'm here to take you on a whirlwind tour of my life at SMU. I'm not your average student — I'm tackling not one, not two, but four majors in Political Science, Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, Philosophy and Human Rights! If that's not enough, I also have a treasure trove of minors: Law and Legal Reasoning, Women and Gender Studies and Public Policy and International Affairs, courtesy of the Towers Scholars Program. My extracurricular life is a constant adventure. I'm a Presidential Scholar, Rotunda Scholar, Pre-Law Scholar and McNair Scholar. On top of that, I'm the Vice-President of the First-Generation Association (FGA), a board member of the Vice-Presidential Student Advisory Board (VPSA), Dedman Senator and the Project Manager for Voices of SMU. Buckle up, because this is going to be a wild ride!

Monday

This week was a bit different for me, as I found myself in the bustling heart of D.C. for the Hilltop on the Hill program, hosted by the Corporate Communication and Public Affairs (CCPA) department. The excitement was palpable as I met some truly remarkable individuals, including Ms. Julie Carney from FTI Consulting and Michelle Staley from Reingold Inc. What blew my mind was discovering how many SMU alumni held prominent consulting positions, underlining the valuable skills they'd gained during their time here. The cherry on top of the day was the "Depart for the World Changers" Hilltop Alumni event, where I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Holland, the Dean of Meadows, for the very first time. Check out the powerhouse of women that made up our 2023 Hilltop on the Hill program!

Tuesday

Tuesday was no less exciting. The Hilltop on the Hill program continued with enriching experiences. We crossed paths with impressive speakers like Natalie Yezbick, the Communications Director for Senator John Cornyn, and Steven Chlapeka, the Senior Media Strategist for Resolve to Save Lives. A visit to the Capitol allowed me to reconnect with my former coworkers from my summer stint there, and we had a blast taking photos. After our Capitol adventure, my roommate Niara and I raced through our discovery expedition tasks to meet the program requirements. My day even included a visit to the Portrait Museum, where I couldn't resist snapping a picture behind my favorite President. It was a day packed with adventures, and I couldn't be happier!

Wednesday

As the Hilltop on the Hill program came to a close, it was time to head back to Dallas. After a three-hour flight, I landed safe and sound, ready to tackle the mountain of coursework and quiz preparation that awaited me. There's no rest for the intrepid!

Thursday

While my siblings reveled in a day off from school, I plunged back into the academic fray. With a full slate of classes — Ancient Philosophy at 9:30 am, Intro to Law at 12:30 pm, and the PPIA: Junior Year Policy Seminar at 2 pm — my day was packed. I made the most of my 11 am to 12:30 pm break by catching up on emails and homework (Hamon Library is my go-to study spot) and hanging out with friends. After my last class for the day, I was off to my DEI committee meeting at 3:30 pm for Student Senate, followed by the weekly First-Generation Association meetings at 4 pm. It's go, go, go from 6 am, when my siblings and I wake up, until 5 pm!

Friday

Friday dawned with a meeting with my mentee at 9 am as part of the Connect program. After that, I tackled my 10 am Political Theory class, where my intellectual curiosity was in full gear. I also took some time to participate in an interview about the CCPA major in Meadows, a pretty exciting initiative! The rest of the morning was devoted to quiz prep for my Protests and Movements course (from 11 am to 1 pm). Typically, this is when I'd join my weekly Bridwell reading groups, but this week, our summit was scheduled for Saturday, so that got pushed back. After my 1 pm class, I hung out with friends and headed home for some work, an ever-present part of my college life.

Saturday

Saturday marked the day of our Bridwell Reading group summit. It was a delightful opportunity to delve into the fascinating world of economics with the great Dr. Bart J. Wilson, who enlightened us about "Meaningful Economics" and humanomics. This topic, which isn't discussed often, opened our eyes to the complexities of economics, breaking free from the traditional black-and-white perspective. After the summit, we treated ourselves to a mouthwatering lunch at Barley House — because we earned it! Overall, Saturday was a day of relaxed learning and, you guessed it, more homework.

Sunday

After a week filled with thrilling ups and challenging downs, I like to make Sundays my sanctuary. It all begins with a visit to church in the morning, and I return home to tackle homework. This includes schoolwork and preparations for the dreaded LSAT. Once the academic chores are done, it's family time. We hang out, watch movies, and have a blast together. Fortunately, there's no work today, which means I get to enjoy quality time with my loved ones.

Phew, there you have it — a glimpse into a week in the life of this adventurous and academically committed quadruple major at SMU. College life is always a rollercoaster of learning, networking and connecting with incredible individuals. Cheers to the adventure that is life at SMU!