Academic life
My daily life differs depending on each term. In the first and second term, we call them Michaelmas and Epiphany terml, I had several classes in a day and prepared for each class for most of my daytime. Although I read relevant articles in the reading lists before each class, especially for seminars which are small-sized and discussion-based, I had not only read but clarified my opinions on the reading in advance. This helped me participate in the discussion and understand the professors and students. For some of the classes, I reviewed the notes I took after class and reflected on what I learned. This way, I was able to prepare for the formative (end-of-term) assignments.
In the last term, Easter Term, I had almost no classes, so I worked on the assignments in April and May and then started working on my dissertation. During this time, the most challenging task was time management. Sometimes I would have a slow morning chatting with my friends from Japan on video chat to start the day. Other times, I went to the library or TLC (Teaching and Learning Centre) with my friends to study for a couple of hours. In July, when most students feel rushed about their final project or dissertation, like me, I often start a day by going to the library in the morning and working on my dissertation. However, once a week I went to one of the many cafes in the city centre to change the study environment. I recommend Leonards Coffee House if you want to chill out or study in a cosy, quiet place. There is also a newly refurbished Starbucks near the river where you can spend a few hours studying with free Wi-Fi. There’s so many other cafes in Durham to choose from.
College life
My college is Ustinov, a post-grad-only college in the university. We are proud to have so many international students coming here from across the world. Thanks to the college events, my social life has never gotten dull. There have been college formals (dinners), open-mic events, Karaoke nights and weekly pub quizzes. These events are great because you get talking with college friends about their countries and culture, or just random chatting with them when I bump into them, made my life sparkle. I have spent most of my time with my college friends, which I hope will last forever, even after we leave for home or the places where their dream jobs will be.
Global Citizenship Programme
Ustinov College has a Global Citizenship Programme (GCP) which gives an opportunity for the college community to thrive by organising academic and non-academic events. I have been a fellowship of this programme since last September and facilitated some of the events concerning career and development. For instance, we did a two-minute business pitch, a young entrepreneur’s talk, and a research dissemination workshop. All the events had networking time when the participants could chat over snacks and drinks. Organising these events fulfilled my life by engaging with college actively. Through this programme, I have met and interacted with many ambitious fellows in my college who have inspired me in many ways.
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