Spend the day with a Chemical Engineering student: Ramadan edition

Ramadan is an incredibly special month in the Islamic calendar – a time for reflection, self-discipline, and spiritual growth. That being said, balancing this with university does not come without its struggles. As a Chemical Engineering student at the University of Birmingham, here’s what a typical Monday during Ramadan looked like for me.

04:30 – Sehri (Pre-Dawn Meal)

During this month, my day starts super early. I’m up at around 4:30 AM for sehri (also called suhoor) today - this meal happens before Fajr time (the first prayer of the day). It’s usually something light but filling – my go-to has been oats with yoghurt topped with banana and some chocolate pieces. I then pray Fajr before crawling back into bed for round two of sleep. I often get asked if it’s hard or weird having a meal at this time and although I get the unfamiliarity may lead to this assumption, it’s actually a really wholesome time with my family. I’m definitely the one that’s somehow too awake at the table chatting away which my family must love about me at those hours.

07:30 – Waking Up

Today I was up by 7:30 AM as I had a computer-based class test, for the module CCE (computing for chemical engineers). I freshened up and slowly started getting ready for the day. Since I rarely have a proper breakfast before leaving the house, the morning doesn’t feel awfully different than usual.

9:30 – Computer Test

The test consisted of ProII (process flow modelling software) and MATLAB (coding software). Although the content was doable, as it was worth 20% of the module, we only had an hour and so the majority of us struggled to finish the paper. Tests during Ramadan aren’t a bad thing in my opinion as I always find myself more focused - it’s just the messy sleep schedule that sometimes gets to me.

11:00 - Study

I took this time here to head to the Engineering building and catch up on some lecture notes. Studying in University is the way to go during Ramadan as it means I have no excuses and can’t just crawl into bed. It definitely helps that there’s so many study spots to pick from.

12:30 – Break and Prayer

Normally I’d pop to get a quick lunch, but during Ramadan this becomes a breather and prayer break. I headed to the prayer room on campus, which is such a peaceful space and so easily accessible as they are dotted about everywhere. After praying my obligatory prayers (Zuhr), I took a few moments just to sit and perform Dhikr (remembrance of Allah SWT) – something I’ve been trying to be more intentional about this month.

13:00 – Lecture Time

My afternoon lectures today are for PIU (process integration & unit operations) and RCT (reactors, catalysis & thermodynamics). These are two hour lectures each, back-to-back annoyingly, but we do get breaks. After this, I headed back to pray Asr and take a bit of a rest before Iftar.

18:00 – Iftar (Breaking Fast)

Finally! After a long day, it’s time to break fast. I usually start with a date and water (a Sunnah act - something the Prophet SAW used to do) and then pray Maghrib before I start eating my meal. Today, as my mum was staying with me, we ate out in a restaurant on Coventry Road, Fenous. They had a prayer room within which was really handy and served us a complimentary fruit platter (alongside the dates and water). There are so many great food places to explore in Birmingham!

19:30 – Isha & Taraweeh Prayer

By the time we got back it was already time for Isha (the final prayer of the day) and Taraweeh (an additional prayer during Ramadan). This, alongside Iftar meals with family, is my favourite time of the day during Ramadan as it allows me to personally connect with Allah SWT and be more intentional in my actions.

21:00 – Study Session (Yes, Really!)

Post-Iftar productivity hits different (and has to be done if I want to keep up). I had some examples from the lecture to go through for RCT and caught up on a bit of lecture content that I had zoned out on earlier. The days are shorter at the moment as Ramadan falls in March this year and so compared to the long summer days, it is much easier to balance different aspects of life.

23:00 – Relax

Before bed, I like to have some downtime; it’s important to wind down and take a breather before it’s time to do it all again. I usually spend this time with family, enjoying the time we have together and usually indulging in some desserts. Somehow during the month I end up baking way more than I usually would be.

Final Thoughts

Ramadan as a student is definitely a balancing act. You’re tired and sometimes stretched thin – but it also forces you to be more intentional with your time and energy. Studying Chemical Engineering during this month has made me appreciate the small wins: a productive study session, a good iftar or even just making it to class on time. It is possible to do it all and you should never feel you have to compromise your beliefs to do so.