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What's a typical day like at uni?

I haven't applied for uni yet but am seriously considering trying to get a place through clearing. I'm interested in studying computing if I can get a place :smile: Obviously I haven't done a lot of research or been to any open days as this is sort of a last minute decision. I was just wondering what an average day would be like. For example:

-What time do you wake up? (I'd be living in halls)
-How long do you have lectures for?
-What do you normally do in the evenings?
-How much time do you spend on studying/coursework?

Thank you :smile:

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Reply 1
It really depends what time my lectures are but I usually get up by 11AM on most days. At leasr an hour before if I have earlier lectures of course.

I had about 6-8 hours worth of lectures and 6-8 hours worth of tutorials/workshops a week. It would vary each week but generally 12-16 contact hours. This was the same for year 1 and 2 and will be for my 3rd too.

Depends. We usually go out a couple times a week, house parties/pub/clubbing etc. If not, we might go to the bar on campus, watch the football, go out for a meal etc. I also had football matches some evenings. Oh and of course, work.

During first year, not too much, maybe an hour or two 5 times a week. Probably not even that. Second year was a little more intense, I studied probably 2 hours most days of the week. However once exam period started, I was revising 4-6 hours everyday and usually only took one day off a week.
Reply 2
I studied a science degree which was pretty full on so mine might be different to other courses...
Generally, got up around 10am, (before 9 if 9am lecture), had 12 contact hours a week, then would work until 10/11pm. Generally went out once a week, and would watch films or game with my flatmates/friends pretty much every evening (until exam period when I'd work a lot later!).
Original post by Kre
It really depends what time my lectures are but I usually get up by 11AM on most days. At leasr an hour before if I have earlier lectures of course.

I had about 6-8 hours worth of lectures and 6-8 hours worth of tutorials/workshops a week. It would vary each week but generally 12-16 contact hours. This was the same for year 1 and 2 and will be for my 3rd too.

Depends. We usually go out a couple times a week, house parties/pub/clubbing etc. If not, we might go to the bar on campus, watch the football, go out for a meal etc. I also had football matches some evenings. Oh and of course, work.

During first year, not too much, maybe an hour or two 5 times a week. Probably not even that. Second year was a little more intense, I studied probably 2 hours most days of the week. However once exam period started, I was revising 4-6 hours everyday and usually only took one day off a week.


What course you do? It seems that you are quite free from what you've mentioned.
Reply 4
Average day for a Modern Languages Student

7am : arrive back from night out with French Society. Get into bed.
11.45am : Wake up. Realise it's Thursday and there is only one lecture. Go back to sleep.
12.15pm : Wake up again. Realise you're not in your own bed. Have a shower and put on some clean, fashionable clothes belonging to another Languages student.
12.45pm : Leave for university.
12.48pm : Arrive at university.
1pm : Locate friends the old fashioned way - by "randomly" seeing them in a basement cafe. Have a cheeky espresso before agreeing to make way to Charlotte Street for lunch.
2.15pm: One bavette and a carafe of Cava later, return to university for lecture.
2.45pm : Side tracked to Union to meet someone goodlooking
3.07pm : Arrive late to lecture. Decide not to go in. Text friend inside to pick up slides for you.
3.15pm: Friend you texted replies that they are not in the lecture either. You both text a mature student to pick up the slides for you.
5pm: Return home and change out of stolen clothes. Decide which group of trendy girls you will beg for dinner.
6.30pm : turn up at flat of a Danish girl in Mornington Crescent with a bottle of wine (stolen from your flatmate) as payment for dinner.
8pm: Make group decision to go out.
8.30pm : Still have not decided where to go.
8.45pm: It's Thursday - that means Moonies will be relatively cheap.
9pm: Pool money for pre-drinking.
9.01pm: Realise there is not enough money for that. No one can be bothered to go to a cash point.
9.10pm: Try to pre-drink using Ginger Wine and Advocaat.
10pm: Everyone leaves to go to Moonies. Halfway down Tottenham Court Road, get texted by some other people at Rocket. Can't decide.
10.05pm: Some bright spark "discovers" a new route to Soho that they think goes near Rocket.
10.45pm: Arrive at Rocket. Have one drink. Leave to go to Moonies for real.
11.25pm: Realise you will have to pay to get in. Decide to go back to flat of someone from Linguistics to have sex instead.
11.50pm: Get kicked out of his/her flat because his/her flatmate hates you.
12.20am: Turn up at flat of Masters-student-in-denial friend, drink more.
2am: fall asleep on floor.
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 5
Original post by Wilsoncw1997
What course you do? It seems that you are quite free from what you've mentioned.


