A week in my life at university

Hi everyone!

Welcome back to the blog! Today I’m going to be taking you through a week in my life as a second-year Biology student.

Monday 

The day started with a 7am alarm for a 9am lecture in Quantitative Methods on Avenue Campus. It was simple statistics and experimental design, so I had all my notes written up by the end of it!

Straight after, however,  was an 11am Animal Behaviour Lecture on Highfield Campus. Luckily, it’s in the closest building to Avenue Campus so I had time to get a cup of tea to keep me warm whilst learning about learning.After the lecture, I went up to Building 85 (the Life Sciences building) to print off some papers so I could annotate them during my hour break, with vegetable sushi!

My Monday ended with a 2pm Human Origins Lecture about natural selection and genetics. I didn’t have much work to do in the evening as I wrote up quite a lot on Sunday.

Tuesday

Today I had a 12pm Population Ecology Lecture on Life Histories, which was fairly simple but had quite a bit of maths to cover, so I wrote up my notes from the lecture as soon as I got home, and attempted to make an excel spreadsheet, but failed miserably.

At 8pm my fellow tutor group 'parent' and I went to the Stags to meet our fresher 'children', and then at 10pm we all went down to Jesters (I didn’t stay too long as I ‘had a 9am tomorrow’… I didn’t!)

Feeling very proud of my layering techniques so I didn't freeze!

Wednesday

I didn’t have any classes today but I went in to work early to pick up some warmer uniform. I always have the excuse that I can wear it as uniform so I don’t feel so bad!

Luckily I didn’t start until 12pm but my shift ended at 6pm, so I decided that tonight would be a chilled night in re-watching Walking Dead, purely for the Glenn scenes.

Thursday

Today I didn’t have any classes but I got up at 9am (because I’m an adult) and started on an assignment for Quantitative Methods. I did some reading for my Human Origins seminar next week and decided it would probably be good if I picked up some food.

I went down to the corner shop and got some crisps, instant noodles, raspberries and juice.
I spent the rest of the day doing lecture write-ups and then I had work from 4:30pm to 8:30pm, just in time for The Apprentice and a takeaway!

Friday

Today I had a 10:30am R workshop, in which I managed to break the programme itself, and then at 2pm we went down to the cemetery and collected some life-history data for a write up at 4pm, which went super-fast as I had already made the spreadsheet a few days go (keen).

We had finally ordered a food delivery at this point as we decided it had gone far enough!

Saturday

I had a long day at work today from 10am to 7pm with a migraine (woohoo!) and in the evening I did some editing, and organised some bits for BugSoc and HerpSoc, before falling asleep at 9:30pm.

Sunday

I spent a rainy day in the Oxford at their Natural History Museum, which is amazing, by the way, and you should definitely go if you find yourself in Oxford. There are direct trains up there from Southampton!

Then we went down to 'Crocodiles of the World' in Brize Norton, which is not only the largest and most complete collection of crocodilians in the world, but also an amateur one!

A jewel longhorn beetle at a microscopy exhibition in the museum

A green iguana sketch I did at Brize Norton.

Georgia

My first post on Life at Southampton

Hi there, I’m Georgia, it’s nice to meet you!

What’s your name? Oh, not the talkative type I see – That’s okay, I’ll introduce myself.

I come from Essex… but people say that I don’t sound like I do - and in my spare time I run a YouTube channel, GeorgiaLHarper, where I make videos about every-day life, university, and  anything else I want to really! Have a look if you want to!

I’m really into Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and any animated Disney movies. I can’t live without music, and I like everything from The Smiths to Major Lazer!

I love animals, and I used to run a farm with pigs, chicken and sheep, (which I wasn’t very good at the ‘farming aspect’ of, but loved the cuddling side) and I have two cats called Vinny and Hercules, and a dog called Flo; I miss them a lot whilst at uni!

