Morning
Time to wake up
I start most mornings by forcing myself out of bed (like most students, I am not a morning person). I then get ready and organise everything that I need for the day ahead.
Lectures and Seminars
A typical day for me will either consist of a lecture or a seminar. As a Philosophy student, you have fewer contact hours so you are likely to have a day off. This may not happen every term though, in my first year I didn’t have a day off till term 3!
Today I had a 9am seminar for my Philosophy of Psychology module. The seminar lasted an hour and a half. A seminar is like a small lesson, it has around 10-15 people in it and it is there for you to discuss ideas and help you understand the content. We discussed whether we have free will and whether we are responsible for our involuntary actions. You have to prepare for the seminar by reading the essential reading. The length of this changes from week to week! Sometimes it can be 20 pages or sometimes it can be up to 50 pages.
Office Hours
I am really enjoying this module, however, I am finding the content quite tricky. So I do attend my lecturer’s office hours when I can. Office hours are held once a week and are 1:1 sessions with your lecturer where you can ask for help and advice! I would really recommend going as I find that they are the best and quickest way to clarify module content.
Afternoon
Library
On a day where I have a seminar in the morning, I will normally spend the rest of the morning/afternoon working. This gives me a chance to get my reading done for another seminar or prepare for seminars in the upcoming week.
I normally work in the Spring Lane Building (SLB). This is perfect for me as all my seminars this term take place in this building (which means I don’t have to move very far). The SLB has a workspace on the top floor. It is small and a relaxed environment to work in.
If I have a day off I usually spend my day in the SLB as well, and I will bring my lunch with me (so I can save some money) whilst trying to be more productive!
Coffee and Catch up
After working all day it can get tiring, so I will probably go and get a coffee at the Courtyard which is one of the YUSU (York University Students’ Union) bars! All YUSU bars are student friendly prices.
Today I met up with one of my Philosophy friends, this gives me a chance to either take a break from seminar reading or ask for some help. When it hits around 4’oclock or 5o’clock I normally will put my work away and head home, especially since I had a 9am start.
Evening
Training
I am apart of the York Hornets Cheerleading Pom team. We train twice a week and each session is usually 2 hours long. Today we train from 6:30-8:30pm.
Training gives me a chance to switch off from uni work and focus on something else. It’s a great way to stay fit and get out of the house; more than anything it’s so much fun! Joining a society is a great way to escape for uni work, especially when it approaches exam or essay time.
Switching off or Going out!
Once training is done I’m normally very tired so I usually go home, get ready for bed and watch TV with my flatmates. However, today is my friends 21st so when I get home I get ready to go out. I meet my friends at their house and then head to town for a YUSU club night!
Being a philosophy student means that each day can vary, you can have some really busy days or some days where you have less to do. However, I find the best way to handle the workload is to organise your time so that you can still have plenty of time to relax!
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