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Day in the life of a 22-year-old UoL student and part-time nanny
Welcome to our new Day in the Life series on the Student Blog. With University of London students around the world learning in a variety of circumstances, no two days look the same. This week, we hear from Imogen, an MSc Infectious Diseases student who lives in the UK.
Today is a workday for me, so it’s a little more structured than my rest days. Thankfully, I work after school for twin girls (aged 5), and only 4 days a week, so I have a large chunk of time during the day to dedicate to my studies. This works for me, as I am at my most productive between 10am and 4pm.
6:15am- I get rudely awakened by my fiancé getting ready for work. I roll back over after saying “bye” just before 7.
8:15am- My alarm goes off. I am not a morning person, so I sit in bed scrolling through TikTok and Instagram until about 8:45.
8:45am- Coffee time! I go downstairs, make a coffee, have a light breakfast and stare into the abyss contemplating my day. After about 15 minutes, I go upstairs to get dressed and put on some light makeup. I always feel put together if I’m wearing a little bit of mascara.
9:30am- Let’s do some admin. I check my diary and mentally plan when I need to leave for the school run (I don’t start work until 3:30pm so I have to factor in how bad traffic will be and if I want to stop for a coffee on the way)! I check my emails and complete small chores before I settle down to study!
10:00am- Now it’s time to study. I can normally do about one hour before my attention span goes. My first session today is finishing off a biostatistics lesson. This only takes me 45 minutes.
11:15am- Another coffee break and a quick cuddle with my dogs before I get back to studying.
11:30am- Study session two is principles of biology, learning thermodynamics. I manage to do 75% of the work before my brain shuts off. Time for some lunch!
12:45pm- I make a fish finger sandwich, a proper British student staple, plus more coffee. I watch some TV and scroll through social media whilst eating.
1:15pm- In my third study session, I continue with thermodynamics and manage to complete my workload. I cross these off my study to-do list and make a note of a few things I need to revise on another day.
2:30pm- Time to start winding down on studying and get into work mode. I check and reply to emails again, make sure all my documents are saved, and tidy up my desk. A clean desk makes it easier for me to start studying in the morning, so I try to get this done at the end of day. I pack my bag for work: purse, water bottle, phone charger and indoor shoes (slippers). After checking the traffic, I grab my coat and keys, and aim to leave at 3pm.
3pm- Time to start at my nanny job. I arrive at work and prepare the girls for their after-school clubs, today is swimming. After picking them up, I bring them home, cook and serve dinner, tidy up the house, and prepare the girls for bed I also feed the three cats and the dog before I go. I leave between 7:30-8pm.
8pm- I get home and have dinner, which has been prepared by my Mum or fiancé. After that, I do my bedtime routine, which consists of a shower, skincare routine, feeding my pet hedgehog and tidying my room.
9:45pm- My fiancé and I watch a TV show until 10:30pm, and then it’s lights out! He wakes up early for work, and I need lots of sleep to avoid being super grumpy. I normally play a game on my phone or watch YouTube until I fall asleep at 11pm.
If you would like to write your own ‘Day in the Life’ piece, please send your draft to blogs@london.ac.uk.
