I spent a week romanticising my life as an Exeter Uni student and it was surprisingly fun

Would be on the brink of tears otherwise x

8 months ago

Oh third year, how I love you. Who could resist the crippling deadlines, stress for the future and general adulting? It’s getting a bit intense as a final year student right now, so I thought I could do with a mindset shift for the week. After all, Exeter is pretty nice a lot of the time. It can be really easy to forget this when you spend your life on the grind though: Gone are the chaotic first year nights at Unit 1 (RIP) and Fever. Now, an infrequent trip to Henry’s involves the crazy choice of a blackcurrant soda. Yes, I really am that wild. So, last week was the time to make a bit of an effort to re-engage with everything Exeter has to offer. I did spend a day in Plymouth, but this is all part of enjoying the wider county of Devon.

Monday

I did wake up on Monday with an intense feeling of doom, which is pretty standard. But then I remembered that I needed to romanticise my life, duh. So I did the one thing that never lets me down: I baked. On the menu this week was blueberry flapjacks, and I have to say they were very good – being the designated house baker is a full time job.

Between a driving lesson and work in the afternoon, I meal prepped for a busy week ahead. Of course, not without some tunes to keep the vibes going (shout out to RAYE’s My 21st Century Blues which is literally on repeat 24/7).

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After work, I could not think of anything better than getting cosy in bed with my electric blanket and Djungelskog and watching One Day. So, that’s exactly what I did. Romanticising my life includes the really exciting bed time of 9:30pm, because I am that cool.

Tuesday

Tbf, I can’t really remember what I did on Tuesday apart from work and study. I did change up my location and headed to Pret for some caffeine. I will forever mourn the loss of the Pret subscription on campus, so I graced the city centre instead. When diss writing all got a bit much, I headed to Waterstones. There isn’t much that says romanticising your life than a wander round the bookstore. After getting distracted by the Jellycats, I wondered into the fiction section and truly felt like “that girl”. I was not alone, however, Waterstones is always packed with uni girlies indulging in the latest book purchase TikTok recommends. Again, it was an early night for me, but what can I say? Hot girls need their beauty sleep.

Wednesday

There’s always a bit of hope on a Wednesday. Maybe it’s the smell of of a post-TP Efes in the air, or the usually relaxed academic timetable. Regardless, Wednesday signals the start of the end of the week. In celebration, I sat in bed and ordered a halloumi burger. With the price of a Deliveroo costing an arm and a leg, I do this sparingly. However, the immense amount of cheese and carbs did it’s job, and soon I headed back to study, with a needed stomp around the city centre mid study session.

A quick train to Plymouth later, my boyfriend and I indulged in a classic pub dinner at the local. No evening is complete without a sweet treat, so a whole Milk Tray was consumed.

Thursday

When in rainy Plymouth, options to romanticise your life are sparse. I plonked myself on a chair in Coffee #1 and got working. Treating myself to a new drink when a task was done was a fun motivator, but I was soon shaking from caffeine, so I don’t recommend this all the time. When I was close to despair it was time to clear my head and go on a little trek. Plymouth has lots to see, like a lighthouse and a park! Thrilling stuff. So, I wrapped up and got walking for a bit. Feeling like a fitness girlie, my travels went on my Strava to prove that I had actually moved a little bit. After this brief interlude, it was time to work again. To celebrate the Easter festivities, I treated myself to a cornflake cake and got typing again.

Friday

Back in Exeter, Friday was a final(ish) push for the week. Romanticising your life for the week can often just be a time to prioritise rest, so that’s what I did. I lit a candle, read a book, did an everything shower and put some music on. Ahead of a, (hopefully) lovely weekend, Friday evening is always an unwinding kind of night. My fairy lights and electric blanket lulled me to sleep, without the fear of a 6am alarm.

Saturday

While my boyfriend decided to lycra-up and go on a morning cycle, I headed back to, you guessed it, Pret. Guzzling two coffees consecutively as I studied, there was a deep feeling of envy inside me as I saw weary groups stumble in for a post-TP debrief. Nevertheless, this was the week to romanticise my life, so I returned back to ELE and got typing.

After a morning study, we picked up some lunch at Coffee #1. The hope of taking a somewhat aesthetic picture was dashed by my boyfriend’s post-workout sweatiness, but I tried my best.

The afternoon was spent at the lovely Dart’s Farm and Cow and Cacao café. A cute little walk to see the little animals was on the cards, but the rain ruined that plan pretty quickly. Instead, we got hot chocolate and some cheese for a very posh tea later. Exeter has some really gorgeous local spots for a little indulgent treat. So go ahead and treat yourself, you deserve it x

Sunday

Sunday is the ULTIMATE day of relaxation. At least, the morning is before the Sunday scaries kick in at around lunch time. We headed for a walk to the Quay to make the most of the sunshine. Grabbing coffee in Sundays was the serotonin boost I needed to get me up the hill back to the city centre. We then spent time at Ari’s working on some climate content for Be The Change‘s Instagram!

Final thoughts

To be honest, I had a pretty nice week between the intense study sessions and my job. The time that I did have off helped me gain back the motivation that was evaporating before my very eyes. It’s not all glamour though: My laptop decided to break mid-week (love that for me) and I now have a hacking cough. But as term draws to a close, I can’t help but feel a little sad. Not too sad though: This girl is back for more next year (MA incoming).

But seriously, for any students struggling right now – you are not alone. Please do reach out to friends, family and wellbeing support if and when you need to. You are doing such a great job, and it will all be worth it when you get to wear your caps and gowns, celebrating all of your amazing achievements!