When I was still doing my A Levels, I struggled to imagine what studying English Literature at university was like. I didn’t know what the teaching would be like or how much I’d have to read. I’ve recently finished my second year in the University of East Anglia, UK. So I wanted to share what a day in the life of an English Literature student looks like.
Keep in mind that this is a course with relatively few contact hours and lots of independent reading. My daily routine varies. This is just an example of a day in the life of an English Literature student.
Morning
07:30 I try to wake up around 7-8am every day whether or not I have morning classes. This makes any 9ams I do have SO MUCH easier, as my body is used to waking up early. (Although during summer and Christmas break, this rule doesn’t apply…) I’d have breakfast, usually oatmeal and fruits, while either watching YouTube or reading a uni book. Then I’d have a quick shower.
08:45 Start walking to my 9am Contemporary Fiction lecture. My 2nd year house is around 15 minutes from the main campus, or longer if I walk super slow. Mostly I leave at the last minute possible, so I’d be half-jogging 😀
~09:50 Lectures are only 50 minutes long. When I was transitioning from high school in Indonesia, this seemed terribly short. But now I don’t think I remember how to sit still for more than an hour.
10:00 Library time! I’m usually here until lunch, reading and preparing for my seminar in the afternoon. If that’s done, I may write for the uni newspaper, read other novels or complete any other tasks I have.
Afternoon
12:00 I try to pack my own lunch, but if laziness kicks in I’d buy something in the campus cafeteria. Mostly I meet up with a friend to catch up over lunch, but I honestly don’t mind eating alone ✌️ I guess being an introvert does have its perks.
13:00 – 15:00 Contemporary Fiction seminar. We’re reading a book a week, which isn’t actually bad as I find most of them quite easy and enjoyable to read. One I particularly loved was Hawthorn and Child by Keith Ridgway, which I ended up writing my essay on.
15:10 Go to the gym. It’s way too easy to succumb to a sedentary lifestyle at uni! I’ve always been quite active growing up, so it’s important that I remember how good working out can make me feel. I didn’t get a gym membership in my first semester, but trying to fix that now.
Evening
17:00 Usually home around this time if I have nothing else planned. Just to illustrate, sometimes the societies I’m involved in have various events. From committee meetings, cultural events with food and performances, games night, etc. Most of the times, though, I’ll be home!
19:00 I’m not much of a cook, so for dinner, I like to make something quick and simple. A typical meal for me is stir-fry vegetables with some kind of meat, and either rice, potatoes or pasta.
20:00 If I haven’t that day, this is when I usually call my parents. Being an international student, home is over 11,900 km away. I can understand why my mom’s anxious if she hasn’t heard from me the entire day 😀 If I have a pressing deadline, I’d be frantically working on it too during this time. Otherwise, time to catch up with my favorite show or YouTube videos!
~23:00 Start winding down for bed. I try to turn off my phone at least 30 minutes before sleeping and use that time to read a book. Yes, I may get caught up watching a show or scrolling through Instagram, but it’s nice to unplug sometimes.
Again, this is only a general representation of my day. I do have part-time jobs and times when I’m applying for tons of internships, or days when I barely leave the house. I might write a ‘week in the life’ next!
Anyway, thanks for reading. If you have any questions about my uni experience whatsoever, please contact me. I;d love to hear from you.