A day in the life of a music student at Huddersfield
Maisy Saxon
Music BMus(Hons)
Hi, my name is Maisy, and I'm a final-year student at the University of Huddersfield. In this blog, I’ll be taking you along for a day in my life as a music student.
What my typical day looks like
As a university student, your days can vary wildly. From having a day jam-packed full of lectures to having a whole day to yourself, it can be difficult to manage time. One day you can be up until 11pm doing work, then doing no work the next day. It can be hard, but completely worth it. Here’s how I manage my time on my busiest day.
Starting my day
Monday is the start of the working week, Friday seems so far away and, for me, it's my busiest day.
I wake up at 8.30am and have breakfast. As easy as it can feel to skip it in favour of an extra half an hour of sleep, I never do. Your body and brain need fuel for the day, especially busy days.
Once I've had breakfast, I shower, do my hair, put on makeup and get dressed. By this point it's around 10am. My first lecture is at 10.30am, so I use this time to make my bed and tidy my room. As tired as I may be, I always try to tidy before I go out, as I know I'll be even more tired and unwilling once I'm back from lectures.
I leave for my first lecture at 10.20am and am greeted by the sun glistening off the Richard Steinitz building. Sometimes you can take all the buildings around campus for granted, but when you stop and admire them, they really are magnificent.
After this lecture I have an hour's break before the next one. During this time, I usually visit Costa Coffee with my boyfriend. Its relaxed vibes help me take a moment of peace in my hectic day. Usually I go for a decaf iced vanilla latte with oat milk, but today I got a gingerbread one – delicious!
After my break, I go to my next lecture and then another straight after that. Sometimes it's hard to stay focused for these extended periods of time. I try to tackle this by putting my phone on to ‘do not disturb’, so I’m not distracted and people can only reach me in emergencies. I also keep my phone in my bag so the temptation to look at it is gone.
When I finally finish my lectures at 3.30pm, I walk back to my accommodation. In winter, the sun is beginning to set around this time and you get some breathtaking sights. The bridge that leads over to the canal towards the Sparck Jones and Haslett Building has a view which is simply breathtaking. Sometimes I can just stand here and admire the mix of nature and man-made structures. It's a real marvel.
When I get back to my accommodation, another astonishing sunset view. The beauty of Huddersfield really charms you. Of course, you pick a University for its academic reputation, but sights like these really solidify that you made the right choice.
When I get back to my accommodation, another astonishing sunset view. The beauty of Huddersfield really charms you. Of course, you pick a University for its academic reputation, but sights like these really solidify that you made the right choice.
Once I get back, I take half an hour to relax and then work on my assignments. I try to do some work each day, even if it's only an hour or two. I try to have a cut-off time of between 5.30pm and 6pm.
Sometimes it can be tempting to work all hours of the night, but that doesn't do you any good. You may get some more work done, but then the next day you’re tired and burnt out questioning whether was it worth it. When I’m in the zone and doing work, it's hard to remember to take personal time, but relaxing is just as important as the time you spend doing work.
When I finish work, I go and make tea. Stir fry seems to be my go to - cheap, easy and quick to make. I eat my tea, wash my pots and relax for the rest of the night.
A day can be jam-packed, sometimes even more so than this. Earlier in the term I had to have a full day of lectures, then go back home to volunteer at my local brass band.
A couple of Mondays ago, I had to go conduct a full orchestra for practice where I left my flat at 6pm and didn't get back till 10pm! Life at university can be so busy and overwhelming at times, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I get to study a subject I love while living with friends I'll have for life. That's a day in my life at the University of Huddersfield.
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