BSc Educational Psychology student Jack shares with us a typical week in his life. Learn more about the courses offered at the prestigious Manchester Institute of Education. 

Monday – I start my week with my Current Issues in Special Educational needs seminar. I usually take my bike into campus from my home in Fallowfield. I lock up my bike at the Roscoe building and walk over to Benugo Café in the nearby Simon building to grab a coffee. My classes run until 1pm so I cycle back home calling at the Armitage centre in Fallowfield for a quick session in the gym. I usually get home around 3pm, so I work until 6pm reading academic papers and blog posts, redrafting and rereading my class notes and working on any assessments I have.

Tuesday – I have no lectures on Tuesdays, so I use my mornings to get out of the house and spend some time around Withington and Didsbury. These areas have great cafes and charity shops. I have a look through the clothes and ornaments and sometimes drop off clothes of my own. I usually visit with some of my friends who live around these areas for a cup of tea and a chat. I get home before noon and work on my Major Project from then until around dinner time when I get ready for work and head over to Chorlton to start my shift in the pub where I work.

Wednesday – On Wednesday mornings I have my Teaching and Learning Literacy seminar. I call into the gym on my way back and arrive home around 2pm. I study from then until around 7pm when I usually start to make dinner. One of my favourite things about being at uni has been making my own dinners each night. I like to try a few new recipes each week.

Thursday – Thursdays are another lecture free day. I try to keep this as a 9 to 5 study day so that I can keep my evenings free. When studying for extended periods like this, I like to break up my day into smaller chunks that are easier to tackle. I end this with some prep for my placement on Friday afternoon. In the evenings I usually go to the gym and then call around to see my friends. Sometimes we go to watch non-league football or play FIFA. I try to get back home early so I’m feeling fresh on Friday morning.

Friday – On Friday mornings I make a pot of coffee and spend my morning prepping for my placement. I read over the notes my group has prepared for the intervention session we have planned for that day and if it is my turn to deliver the intervention, then I practise reading through the material. After placement I like to take some time to relax before getting a few hours of study in. On Friday nights I usually have a shift in work, but if I’m off I like to go to see my friends’ bands play in town.

Saturday – On Saturday mornings I like to head into Chorlton to get some bread, ham, and pastries from my favourite Polish bakery. If the weathers nice I like to sit outside and have a coffee and in the summer months I sometimes walk back home along the Fallowfield loop. In late summer and early autumn, it’s really fun to pick some blackberries from the brambles along this path. If West Didsbury and Chorlton FC are playing at home I’ll walk across Chorlton to watch the football, but if not I’ll head back to Fallowfield to watch some football at the pub with my friends. On Saturday nights I head into town with my friends to have a couple of pints or maybe a dance and a bit of karaoke.

Sunday – I use Sundays to catch up on any work I have missed during the week and to prep for my upcoming weeks lectures. Most of my classes have recommended readings, so I like to use my Sundays to get on top of this. If I haven’t been to the gym over the rest of the weekend, I’ll go again on a Sunday evening. Although I don’t do it every week, my favourite thing to do on a Sunday is to head over to the Peak District with my friends for a walk and to get a Sunday roast in a country pub on our way home. If I can’t get out of the city, there are also some great pubs around Chorlton and Didsbury that also do amazing roasts.

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