A day in the life of a Chemical Engineering student at Birmingham

Balancing academics, extra-curricular, and personal time is crucial to making the most of your time at university. As a Chemical Engineering student at the University of Birmingham, my days are a mixture of all these aspects. For an in-depth insight into what a day looks like, I’m going to tell you guys about what today, a Tuesday, looked like for me; don’t be fooled this is my busiest day of the week by far, many days I laze in bed until midday after a late-night, and others I will do absolutely no work because I need the day to recuperate - this is totally normal and necessary especially to prevent long-term burn out.

07:00 – Morning Routine

Today was an incredibly early start as at 7 AM, I wake up to get ready for the day ahead. After brushing my teeth and washing my face, I began the day by praying Fajr and then wrapping up warm ready to brace the cold. Although I live close to the University, I like to take my time and enjoy a more quiet walk first thing in the morning. Having a structured morning routine helps set the right tone for the day, ensuring I am ready for the long day ahead.

09:00 – First Lecture

I head to my first lecture on Reaction Engineering which is taught in the Arts building; at University you are often in every building but your own as it just depends on cohort sizes and lecture theatre space! This lecture is for the module RCT (Reaction, Catalysis and Thermodynamics) which is one of the few modules tied to the “Chemical” part of Chemical Engineering, although not Chemistry as you know it.

Theory is knowledge and thus incredibly important. As this specific module is split between 2 lecturers, they alternate a tutorial slot on a Wednesday morning between them, which is used to help us with a set of questions they have assigned. Tutorials are incredibly important to consolidate our understanding of the content and know how we are expected to apply it in an exam.

11:00 – Group Project Meeting

Straight after the lecture, I meet up with my group to discuss our current project for the module PDE (Product Design Exercise). Our project looks at developing/designing a wound-healing device and considering all aspects of the design phase such as marketing (considering our target audience and possible buyers).

During this timetabled slot, we met with our supervisor (a current PHD student in our department) so that he could help us develop our ideas. Today, we discussed our initial idea of incorporating AI into our design and our supervisor gave us his thoughts. We also filmed part of our video proposal which was good fun.

Group work is an essential part of the course, helping us develop teamwork and problem-solving skills. Collaboration is inevitable in industry and learning how to distribute works so that everyone can work to their strengths is a key skill and also a great opportunity to learn from different perspectives.

13:00 – Lunch Break

For lunchtime, I usually head to the university’s food court or grab something from the nearest shop if I’m in a rush; the campus has plenty of options, whether I want a hot meal or just a quick snack. Sometimes, I take this time to meet up with friends that study different courses or go over my notes for the next lecture if I feel like being very prepared (this rarely happens). Usually in this time, I’ll look to head to one of the many prayer rooms on campus to offer my compulsory prayers and take a moment.

Today, I opted for my go-to burrito bowl (the best food on campus) which is located in the food court and always fills me up - bonus points as they (like most other food options on campus) serve halal meat!

14:00 – Free Time

After lunch, it’s usually time for my second lecture of the day which correlates with the design exercise (PDE). Each week, often different external lecturers are bought in to deliver a talk on something related to an aspect of our projects. This week however, as we have a video proposal due in on Monday, was a drop-in style session for if our groups needed help. Instead, I decided to make my way to HeyBrew on Bristol Road to grab a little treat and catch up on some work.

16:30 – Volunteering with STAR

Once my lectures are done, I shift gears and head to meet my volunteers for the evening. I meet the volunteers in a location of ease (Aldi car park this week!) and head off to our destination. We take around 3-4 volunteers each week with different activities each time, last week was bracelet making and this week is clay modelling.

As a project coordinator for STAR (Student Action for Refugees), I organise these weekly volunteering sessions for the “Women’s Project” which look to provide a safe space and fun environment for refugees (women and children for this project specifically) to just chill and do some arts and crafts. This work is so important to reduce the alienation of these communities who have often suffered incredibly traumas; by treating everyone as our equals and with humanity, the world can be a so much kinder place.

Volunteering has been one of the most fulfilling parts and biggest highlights of my university experience, as it allows me to engage with the community and contribute in a meaningful way.

19:00 – Home & Dinner

After volunteering, I make my way back home and start preparing dinner. The fanciness of the meal depends on how much energy I have left in the evening; today I didn’t have much and so I popped a quick pizza in the oven and some sweet potato fries in the air-fryer. I tend to pop on an episode of a comfort show whilst I’m eating dinner, tonight it was “Bad Education”!

20:00 – Study Time

Whether it’s reviewing lecture notes, working on assignments or completing tutorials, I use this time to stay on top of my academic work. Chemical Engineering requires consistent effort, so setting aside structured study hours is essential; they recommend an hour for every taught hour but this will fluctuate throughout the year depending on the workload at the time. Tonight, I am catching up on some lectures as I had to miss a few in the past couple weeks to ensure I could get my coursework completed on time and to a standard I am happy with.

23:00 – Bedtime and Relaxation

Whether it’s watching a show, reading or simply reflecting on the day, I make sure to take some time for myself before heading to bed. I love a cheeky rom-com so usually end up popping one of those one to let myself unwind.

Final Thoughts

Studying Chemical Engineering at Birmingham is intense, but also incredibly rewarding. The variety in my day keeps things interesting and the university’s support and resources make managing it all much easier. Whether it’s engaging in lectures, collaborating on projects or giving back through volunteering, every experience here adds to my growth as both a student and an individual.