If this is the year you’re planning to start at university, your preparations have got to be gathering pace: as well as studying hard to reach the grade requirements on your offer, you need to be getting ready for this big change in your life. Looking at reading lists to make sure you’re prepared when you hit your first lectures, and researching the different halls of residence on offer so that when you have to pick from the various options for student accommodation Huddersfield (for example) has on offer, you’re making an informed choice.
More than that, though, you need to have some kind of idea of what being a university student is really like. Today we’re putting the student life under a microscope and taking you through an average day to give you an idea of what university could be life.
8am
Waking up isn’t too stressful this morning because you don’t have any early lectures. Some days you’ll be up in time for an seminar at half eight, and those are painful!
Today you shower and head downstairs for breakfast – paying extra for catered accommodation means not having to worry about meals when you’re still bleary. Coffee and toast are waiting!
9am
You’re on campus before your lecture. This is keen but not too keen: you’re meeting up with friends first. Ostensibly to talk about the essay you’ve been working, but mostly for more coffee and some early morning laughter before things get serious for the day.
10am-1pm
You’re in lectures for the rest of the morning, taking notes as a succession of professors and lecturers try to break down the vital concepts of your course for you to understand. It can be difficult to keep up – some lecturers are masters of the art, and take genuine pleasure in coaxing students into understanding. Others see teaching as an unfortunate obligation they have to get out the way before getting back to their research.
You’ve now got time for lunch – so it makes sense to grab a sandwich with some friends before your studies pull you away again.
In the afternoon you have some hours free before a seminar, so get to the library to work on an essay that’s due at the end of the week. A couple of hours spent reading in search of a useful quote could do you some real good and help you understand the question much better!
With a single seminar at the end of the day you only need to engage your brain for a little longer, asking and answering useful questions to help broaden your understanding of a topic, before it’s the evening and you have your pick of society meetings, parties and pubs to keep you entertained – of you’re not having a quiet one with your flatmates and fostering the bonds of friendship that will last long after graduation!