7 a.m.: So it’s seven in the morning and I get up to the rare rays of sunshine shining into my room- but then again, Dundee is known to be the sunniest city in Scotland! And if that isn’t enough to get me up for my nine o’clock lecture, I have my upbeat Bollywood music blasting on my speakers to energize me, which all my flatmates get the “pleasure” to listen to every morning thanks to the thin student hall walls.
8 a.m.: I have forty-five minutes now and have to make breakfast, pack lunch, get ready and have a chat at breakfast with my flat mates as I barely get to see them during the week. So as you can imagine it is quite chaotic! I could always grab something at the university, however it works out cheaper to take a packed lunch and is a great tactic for budgeting- thus the extra fifteen minutes of chaos is worth it.
10 a.m.: We are an hour into our genetics lecture and have already been assigned three group projects, two tests and one essay- joy! But, no one said doing Biomedical Sciences was going to be easy now, did they?
2 p.m.: The library is literally like my second home especially when there are multiple assignments due, like this week! I always prefer to study in the library rather than my room, because when I study in my room I tend to feel sleepy by the sight of my bed, which keeps calling me towards it… I also get distracted as all my flatmates are there, and naturally I would want to spend time with them. Where as in the library I have my study buddy who always keeps me on task!
4 p.m.: Next on the agenda is my weekly meeting with the University of Dundee Indian Society (UDIS). UDIS always keeps me on my toes, as there are so many events throughout the year like Bollywood night, Diwali, and Holi, and being vice president adds more responsibility. However I love doing it as it gives me the opportunity to share the Indian culture throughout the university.
6 p.m.: I have finally finished all my meetings and lectures and get to head home but my day doesn’t end there. I have household chores to do, one of them being grocery shopping. Living by yourself with a monthly allowance forces you to become smarter in the way you spend your money. For example in my case I started making use of the offers that Tesco provide such as when things are half price. As well as this getting a loyalty card helps gain discounts. So I am off to the shops with my flatmate as this is also our catching up time.
9 p.m.: Now all the grocery is sorted, dinner has been made and I am just about to sit down when my friends text me that they want to meet at the pub. That’s another thing one learns at university – to balance social and academic life, as both are important aspects of the whole university experience.
11 p.m.: And finally the day has come to an end, but I already can’t wait for tomorrow!