Vinny and Hercules

 My dog, Flo

I came to the University of Southampton in 2014 as a Science Foundation Year student, with a view to study Biomedical Sciences. Coming from an arts background, I had no idea what aspect of science it was that I really wanted to do, but I quickly fell in love with evolutionary biology, and decided to study Biology instead – which is the best, by the way!

The tutors here are all fantastic, and amazingly inspiring, they’re always happy to find projects for me to help on too! I am now a second year student here at Southampton, and I spend my days in Building 85 reading about insects. I run the Entomological Society AND the Herpetological Society (they’re great you should look them up) as you can tell, I like to keep busy!

I hope you enjoy reading my blog posts about my life here at Southampton, learning, researching, and digesting everything I get my hands on, fun things I get up to in the time in between...and more!

Georgia

Productivity and the Easter break

The Easter break is the perfect mid-semester break to recharge your batteries and maybe get some work done. A whole month off of my usual timetable is nothing to complain about, and I’ve already gone home to Norway for some much needed time relaxing with my family.

However, since the Easter holiday here in Norway is only until Tuesday next week and most of my friends here have their exams, I’m not going to stay for the whole month. The plan is to get some serious work done in April when I’m back in Southampton, so fingers crossed I will actually follow through.

In the meantime, while most Norwegians have retreated from the cities and up to the mountains, I’m here in sunny Oslo enjoying some gorgeous sunsets

I was lucky enough to get to spend a couple of hours with my best friend before she went back to university in USA!

Now I’m here wondering how I should spend the two next weeks. The thought of not doing any university work is tempting, but not so likely. It’s a strange feeling going into Easter break after such an intense work-period before Easter and now there’s suddenly a month until my next deadline. What’s the best way to keep the motivation up for this month?

Without claiming that I know the best answer to this, I think the best way is to have a proper week off without any work. Did someone say binge-watching Netflix? Yes! The best part about that is, that even with a proper week off there are still three weeks left of the break, which means you can spread the workload.

A good start is to make a plan on what you want to have finished over Easter and what coursework you want to have started. If you make a realistic plan imagine how nice it will be after Easter when you are ahead on the deadlines. To me, the thought of being ahead for the next term is motivation enough to work over Easter.

How to get there is up to you. It could mean working a little bit every day or simply putting aside two or three days per week just for work. It’s also a question of defining work. ‘Work’ could mean catching up on the reading you should have done, starting that essay or coursework or simply just taking notes from the lectures you missed before Easter. Either way, without sounding like your mum – not doing any work over Easter is bad idea no matter how you put it.

Make a plan, but also remember to enjoy the holiday.

Other than that, I hope you have a productive and, most importantly, relaxing and refreshing break!

Alexandra

The best thing about university is...

With a hand on my heart, the best thing about going to university is that you can never really know what you may find yourself doing at any point in your time here.

Since starting my studies at the University of Southampton, I never thought I’d be able to have the chance to do the things I’ve done, overcome half of the things I have challenged myself to, and never did I think I can become a blogger – but here I am!

And thus, here it is: my very first blog post.

I would like to introduce myself, if I may. I’m Rylyn, I’m a second year Politics and International Relations  student and by the end of my time here, I hope to better convince you why life at Southampton is, indeed, wonderful.

So… why Southampton?

In essence, it ticked all the right boxes!

Firstly, as a research intensive institution, my course in Politics and IR means I am around lecturers and professors at the top of their field. Not only that, but flexible learning means I have the freedom to pick modules that are incredibly interesting.

Secondly, the city itself is beautiful. It is big enough for you to always have somewhere to go and small enough for you to not feel alien to it. For example, WestQuay, one of the biggest shopping centres in the south with over 100 shops across 3 levels, is less than a 10 minute bus ride away. Its southern location means you get the best of British weather whilst being able to get on a direct train to the heart of London in an hour and a half! The proximity to the coast is also a plus!

A spontaneous trip to the beach!