I study accounting & finance.
Reply 6
In first year it was go in for 2-4 hours, come home, watch a bit of netflix then off out to club with mates til 4am

with essays in-between obviously.

But there was the dreaded Thursday....6 hours in a row without break. :eek:
(edited 9 years ago)
Eat, sleep, rave, repeat.
Original post by Niamhrado
I haven't applied for uni yet but am seriously considering trying to get a place through clearing. I'm interested in studying computing if I can get a place :smile: Obviously I haven't done a lot of research or been to any open days as this is sort of a last minute decision. I was just wondering what an average day would be like. For example:

-What time do you wake up? (I'd be living in halls)
-How long do you have lectures for?
-What do you normally do in the evenings?
-How much time do you spend on studying/coursework?

Thank you :smile:


I woke up at 7:00am because I needed a big breakfast or I can't function, I also read the lectures for the day whilst having breakfast.
Lectures vary day to day most of the time it's 9-12 and then 1-5 for us.
I normally just go to the girlfriends flat and watch a bit of TV or go out somewhere at around 7/8pm. Or I read and annotate lectures for the following day or do a lab write up. Depends on how I'm feeling and how ahead/behind I'm with work.
Reply 9
For first year I was in for 9 most mornings which meant getting up at 7:50. Have breakfast and cycle in (or get the bus if I was feeling lazy).
Lectures from 9 til usually 12 or 1. Go for lunch and depending on timetabling and such, I'd go for a swim too at the pool in the campus sports centre.
Lectures then til 4/5 (though some days later). Cycle home, do any work that needs done (makes me seem more proactive than I was). Eat. Maybe go for a run or to the gym if I haven't swam or cycled that day. Then spend all my time in bed on the laptop and listening to music.

Some days involved spending hours at friends houses in between and after lectures though.

And sometimes we'd go out... and be in for 9am again the next day!
What time do you wake up? (I'd be living in halls)
-How long do you have lectures for?
-What do you normally do in the evenings?
-How much time do you spend on studying/coursework?

In first year when I lived on campus I'd wake up about 10mins before the lecture started. In winter just chuck a big coat over the PJs and leave lol.
In second year. . . pretty much the same. Good thing I only lived a 10 minute walk away from campus.

Lectures usually last for an hour, sometimes 2. I study Forensics so there's a lot of contact hours each week. Sometimes we had 3 lab sessions a week, each lab session lasting 3 hours. Had a killer timetable on Mondays in second year, back to back lectures from 11-6
:mad:

In the evenings it's usually chilling out, watching TV or whatever, having a nap, waking up at 9pm and realising you'll be having another sleepless night, until about 5am when you finally fall asleep, hence waking up 10minutes before lecture the next day. :rolleyes:

In all honesty I spent probably 5% of the time I should have spent studying and doing coursework, even during revision season I was waaay too chilled. Luckily I made it onto third year, hopefully my bad habits will change :rolleyes:
Original post by chocomalbom
Eat, sleep, rave, repeat.

Hahah! Good choice!
Original post by Clip
Average day for a Modern Languages Student

