A day in the life of an ECM student

06:30: During the week, I typically wake up around 06:30 to go to the gym or go for a walk around Christ Church Meadows if it’s nice outside. I currently live in non-university affiliated housing with my partner near the train station, but throughout the academic year, I lived in student accommodation at Oriel College on High Street. Living in a college in the city centre helped me get around quickly just walking, so I don’t use a bike to get to the gym or to a nice park. After a quick workout with one of my best friends and course mate Michaela, I go back home to shower and get ready for the day. If this was a weekend day, I probably wouldn’t be out of bed until 10:00, because I’m disgustingly hungover.

08:30: If I’m not making breakfast at home (which could consist of pancakes, a salmon bagel, or a breakfast burrito – because I love to chef it up), I’ll go to Oriel College’s Hall, which for a full English breakfast is only £3.50. When I lived in student accommodation, I loved going to Hall for breakfast – not because it’s particularly good – but because a lot of my Oriel friends would be there and we had a little ‘breakfast club’ situation going. On the weekends, my boyfriend and I have a little tradition where we have brunch at either Queen’s Lane (the oldest coffee shop in Europe) or Brown’s Cafe in the Covered Market.

09:30: I *try* to get settled somewhere and start working. During term time, since ECM classes are typically in the afternoon, I spend the mornings catching up on emails, class reading, and assignments. Some of my favorite study spots are:

• Radcliffe Camera, Taylorean, and the Upper Bodleian Library for a super-Oxford experience
• Pusey House which has free coffee and tea with designated ‘bell’ breaks to chat with fellow researchers
• Common Grounds, Independent Cafe or Opera Cafe for a really chill coffeehouse vibe
• Jericho Coffee Traders if you want the best latte in town
• School of Geography and Environment’s East Lab for coffee and tea and to run into your course mates and professors. It’s the best place to pretend to do work.

Right now, I’m writing my MSc dissertation, so I’m typically at an Oxford library because it’s very easy for me to get distracted around friends.

12:30: Finally time for lunch! Usually, I meet up with some friends or my boyfriend. We end up going to lunch spots nearby, which are the Biochemistry Cafe (for food similar to College prices, around £4 to 5 per person), the Alternative Tuck Shop for the best sandwiches you will ever have (also around £4 to 5), or the Covered Market, which has a plethora of different food types that works well if you are on the go or wanting to sit down and take things slower. College Hall food is also a great option, depending on your college. Fortunately for us at SoGE, the best hall food I’ve had so far is at Mansfield College, the college closest to the department. On this particular day, I had lunch with my friends from different master’s courses (Nature, Society, and Environmental Governance, and Sustainability, Enterprise, and Environment) in SoGE, which was so good! SoGE encourages cross-master’s degree connections, and connections with the PhD students, which has given me so much access to different perspectives.

14:00: If this day were to fall during term time, I would likely have a lecture to attend. ECM requires students to take five classes or ‘modules’ per term – four of them built into the curriculum, one of them an elective. ECM is the flagship course, meaning we learn a little bit about everything climate and environmental change, from the science behind climate change and ecosystem function, to energy and human systems. Classes will typically last two hours (with breaks) and are taught by dynamic and engaging lecturers who encourage questioning and debate. Most modules require the completion of a final term project that are creative and interesting – for example, one of the most memorable projects I’ve ever been a part of was a climate-themed drag show.

16:00: On this particular day, I had a meeting with my dissertation supervisor to talk about my progress (or in this case, lack thereof) which went really well. I’m surprised at how supportive and available my supervisor has been at helping me craft my dissertation. The expectation to create a 15,000 word original research project in the span of three to four months feels insurmountable, but I am so fortunate that my supervisor has been extremely kind and understanding as I navigate unfamiliar academic processes.

17:00: Usually after a long, taxing day, I’ll go for a solo walk or a walk with my partner, where we dissect all of things that stress us out. Some of our favorite places to walk are University Parks (also scarily close to the department), Christ Church Meadows, and Port Meadow. Dogs are very friendly in Oxford, so I’ll try to say hi to as many dogs as I can as they walk by.

18:00: My partner and I will usually cook dinner together, but sometimes we relent and go to some of our favorite take-out places, like Al-Shami (the by far best Lebanese-Syrian food I’ve ever had), Mission Burrito, or Ramen Kulture. We’re currently binge-watching Sex and the City (thank you Nord VPN for American HBO Max) and Fleabag, which has been a nice way to turn our brains off.

20:00: On this day, I had a late pole dancing class! I am a part of the Oxford University Pole Society as one of the Social Secretaries, which has been such a fun way to unleash my creative energy in the midst of a stressful academic setting. Pole dancing at Oxford is very open to beginners – as I just started this past year, and I’ve been able to advance to the improvers and intermediate classes, with the opportunity to perform at balls, parties, and competitions.

22:00: I finally got home and started unwinding after a long day of work. I take a nice, quick short shower (because, the environment) and sometimes read a bit or call someone from back home before bed.