Hi I’m Meenashe, you might have read my blog on ‘Exploring Edinburgh’, but today I’m writing about my typical day as a second year medical student.
Things have been very different this year, and despite the brief experience we had at online learning last year, we still had a lot of challenges to face, both to the way we learn and our daily lives.
Having lectures available at any time of the day meant that I could treat myself to more lie-ins than last year, and adjust my timetable to what best suited me. Tutorials are scheduled in 3-4 times a week, and have become something that I look forward to as they give me the opportunity to interact with my course mates, something that has made me feel less isolated during online uni.
A typical Friday
On a typical Friday I usually wake up around 9:30am, giving me enough time to scroll through my phone and get ready before PBL, which starts at 10am. Online tutorials were one of the things that I found difficult to get used to – the first reason being that my WIFI was painfully slow, and secondly as the majority of tutorials are no longer in person, the conversation was initially slightly disjointed, however it improved with further sessions as we grew more comfortable with each other.
After PBL, I’d like to say that I power through the day on a productivity streak but realistically I would either watch something or hang out with my flatmates. We all do different degrees and have very different daily routines so meal times are when we are all free to spend time with each other.
For lunch I usually make a relatively quick and simple meal, anything that could be consumed within the timeframe of an episode of The Office. After lunch, I watch my lectures for the day, and if I have time, get started on my tutorial prep for the next week.
Enjoying walks with a friend and dinner with flatmates
Given current restrictions, we are allowed to meet one member outside of our household outdoors, so I try to go on a couple of walks per week with friends. This is something that I enjoyed a lot more than anticipated, as I was able to catch up with friends, whilst getting some fresh air at the same time. After returning to the flat I finish any remaining work and start making dinner. My flatmates and I like to cook together, then spend the rest of the evening watching a movie or two.
So that’s an insight into the daily life of a Y2 medical student in 2021, I hope you enjoyed it!
