Becoming a student brings an increased amount of responsibility to manage your time and workload, while still finding time enjoy your own hobbies and activities. Although it may initially seem overwhelming, planning your time effectively can transform the university experience into an enjoyable and fulfilling journey. University offers so many opportunities to enhance your experience as a student so it is important to be aware of them so you can try them out for yourself!
Managing workload can feel daunting but there are many ways to tackle it while still being able to enjoy your free time. Typically, I go to the library in between lectures to catch up on any work or assignments, which means when I go home in the afternoon I can relax with my flatmates. I try to prioritise completing my work throughout the week in these library sessions, meaning my weekend can be free and I can keep the revision to a minimal.
University offers an extensive selection of societies and clubs, with Wednesday afternoons specifically dedicated for their activities, free from scheduled lectures or seminars. This time slot is allocated to societies to hold their events and training sessions for university students. In my case, I joined my degree society, the Biomedical Sciences society, which most degrees have. This allows you to meet and spend time with the people on your course and take part in fun activities like themed clubbing socials and bingo. There are also balls that most degree societies organise which means you can get dressed up and enjoy an evening with your course mates.
Further extracurricular activities the university provide include language courses at the Language Resource Centre. Here, you can join a language course which is held for 2 hours on a Wednesday afternoon. This is an opportunity to learn the basics and culture of your chosen language as well as gaining extra credits on the side too. Personally, I opted for the Korean language course but there are many to choose from. A small set of exams (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) are held at the end of the semester for these courses, which if you pass can gain you an extra 10 credits.
The university timetable differs significantly to the structure you may have experienced at A-levels, and it varies across different degree programs. From my personal experience with Biomedical Science, the timetable changes every week, making it a challenge to establish a consistent routine compared to the structured two-week timetable often found in A-levels. To overcome this, I plan my week every Sunday, using a planner to organise my work and revision. It is useful to know that not all degree timetables follow this pattern, and some do follow a set timetable each week, making it easier to schedule your exciting new activities!
Moving to a new city and becoming a university student can feel daunting but there are so many new things to experience and memories to make with new people. Earning a degree is the main reason you are at university; however, you have access to a multitude of opportunities on the side to enhance your student life which are manageable with the correct organisation and time planning.
Written by Kelsey, a BSc Biomedical Sciences student
