A day in the life of a Computing student

We caught up with final-year Computer Science student Maisha to gain a little insight into a typical day on campus...

8:00 am

This is when I start my day; I get up, have breakfast, and then get ready to go into campus, living in student accommodation at Canalside is great because it is only a 10-minute walk to campus, meaning that I don't have to rush in the morning.

Before I go to my first lecture, I treat myself to a caramel latte from Costa – which is on campus!

9:45 am

The first lecture of the day is Computer Animations. Computer animation is a type of computation performed on a computer that produces pictures that are indented to give the impression of motion. This module is very interesting module because I am particularly fond of video games and simulations; it's exciting to see how these things are made and I am very eager to take part in producing this type of art.

Our lecturers usually allow 10-15 minutes at the end of the lecture for a quick question and answer session – this is valuable, and it allows us to delve into more detail about issues that we previously did not grasp.

11:00 am

I usually go to the Students' Union after my lecture to do some extra studying or work on my final year project. For my final year project, I will be researching eCommerce websites and how they do not work well with independent artists. I will be making my own website to tackle these problems.

12:30 pm

Finally, it's time for lunch!

Me and my friends usually head to Tesco to get lunch (are you even a student if you haven't purchased a £3 meal deal?!?) and then return to the SU to have our food. The SU is a fantastic place to relax, and it also looks gorgeous! I spend time at the SU with a few of my friends sometimes, where we play pool or just relax on the beanbags.

2:00 pm

I head over to the Computer Animations lab, where I usually spend 2 hours in total. We use a software called Blender which is a free and open-source 3D computer graphics software package that we are required to use for our lab assessment each week. This week, I'll be learning how to smooth a mesh using sub-surfaces and smooth shading.

4:30 pm

All my classes have finished, which means I'll be free for the remainder of the day. I typically spend my time in the lab room or library where I work on my assignments.

5:45 pm

I get ready to go home and grab some dinner from Chop & Wok. The best thing about campus is that there are so many food choices, and most are Halal.

At the end of the university day, societies often organise activities or events, such as a 'poetry jam,' or cultural events, among other things, that are a lot of fun to attend.

Since I am in my last year of university, I am not as active in societies. I was a member of Somali Soc throughout my first and second years of university, and it was through them that I met many of the friends I have now, as well as many of the female students in my classes. It might be frightening to be on a course where many of the students are male, therefore joining societies can be quite beneficial in terms of establishing friends and meeting new people.

6:00 pm

Once I get home, I prefer to eat my meal while watching a show; if my flatmates are at home at the same time as me, they may join me in this activity as well. I also like playing video games to help me unwind a little more.

8:00 pm

This is the time of day when I prefer to complete my pre-reading for the next day's lecture. Sometimes I make plans with my friends to go out to eat or see a movie on the weekend. Birmingham is well-known for its vibrant nightlife scene alongside other activities including mini-golf, Karaoke, bowling, and others.