Yasmin - Week at a glance

Monday:

Monday is never an exciting start to the week. I’ve been blessed by the timetable Gods to only have a short lecture (Digital Signal Processing) at 11:00. I usually bring a laptop, notepad, and pens so I have no excuse to not go to the Learning Resource Centre (LRC) later. I head to the forum restaurant for some lunch with my course mates before they head home. They normally have some good choices.

I go on to do a lap in the LRC to see if there’s anyone I know otherwise I look for a spot on the top floor where it is the quiet zone to type up notes I may have missed from the slides. This is also a chance for me to catch up on things I didn’t understand previously on my other modules and when I can send questions in emails to my tutors.

Tuesday:

A day off at university doesn’t mean a day off entirely. My Tuesday has the focus of my final year project where I can spend the day in the labs.

Active students have roller-skating sessions on in the evening which my friends have insisted I try out. Turns out, I am terrified of falling but it was all good fun. Only fell once – or multiple times. I’ll be better next week…

Wednesday:

An early start at 09:00 with a two-hour microelectronic and VLSI lab. Sometimes I stay longer if the task is particularly challenging. This is usually the case when working on a joyous assignment. Wednesday’s usually have no class in the afternoon to allow for extra-curricular like being part of the active union or societies. Getting involved in the Herts community is something I highly recommend.

Resting recharges my batteries before my night shift at our campus club, the Forum. I really enjoy the balance of working a part-time job alongside my studies. The money helps too! They’re flexible with hours as they employ only students so are super understanding if I need to take time off for assignments when I’m busy. Met some of my favourite people working there! Sometimes we go for a well-needed Maccies for an after-shift natter and I get home between 17:00-18:00 which isn’t as tiring as it sounds.

Thursday:

I have tutorials and lectures in DSP and power. Tutorials improve the theory by applying questions to problems. Try to engage and get involved as much as possible. It’s important to make the most of contact time with the lecturers. Don’t need be shy!

It’s always nice to rewind and spend time for yourself. I dedicate my evening to watching Netflix, having a luscious bath or cooking with friends. Self-care is so vital at uni. The Hutton hub has great resources with their Wellbeing team.

Friday:

Another day, another lecture. But it’s okay – the weekend is on the horizon! I normally have class four or five days a week, but this varies per course and timetable. Some have less contact time than others. I normally have a scheduled project meeting with my supervisor weekly to show my progression in my FYP.

It’s games night! My friends live on campus – and have a PS4 – so we play games together. We’ve gone from all genres, but I love the quality bonding time playing horror games. Nothing like terror to bring you closer. Or a quiz to break friendships apart…

Weekend:

Home on the train is only an hour away so I often take a trip back to see the family – bit of homemade food is always lovely! I tend to go every fortnight or so depending on workload. Parents will appreciate you more than they let on.