A day in the life of Language and Linguistics

Studying at university is thought to be very different from school. The truth is that aside from a few differences, there are mostly similarities between the two. For one, you still have classes and assignments, which means you have to plan your time carefully in order not to miss anything, and the daily schedule can frankly look very similar to the schedule you have in school. I would like to share with you my typical daily schedule as a BA Language Studies and Linguistics student.  

7am

While classes do start a bit later than in school, an early start can prepare you for the day ahead. In the morning, I like to spare some time to have a nice, filling breakfast. Sometimes I have breakfast on campus but most of the time I just eat at home before heading to university.  

9am

I have always been one of the lucky ones that start their day with a language class. Throughout the years, most of my Spanish classes have been early in the morning. In contrast to that, I have also had some of my German classes pretty late – at 4pm even!

12pm (midday)

Around noon, I usually have a break from classes, which means lunchtime! You could certainly eat at one of the numerous food outlets that Essex offers, or you could make your own lunch and eat it in the Language and Linguistics social space, which is what I usually do. This is also a great time to hang out with friends.   

1pm

During the day, there are periods when I don’t have any classes, so that’s when I head to the library. I’d study there for a few hours since the library not only has a wonderful atmosphere but also has thousands of resources that you can use for your studies. I also like to do the readings for my classes there, as it is easier to concentrate in the library rather than at home.  

3pm

While there certainly are some linguistics lectures that tend to be early in the morning (Phonology and Words and Sentences, I’m looking at you), most of my lectures tend to be in the afternoon. For example, one of my favourite modules in my second year, Multilingualism, was 3pm-5pm on Friday.  

5pm

After classes finish, many students head to their extracurricular activities. There are numerous clubs and societies at Essex, and I for example have been part of the Language and Linguistics society for three years now. The society organises the famous Language Café on Wednesdays, which is when anyone who loves and studies languages can come and practice them. These sessions have been of great help to me especially before tests and exams.  

7pm

You can choose to stay on campus and eat there, but I like to have dinner at home. I’d pop into Tesco, which is only 10 minutes from campus, and get groceries for the following days. On the days when I have too much work to do, I’d sometimes get food from campus if I haven’t prepared anything beforehand.  

8pm

Most days I’d study for a few hours after dinner. While I might not have essays for my linguistics modules due every week, learning two languages means needing a lot of time to revise and practice. Therefore, in the evenings, I’d study in order not to fall behind on my university work.  

10pm

After I’m done with everything for the day, I like to relax a little. I’d put on an episode or two of the TV show that I’m watching at that moment, and have some chill time. I try to go to sleep early, as there is a high chance that I have a class at 9am the following day (I love it anyway), so ideally I’d be asleep by 11pm.