Curious to find out what a typical day is like for a Politics student? Find out why Lucy chose to study her course, and what she thinks of the reality of student life...

Hello, my name is Lucy, and I’m a final year Politics with Placement Year student at Newcastle University. A typical day for me looks like…

8:30

I usually walk to campus with my flat mate. The great thing about living in Jesmond (and other student areas such as Sandyford and Heaton) is you are able to walk to Uni without having to rely on public transport, and it’s also a way of getting some exercise! I will always leave the house pretty early even during my days off as I like to make the most of the university facilities and the library (we have four!) when completing my work.

11:00

I have a two hour lecture for my Parliamentary Studies module (POL3111). This is a new module that Newcastle is offering which has been made in conjunction with UK Parliament which only a small number of universities are offering. This module provides the opportunity to practically apply academic knowledge as we have a number of guest speakers leading our lectures and seminars who discuss their experiences, for example an ex MP and a parliamentary clerk.

14:00

My second class of the day is a seminar for my politics of immigration module. Politics seminars typically involve completing a number of set readings and answering some questions in advance, which we then discuss as a group. Seminars provide the important opportunity to discuss the lecture content in more detail with your peers and ask the module leader about any particular aspect you may want more detail about. I really enjoy this element of university life as you are able to debate topical issues which ensures you to remain open to a number of different perspectives.

15:00

I have a one hour campus tour with a prospective student, as I have a part time job here at Newcastle University as a student ambassador. This enables me to earn some extra money, flexibly around my studies, as well as being able to share my experiences about my time here at Newcastle. All students at Newcastle have the opportunity to apply to be a student ambassador which will look great on your CV.

16:00

I have a 30 minute appointment with the Careers Service here at Newcastle. They offer a range of support from CV advice to assessment centre help for graduate schemes. I have found the Careers Service really useful during my time at Newcastle, which all students can make use of.

20:00

I meet up with friends from my course to celebrate the completion of one our essay deadlines – we regularly head to Osborne Road which offers student friendly prices (like many other places in Newcastle as it’s a student-friendly, affordable city!)

Interested in finding out more about studying Politics at Newcastle University? Discover the practicalities of our degrees, career prospects, and opportunities to study abroad in our Politics and International Relations subject page.