A day in the life of a sociology student

A typical day in my life as a sociology student can range anywhere from getting in early to the library for a good spot and a coffee, to strolling on campus during my lunch break and finishing my podcast from this morning. No day is the same when our class topics are constantly changing and making us think deeper about the world around us. Once in a while we must smell the flowers and get up from our spinny desk chair to develop a healthy routine. This day in the life account as a sociology student might paint a rose tinted view, it is definitely not me on my worst days. Perhaps if you are considering a sociology degree, it can help pinpoint the areas of a typical day on campus where you can incorporate a personal touch of self care; from how you start your day all the way to how you wind down for the night.

Morning routine: preparing for the day

Sociology students, people in PHLEGM (Philosophy, History, Languages, English, Geography, Music)- our bloodstream is 85% caffeine.The other 15% is just running on hopes and dreams. However, I try my best to make the most of my mornings when I do wake up before 11am because contact hours for sociology tend to be quite low and often my lectures are in the afternoons. My top tip to stop rotting on Instagram reels until the very last moment you need to start getting ready is listening to podcasts. Podcasts in the background helps me romanticise the piece of toast I have for breakfast while I make my ‘morning’ coffee. I’m loyal to my girl Emma Chamberlain and the Anything Goes podcast on Spotify as well as Connected Sociologies YouTube channel and web podcasts. Any podcast will do as there is something for everyone. Whether its relaying the latest fashion trends or an episode conveniently offering some advice on the worries that kept you awake until 2 am the night before. There is something about having another voice in the room that kind of lubricates my social battery to go out and join the campus crowds. Sociology is simply the study of people in society, so podcasts help to take myself out of my own head in the morning and listen to things that are a little larger than my life in a dorm room.

Lectures and seminars

If you are a fellow sociology student, you know the lectures can be content heavy. This is where you will dive into the core theories of the course, focussing on application, essay writing, and research practice in seminars and tutorials. Mostly everyone takes notes in lectures. Sitting back and just listening means that if you want to study from the powerpoint slides later, a lot of the information will be without context. Sociology lectures are quite interactive, to curb the monotony of note taking. Engaging in class polls, Padlet discussion forums or asking questions. No matter if you are in a hall of 200 people or a seminar of 20, critical thinking and active participation is a necessity if you want to benefit from the soft and hard skills you will gain. Typical two hour lectures also include breaks so this is a good opportunity to talk to teachers and other students, especially close to assessment periods. Getting any questions answered face to face to avoid sending last minute e-mails will have your future self thanking you.

Lunch break: Time to recharge

I cant stress this enough, the best habit I have developed is not working while I eat. I will work in the library up until the point of thinking ‘Ok, I’ll go have some lunch now’, or maybe a coffee and snack while I work but it is called a lunch break! There is lots of talk about balancing academics with rest and social life. There is a million wellness books and infographics you can read on the internet and almost all of them will tell you separating and compartmentalising time for yourself is the most important. I couldn’t agree more, yet it is hard to recognise the small areas where we can make a change. This is my small area and I hope other students that relate to the pressure of eating their dinner in the library can take this idea on board. Take that Tesco meal deal onto the comfy sofas, leave your entire net worth in laptops and textbooks behind. Get some air, go stand by the window even. That 20 minutes to rest your eyes from a screen will bring you so much mental clarity than sitting with terrible posture, getting grease all over your keyboard. This is the non-negotiable part of my day to day as a sociology student. Lunch is a welcomed break, not a chore.

Evening: reflection and relaxation

After classes I like to follow up my notes the same day to keep the do to list in check. It is especially important for me as a sociology student to maintain organisation with all the research papers and notes I compile both physically and digitally. As per the start to my day, the last thing I want to do when I wake up is scramble through my desk for what I need to bring out with me. I reserve portions of my evening for necessary studying and preparation for the week or month ahead. Filling in my diary, finishing any last minute lecture slides or revisiting a question from a seminar. Doing this before I wind down is as crucial as any other study habit. This is also the best time for personal hobbies. Cooking a new recipe or scrapbooking with a show on that I can zone out to. I am currently watching Supernatural on Amazon Prime, 10/10 would recommend. I also like reading in bed with a cup of tea. Anything that can help shut your mind off for an hour or two is key to separating a busy day from your personal space for self care. Sociology students are constantly connecting things from our day to day to their studies, its what we do! but it can be exhausting when the cogs are always turning. Sometimes I just want to enjoy the plot of a fantasy book without looking into its potential to be a political commentary on reddit at three in the morning. Leave the sixty page reading for tomorrow and click “yes I’m still watching” on Netflix, you deserve it. If you are considering a different degree program, you may be interested in some of our other ‘a day in the life’ articles here at Unifresher.