Day in My Life as an Edinburgh University Student

About the author: Hello! My name is Madelaine Lee but I usually go by Maddie. I am currently a 2nd year Fine Art student at the University of Edinburgh. I love doing things that are hands on – whether it's art and crafts, gardening, painting, pottery, you name it! I am also very much a nature girl and love going on walks and hikes. My art studio is where I spend most of my time, but if not you will probably see me dancing or ice skating too. I can't wait to share the ins and outs of university life with all of you!

Transitioning into university life and studying a degree is a huge adjustment from college. Having to cook and manage your life on your own, on top of keeping up with your studies, can sometimes be a struggle – but it’s not as hard as you think! Join me in a day of my life as an Edinburgh University student (who’s just trying my best to maintain that work-life balance and function as a new adult)!

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Currently a 2nd year Fine Art student at the University of Edinburgh, my alarm usually goes off at 8am, and like most students, I need multiple alarms every 5 minutes until I decide it’s time I actually get up. I then get ready and have breakfast – usually noodle soup with vegetables to keep myself warm in the cold weather. After that, a fast walk to university from my student house. My route to campus involves passing through the Meadows, which means I get to enjoy the beautiful scenery everyday!

By 9am, I have my first class of the day: a two hour Law lecture. Even though my main degree is Fine Art, one of the special things about studying at the University of Edinburgh is the elective system in both first and second year where you can choose courses outside your main subject. For me, I choose to do Law alongside Art, which is a pretty uncommon combination. I still really enjoy essay-based subjects and felt that I wanted more practice with writing essays whilst doing hands-on projects for my main degree. It also helps me keep a balance of sitting and studying vs. creating, which I really appreciate as I love to widen my horizons and increase my knowledge in all areas.

When the lecture finishes at around 11am, I head over to the Art building and have a meeting at 12pm with my group members for my Art Context course. We usually have productive discussions about all the ideas, and plan the next steps for our project. Once the meeting wraps up, it’s time to have lunch (aka leftover dinner from yesterday). Eating with my friends is honestly one of the best parts of the day. We usually sit together, catch up with what everyone’s been doing and somehow always end up extending lunch time longer than planned.

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After a good amount of yapping, it's time to get back into the studio and work on my Art project. What I do depends on the timeline of where my project is currently at – sometimes I will be doing printmaking, other days I will be doing performance or even just catching up on my sketchbook with research and notes. Being a Fine Art student means a lot of self-directed work, and the Edinburgh College of Art has all the facilities and equipment you may need to experiment with any ideas you have! I feel very privileged to have access to all the photography, printing, textiles, metals, wood, casting, and pottery workshops, as well as so much more!

I usually work on my project for a good few hours, often until 6pm. After a full day of learning, I then try to get some exercise to move my body around. Depending on my energy level, I’ll either go to a Zumba session at Edinburgh Leisure, or I head to Murrayfield Ice Arena for some skating. Skating definitely takes more effort, but it’s a very freeing and fun way to reset and clear my mind. Zumba, on the other hand, feels more fun and relaxed, a lighthearted way to move around and end the day.

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By the time I return to my flat, it’s usually dinner time. I have chicken curry with rice and pak choi today – one of those meals that reminds me of home. My flatmates also tend to be in the kitchen during this time, and we normally chat whilst cooking and eating together. Sometimes the conversation goes on for ages, and at other times everyone is quietly scrolling on TikTok (probably because our social battery has died). Both moods are pretty typical in student life.

At times when we’ve all got time, we also go for short cycling sessions around the neighbourhood using the Voi rentable bikes that you can find all over Edinburgh. They are really affordable and are around 2.50 pounds for 45 minutes! On more stressful days, I stay in and get some more work and admin done; this might mean finishing assignments, preparing for tutorials or lectures or organising notes for the next day.

Before I go to bed, I tend to write a plan for the next day on a sticky note as it keeps me on track with a clear goal, and organises my mind. I aim to sleep by 11pm, but realistically it sometimes turns into midnight, or even 1am. I end my day off doing one last social media scroll, and then lights out! Tucked comfortably in my bed, and ready to do it all again – another day of learning, creating and exploring life as a student in Edinburgh.

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