Thirdly, Highfield Campus. Irresistibly lush with greenery and everything all in one place, you could sit outside and enjoy a cool drink from The Stags (The Students' Union's pub) in the summer, be there on time for your next lecture and enjoy a gym session to end your day. If you’re hungry there are many restaurants and shops on campus for you to choose from. You could enjoy a sit down meal at The Bridge or pick up a sandwich from The Shop. Not to mention other food establishments on campus like the Café, Piazza, and a street full of many more nearby!

A tour of Highfield Campus from the University's YouTube channel - useful for finding your way around!

Having spent my gap year working, volunteering, and deciding if university really was for me, I was sure I wanted academia to be a large part of my life. But moving to Southampton was initially daunting. I did find myself overwhelmed especially during Freshers' Week. For those who don’t know, Freshers' Week is the first introductory week of university where you move get the chance to meet your fellow first years, join societies, explore your new city and in general get accustomed to what your new home offers.

 Moving into my room at Connaught Halls at Wessex Lane

It is effectively when you are around new people 24/7.

You may be surprised to know that feeling overwhelmed is actually normal! I soon found myself enjoying the company of strangers who will soon be the closest friends I have ever had. The key thing to do here is to make the most of what’s out there for you. Just check out countless events listed on the SUSU (Students' Union) website.

But that doesn’t even encompass the limitless things Southampton has to offer in your coming-of-age.

It’s been two years since I started uni but I have found myself maturing beyond anything I could’ve expected. I have a small but dependable group of friends, know that my course is really what I wanted to do, and have a clearer vision of what my skills are. I’ve spent hours in the library after lectures and actually enjoyed it!

 A big hello from everyone here!

From workshops helping you plan the first steps towards a career (brilliant if you have absolutely no clue what you want to do with your life after university) to a large number of societies to join, university life thrusts you into getting to know yourself. In fact, one of the few things I wish I did during first year was go to the employability workshops hosted by the Careers team.

University is like a playground; an unpredictably wonderful playground with lots of smart people like you. Growing as a person in such an environment is something money cannot match.

Rylyn

Hello from Bucharest!

With this being my first blog post it is only appropriate that I introduce myself!

My name is Alexandra, and I am 19 years old from beautiful Oslo, Norway. I am a good mix of Norwegian, Romanian and Danish, but this year I have been referred to mostly as the ‘Norwegian Girl’ so many times that we’ll just stick to being Norwegian to keep it simple.

I’m currently studying Politics and International Relations here at Southampton. My first year as an international student has been such an incredible experience and I am, to say at least, very excited for my next two years here!
 
I’m also very excited and humble to be a part of the blogging team this year. With last year’s bloggers in mind, I know I have some big shoes to fill, but I’m confident it will be just as good as last year.

Here's a picture of my best friend, Aurora (to the left) and me. 

Some people might wonder why I chose to study at the University of Southampton. In all honesty it was a bit of a random choice at first, but after some research I decided to give it a go. I knew I wanted to study in the UK, but I can’t say I had a particular university or city that I was drawn towards in the beginning.

As exciting as London is, I came to the conclusion that it would be too stressful to live there while studying. Southampton did in that way give me what I was looking for; a prestigious university in a city that is neither too big nor too small.

Located by the sea and not too far from London, it gives me a bit of everything and hence reminds me of Oslo (Oslo being a “big” city and seaport as well). Its international community meant I wouldn’t feel like a Martian among all the Britons and, most importantly, the University gave me a “safe” feeling that none of the other universities I applied to gave me. Already, before coming to Southampton, I felt welcomed and wanted, which obviously made moving away from home a lot easier.

As I now venture on to my second year I would sum up my first year as exciting, different, scary, challenging, wonderful and enlightening. It has been in so many ways different from what I am used to in Oslo, but also very similar.

Hopefully I will be able to answer whatever questions any future students may want to ask through this blog. However, if you are a current student, alumnus or local resident do not worry - I promise to do my uttermost to make this a blog for everyone and I dare say that I have some cool ideas for my future blog posts!

Alexandra