Everyone you’ll see on the 9am walk to the PFC

Ah, the PFC. Recently revamped, shiny in its new splendour, and a hiving hub for most students as it contains three floors of lecture theatres and classrooms.

No matter what your degree, more than likely, you’ll have had a class in the PFC at least once, or you will have, and to make that dreaded walk to your 9am lecture a little bit enjoyable (cos it’ll probably always be shit), always keep on the lookout for the extravagant variations of characters you will inevitably come across.

The one who’s in the horror stage of a hangover

She hasn’t even been home yet

Obviously, there will be the hungover heads, who have somehow managed to drag their dehydrated corpses out of bed to prove the point that they WILL make that 9am class themselves, despite being told a thousand times by their mates the night before whilst downing tequila at the bar that there’s no way they’ll be fit for it.

I often question how valuable one can really be in a class when your mouth is dryer than the Sahara Desert and your head feels like everyone from Limelight dance floor the night before has now re-grouped in there for a mosh pit, but God does love a trier.

Key note: these ones will probably be wearing sunglasses on a cloudy February morning, hoods up even if it’s warm and dry, or/and carrying two litre bottles of River Rock.

You’ll see someone who’s still blocked from last night

Even better than these droopy faces of death, are the lovely lads and lasses that land to class still utterly blocked: the drunk dreamers, the inebriated operatives, the people that the spirit of Ireland is built upon.

Usually these ones have been up all night partying and are yet to have made it to bed, so sure why not go to that 9am lecture? It’ll be better craic when you’re still lit and after being at that house party until 7am drinking Buckfast sure you’ll be more awake than you would be if you were sober with an Americano in you (fun fact, Bucky contains the caffeine equivalent of three cups of freshly brewed coffee; the more you know.)

The nerdy enthusiasts

The bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, fresh-faced annoyances who have actually done their tutorial work and had 8 hours of sleep the night before. These will most likely be mature students, final years, or the odd irregular who thought they’d be productive today, but let’s face it, they won’t be at the same 9am lecture a few weeks in a row. 1% of this category will be first years.

They’ll also be the same people who are on jokey first-name terms with their lecturers. You’ll probably hate them, but at the same time feel admiration for someone who can be so happy at that time of the morning, and if you don’t think you fall into any of these categories, you are, in fact, lying to yourself.

Library lockdown caused a fairly long queue

The brazen walk-of-shamers

The walks of shame. It’s a bit harder to spot a male doing the walk of shame, as he could be passed off as just looking shabby, tired or hungover. However, for the females, their stride of pride is not so discreet.

The PFC is often the connecting building for many to walk past (or through, if you’re feeling risky in showing off your risqué-ness), if you’re coming to or from the Holylands to the likes of Stranmillis or the Lisburn Road. Thus more than often, you will spot a walk-of-shamer, early in the morning, trying to hurry home before the crowds spot them. Look out for serious bedhead, oversized boys’ hoodies over their previous nights’ attire, and more than often, they’ll be carrying their heels.

Happy 9am strolls from now on people, do keep a lookout.