7am : arrive back from night out with French Society. Get into bed.
11.45am : Wake up. Realise it's Thursday and there is only one lecture. Go back to sleep.
12.15pm : Wake up again. Realise you're not in your own bed. Have a shower and put on some clean, fashionable clothes belonging to another Languages student.
12.45pm : Leave for university.
12.48pm : Arrive at university.
1pm : Locate friends the old fashioned way - by "randomly" seeing them in a basement cafe. Have a cheeky espresso before agreeing to make way to Charlotte Street for lunch.
2.15pm: One bavette and a carafe of Cava later, return to university for lecture.
2.45pm : Side tracked to Union to meet someone goodlooking
3.07pm : Arrive late to lecture. Decide not to go in. Text friend inside to pick up slides for you.
3.15pm: Friend you texted replies that they are not in the lecture either. You both text a mature student to pick up the slides for you.
5pm: Return home and change out of stolen clothes. Decide which group of trendy girls you will beg for dinner.
6.30pm : turn up at flat of a Danish girl in Mornington Crescent with a bottle of wine (stolen from your flatmate) as payment for dinner.
8pm: Make group decision to go out.
8.30pm : Still have not decided where to go.
8.45pm: It's Thursday - that means Moonies will be relatively cheap.
9pm: Pool money for pre-drinking.
9.01pm: Realise there is not enough money for that. No one can be bothered to go to a cash point.
9.10pm: Try to pre-drink using Ginger Wine and Advocaat.
10pm: Everyone leaves to go to Moonies. Halfway down Tottenham Court Road, get texted by some other people at Rocket. Can't decide.
10.05pm: Some bright spark "discovers" a new route to Soho that they think goes near Rocket.
10.45pm: Arrive at Rocket. Have one drink. Leave to go to Moonies for real.
11.25pm: Realise you will have to pay to get in. Decide to go back to flat of someone from Linguistics to have sex instead.
11.50pm: Get kicked out of his/her flat because his/her flatmate hates you.
12.20am: Turn up at flat of Masters-student-in-denial friend, drink more.
2am: fall asleep on floor.



Ha ha, sounds like my kinda day, except mine would involve a few class A's.

And also, being a mature student, I loved the line where you rely on the always punctual mature student
Reply 13
Original post by Niamhrado
I haven't applied for uni yet but am seriously considering trying to get a place through clearing. I'm interested in studying computing if I can get a place :smile: Obviously I haven't done a lot of research or been to any open days as this is sort of a last minute decision. I was just wondering what an average day would be like. For example:

-What time do you wake up? (I'd be living in halls)
-How long do you have lectures for?
-What do you normally do in the evenings?
-How much time do you spend on studying/coursework?

Thank you :smile:


depends where you're halls is. lets assume your uni is a reliable 10 minutes away
i would usually wake up about an hour before the lesson
in the evening i would be aware that i have to do work. worry about it. and not do it.
i would then look outside my window thinking "i should be getting drunk and laid and partying. i bet everyone else is. i'm the only one that isn't. oh no..."
then seek to do that.
or eat.
a lot of the time i would sleep too.
i would spend about 6 hours a week. when i should of been doing 3 hours a day.


this was a bad system and made uni stressful and difficult.
don't do it.
Original post by Franetta
What time do you wake up? (I'd be living in halls)
-How long do you have lectures for?
-What do you normally do in the evenings?
-How much time do you spend on studying/coursework?

In first year when I lived on campus I'd wake up about 10mins before the lecture started. In winter just chuck a big coat over the PJs and leave lol.
In second year. . . pretty much the same. Good thing I only lived a 10 minute walk away from campus.

Lectures usually last for an hour, sometimes 2. I study Forensics so there's a lot of contact hours each week. Sometimes we had 3 lab sessions a week, each lab session lasting 3 hours. Had a killer timetable on Mondays in second year, back to back lectures from 11-6
:mad:

In the evenings it's usually chilling out, watching TV or whatever, having a nap, waking up at 9pm and realising you'll be having another sleepless night, until about 5am when you finally fall asleep, hence waking up 10minutes before lecture the next day. :rolleyes:

In all honesty I spent probably 5% of the time I should have spent studying and doing coursework, even during revision season I was waaay too chilled. Luckily I made it onto third year, hopefully my bad habits will change :rolleyes:


No shower before leaving? Brush teeth? Breakfast? :erm: Can't do that in 10 minutes.. that is horrible for one and I'd be starving also.

Lectures in PJ's ? Not once did I ever see someone walking to lectures or in lectures in their PJ's.. :dontknow: I always imagined that would be kind of cool though, except I don't wear PJ's.

Posted from TSR Mobile
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 15
Original post by Ruffiio

Lectures in PJ's ? Not once did I ever see someone walking to lectures or in lectures in their PJ's.. :dontknow: I always imagined that would be kind of cool though, except I don't wear PJ's.

