During the fall 2024 semester, Camille Neal-Harris started her Tuesdays much like any other Rice University student, but reaching the finish line likely felt a bit different as her day stretched into a marathon of science, art and everything in between. The senior double-majoring in bioengineering and art with a concentration in sculpture managed a packed schedule with grace, a little help from Google Calendar and an unrelenting passion for learning.
“It’s a very heavy workload,” Neal-Harris said. “It’s very stringent, but I think that the benefit outweighs the time constraint.”
Neal-Harris’ Tuesdays began with cell biology at 9:30 a.m, followed by a break when she usually scheduled meetings or studied with friends. At 1 p.m., she headed to one of her favorite classes: Intro to Psychology with senior lecturer Colette Nicolaou.
“It’s a really fun class,” Neal-Harris said. “The way that we learn is to incorporate the personal anecdotes from students.”
Another break follows, allowing Neal-Harris time to head to her studio in Sewall Hall to work on her sculpture projects. Then she shifted gears to her commitments with the Rice Undergraduate Scholars Program (RUSP).
“We talk about grad school options, how to make a research plan, how our research is going and those types of things,” Neal-Harris said.
A 15-minute overlap between RUSP and Senior Studio meant Neal-Harris often had to sprint across campus to make it to her studio by 6:30 p.m. By 9:30 p.m., she wrapped up her formal commitments for the day. But even then, she wasn’t quite ready to call it a night.
“At that point I will either decide to study some more or take a quick break to get coffee and then study,” she said.
Despite the long hours, Neal-Harris maintained a positive outlook on her busy life at Rice.
“The people really make it,” she said. “The professors are very kind, the people are incredible and the campus is obviously beautiful.”
Balancing two majors as disparate as bioengineering and art is no easy feat, but Neal-Harris takes it in stride. As a premed student with a passion for research, Neal-Harris’ dedication to the undergraduate experience is laying a strong foundation for her future.
“In terms of juggling, Google Calendar and Notion are my lifesavers,” Neal-Harris said, laughing at the chaos of keeping her responsibilities in order. “And really just giving yourself a lot of grace. It’s important to step back sometimes and see everything from the big picture.”