Hi! I’m Naura, a third-year Psychology student from Indonesia studying at Exeter’s Streatham Campus, and let me tell you that this year has been the busiest one yet! No two days here at the University of Exeter are ever the same. Every day brings a fresh schedule, new challenges, and memorable experiences that keep life exciting. I am thrilled to give you a peek into one of my days, so you can see how both the small moments and big experiences make Exeter feel like a second home for me.
8 a.m.
I started my day by heading to the washroom to freshen up. I am not much of a breakfast person, especially on days when I have an early class and need to rush out the door, but I am working on building a better morning routine. Today, I took a few moments to check through emails and messages from the night before. I also prepared for the meeting and practical class coming up later, making a few tweaks to shared documents and gathering my materials. It was all about getting myself organised and prepared for the day ahead.
9 a.m.
I packed everything I need and head off to campus. Walking is my favourite way to get there, not only is it a nice bit of exercise, but it is also a chance to take in the scenery along the way. Some students prefer biking, but with Exeter’s hills, I find walking much easier (unless you are ready for a workout or don’t mind dragging your bike up steep inclines). I live in a private accommodation within the city centre, so it is about a 25-minute walk to campus, but I like to take my time and stretch it to around 40 minutes, especially when I am heading to the Washington Singer building, which is a bit further than the Forum. It is a peaceful way to start the day.
10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Today, I had a meeting with my final year research project group and our supervisor. We hold weekly meetings to track our progress and discuss the next steps, with helpful guidance from the supervisor. Our meetings take place in a cosy communal space just outside the supervisor’s office, where there’s an ideal relaxed atmosphere for collaboration. This week we made significant progress, completing the draft of our script, the test scale, and the information sheet for our survey. After receiving feedback from our supervisor, we decided to work together on the ethics application form. We gathered in the study space located downstairs in the middle of the Washington Singer building and successfully filled in the form as a team. There is another large study area at the far end of the building, to the left when you first enter. This building is the main hub of the Psychology department, so you if you’re a Psychology student you will often see familiar faces around.
12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
After we finished the work, I decided to head to the Forum building for lunch. As I was walking towards the main door, I bumped into some friends. Since we were heading in the same direction, we walked together and caught up on how our projects were going and what they were about. They stopped at the Queen’s building, while I continued to the Super Savour Kitchen, also known for its £2 meal deals. This pop-up kitchen serves a daily “Dish of the Day” for £2.25, along with jacket potatoes, cookies, sweets, and other affordable items, all subsidised by the University. Today’s dish was mashed potatoes with chickpeas, so I grabbed that and went to the Devonshire House to enjoy my meal. The space is a shared area for students to eat, study, or even play board games, which are provided by the Students’ Guild.
2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Not long after, another friend texted me to say she had a free hour and had bought the same meal as I had. She joined me at the table, and we chatted while doing our own things. I was catching up on some notes from my lectures and seminars while she enjoyed her meal. After a while, she had to leave to attend her next class, and I stayed behind for a bit, continuing to work as I waited for my next class.
3.30 p.m. – 4.30 p.m.
I returned to the Washington Singer building for a practical class in the Methods & Statistics module. During this session, we met with our group to discuss the research study we are preparing for the January assessment. The class is only an hour long, so it goes by quite quickly. We also had a brief discussion with the module supervisor.
Working on group projects means collaborating with people who may not always see eye to eye, so it is normal to hit a few rough patches. Our group has had it’s struggles, but that said, I think things are improving now and hopefully, they will keep getting better.
5 p.m.
With winter approaching, the sun sets much earlier now, so I had already bundled up in my puffer jacket. Even though I have been living here for a while, I still struggle with the biting cold. On the way home, I walked with a friend who lives in the same accommodation. The sunset was beautiful as we made our way back, and we chatted about how our practical groups went today and caught up on anything interesting happening in our lives.
6 p.m.
When I got to my room and started unpacking, my sister texted me saying she had an exciting story to share. Naturally, I called her right away. I have one older brother and one older sister, but I am closer to my sister. With just a one-year age gap, we have gone through similar life phases, making it easy to connect and talk for hours. She is back home in Indonesia though, and with the seven-hour time difference (Indonesia is ahead), it was already late there. She needed to get some sleep, so our call was quite brief this time.
7 p.m.
I headed to the shared kitchen to prepare my dinner and bumped into one of my three flatmates. As we chatted, I started washing and cooking rice, then popped a fried chicken cutlet into the air fryer. I also prepared a salad on the side. For me, it is a bit of a lazy meal by Asian standards, but it doesn’t bother me much since I am used to it. I enjoy eating in my room alone while watching my favourite sitcoms. I tend to rewatch them when I can’t decide what to watch. There is something about sitcoms that feels like a comfort zone for me. Lately, I have been alternating between rewatching Brooklyn 99 and New Girl.
8 p.m. – 9 p.m.
After finishing up and washing the dishes, I got started on catching up with my studies. I had been unwell for the past few days, so it felt like the right time to get back into it. This time, my goal was to finish reviewing the notes for my “Studying Cognition and Emotion with Brain Imaging” module tutorial. We have a tutorial every week where we discuss a question as a class. Then, we break into smaller groups to tackle more questions on our own and receive feedback from the teacher. To make studying easier in the future, I decided to compile everything into one document.
10 p.m.
I felt relieved after finishing the tasks I needed to complete, so I headed to the shower, did my skincare routine, and got ready for bed. This is usually the time I unwind with some small entertainment, like reading a book or scrolling through social media. Right now, I am reading Breast and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami, a novel that explores womanhood, from bodily changes to the considerations of motherhood as an older single woman. I try to read a few pages each day, as otherwise I end up scrolling non-stop on TikTok and messing up my sleep schedule.
That is a typical day for me! It may not be the most exciting, but it is a balance of productivity and small moments of relaxation. As I closed the book and drifted off to sleep, I looked forward to what the next day will bring. Every day is a little different, but in the end, these everyday routines that shape my experience here.