Posted from TSR Mobile


In some of the campus universities, it's quite common. Seen a lot of girls in the Uggs/Onesie combo,
Original post by Ruffiio
No shower before leaving? Brush teeth? Breakfast? :erm: Can't do that in 10 minutes.. that is horrible for one and I'd be starving also.

Lectures in PJ's ? Not once did I ever see someone walking to lectures or in lectures in their PJ's.. :dontknow: I always imagined that would be kind of cool though, except I don't wear PJ's.

Posted from TSR Mobile


How is it horrible? I bet the majority of students who wake up 10 mins before a lecture rush out the house without showering? If I woke up stinking to the high heavens then obviously yes I would shower, but that never happens as I do shower everyday, just not necessarily in the mornings. Brushing teeth is a 2min job, and breakfast I usually skip anyway, or just eat after the lecture.

And I don't mean I walk to lectures in nothing but my PJs, only in winter when I can wear a massive coat and boots and I wouldn't take my coat off in lectures, so who knows except me?!?!?! It's not unusual to see people walking around campus in pyjamas, and if you can't do it when you're a student, especially a fresher, then when can you?????
Original post by Niamhrado
I haven't applied for uni yet but am seriously considering trying to get a place through clearing. I'm interested in studying computing if I can get a place :smile: Obviously I haven't done a lot of research or been to any open days as this is sort of a last minute decision. I was just wondering what an average day would be like. For example:

-What time do you wake up? (I'd be living in halls)
-How long do you have lectures for?
-What do you normally do in the evenings?
-How much time do you spend on studying/coursework?

Thank you :smile:


I usually wake up around 8, shower, eat, then attend my lectures until around 2. I have 12 hours of lectures per week. On weekday evenings i'm either in the library working or in the pub with friends, then on weekends most people are out clubbing. I spend around 12 hours over each weekends doing coursework. Most people however tend to spread the workload out, I like to cram! :smile:

It's probably similar to your current life, however more independence and freedom. Also, more of a social life. It'll be the best time of your life! :biggrin:
Original post by Clip
Disgusting display of lack of discipline, organization, ambition, and drive


You seem proud to be an utter, indolent slouch who will not get much out of university and will never go places in life. Baffling.
Original post by Clip
Average day for a Modern Languages Student

7am : arrive back from night out with French Society. Get into bed.
11.45am : Wake up. Realise it's Thursday and there is only one lecture. Go back to sleep.
12.15pm : Wake up again. Realise you're not in your own bed. Have a shower and put on some clean, fashionable clothes belonging to another Languages student.
12.45pm : Leave for university.
12.48pm : Arrive at university.
1pm : Locate friends the old fashioned way - by "randomly" seeing them in a basement cafe. Have a cheeky espresso before agreeing to make way to Charlotte Street for lunch.
2.15pm: One bavette and a carafe of Cava later, return to university for lecture.
2.45pm : Side tracked to Union to meet someone goodlooking
3.07pm : Arrive late to lecture. Decide not to go in. Text friend inside to pick up slides for you.
3.15pm: Friend you texted replies that they are not in the lecture either. You both text a mature student to pick up the slides for you.
5pm: Return home and change out of stolen clothes. Decide which group of trendy girls you will beg for dinner.
6.30pm : turn up at flat of a Danish girl in Mornington Crescent with a bottle of wine (stolen from your flatmate) as payment for dinner.
8pm: Make group decision to go out.
8.30pm : Still have not decided where to go.
8.45pm: It's Thursday - that means Moonies will be relatively cheap.
9pm: Pool money for pre-drinking.
9.01pm: Realise there is not enough money for that. No one can be bothered to go to a cash point.
9.10pm: Try to pre-drink using Ginger Wine and Advocaat.
10pm: Everyone leaves to go to Moonies. Halfway down Tottenham Court Road, get texted by some other people at Rocket. Can't decide.
10.05pm: Some bright spark "discovers" a new route to Soho that they think goes near Rocket.
10.45pm: Arrive at Rocket. Have one drink. Leave to go to Moonies for real.
11.25pm: Realise you will have to pay to get in. Decide to go back to flat of someone from Linguistics to have sex instead.
11.50pm: Get kicked out of his/her flat because his/her flatmate hates you.
12.20am: Turn up at flat of Masters-student-in-denial friend, drink more.
2am: fall asleep on floor.


Seems pretty spot on.

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