As an Events student, the first contact with the academic environment makes you come to a key conclusion: solely completing a degree will not make you employable. Thus, juggling your studies, part-time work, societies, social life and family responsibilities is a skill you need to master. I by no means claim to having achieved mastery in managing my time, but have recently found a formula that works for me and hope you’ll find it useful when planning your week. So here’s an insight into an ordinary week of my life as an International Events Management student.
Every Day
Irrespective of my to-do list, not one day passes without the compulsory morning coffee(s) accompanied by a short read or documentary, a healthy breakfast, a nutritious lunch, a short walk and a series of video calls with my loved ones.
Sunday evenings and Mondays
As the University adopted a hybrid approach this semester, I make sure to watch all the on-demand lectures and complete all the assigned tasks prior to the weekly seminar for each specific module. This usually happens on Sunday evenings and Mondays because I love starting the week with the sense of satisfaction of getting things done. Also, knowing I do not have to worry about catching up with lectures for the rest of the week is really comforting.
Mondays and Tuesdays
All my seminars take place on Mondays and Tuesdays. This semester’s modules include International Business Strategy, Business Plan, Leadership and the one I love the most, Eventful Cities and Leveraging Events. The module looks into ways in which events can be used strategically to achieve wider urban development and regeneration goals and approaches the topic from a historical, socio-cultural and economic perspective. It’s really cool!
Because the course is mostly assignment-based, I use the short periods of time between seminars to plan my essays or reports, choose appropriate sources for the bibliography and do some research. My Mondays and Tuesdays get really busy when assignment deadlines are approaching and everything I’ve been working on needs to crystalise into a final form.
Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays
I’ve found that dividing my week into two periods, each focusing on a different set of responsibilities – Uni vs work –, really increases my attention span and productivity. Thus, I have scheduled most of my work shifts on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (ah, the perks of being a Student Ambassador!).
If you find yourself thinking “this girl has no social life!”, stop right there! Most societies host the weekly meetings and socials (now on Zoom) in the second half of the week. I’m part of PhotoSoc, FemSoc and Gardening Soc and absolutely love joining the online courses, talks, quizzes or Watch Parties they are organising! I also enjoy spending the evenings with my friends – be it over a glass of wine or an amazingly looking dinner –, especially when we gather spontaneously. The authenticity of these unplanned hang-outs is truly special and I don’t think you can experience anything similar beyond the boundaries of the University campus.
Saturdays and Sunday mornings
I like to spend the weekends on my own, doing the things that I love and planning for the week. My Saturdays and Sundays are filled with walks around Guildford, taking photos, discovering local cafes, reading, writing and self-reflecting, watching documentaries and learning languages. I also like to meal prep and make my room clean and tidy before the new week starts.
