Survival of the fittest: 10 ways to spot a final year student on campus

TB2 always brings an extra level of stress which didn’t exist as much in TB1. Final exams are looming and so many final year students are writing their dissertations and dreaming of their graduation.

Ever wondered how they stick out from the rest of the crowd? Here’s your guide to spotting a final year student on campus (a reliable representation, being a final year myself).

1. Crying while typing

Crying is already a valid reaction to being stuck in the ASS, but you know the situation is dire when they don’t actually have time to go to the toilet for their crying session. That dissertation won’t write itself, so you best believe they’re typing their way through the pain. Every second counts.

2. ‘Once I submit…’

Final year is defined by deadlines and submissions that drive you crazy until you’re dreaming of the blackboard submissions page. A final year student can best be found hunched over their laptop practically chanting the words “once I submit this” and dreaming about what it will be like to have a life again without being chained to their laptop. Everyone knows this will only last a week at most, before the next deadline comes along. But it’s important to have hope. 

3. Grad shopping

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Some people dream of their wedding day. Final year students dream of their graduation. The whole ceremony is actually the biggest reason to even do a degree, especially when the ceremony will be in a building as fancy as Wills. You can easily spot a final year student in a lecture when their screen is full of online shopping websites instead of the lecture slides. Because what’s the point in the degree if you don’t look amazing when you walk across the stage at the end of it all? 

4. A reusable coffee cup

Final year students’ hands have practically moulded to the shape of their coffee cup by now. Think Lego people and their crescent hand shapes. It’s practically impossible to get to this point in your degree without some kind of addiction, and coffee is definitely one of the better ones. At this point, no one is getting through a full day of studying without some kind of energy, whether it’s coffee or matcha. The more overpriced the better.

5. Weirdly specific playlists 

Final year students are seasoned professionals at studying by now, but there’s different types of studying, of course. And each one calls for a new playlist to fit the exact vibe. Maybe you’re reading in an old library, or banging out an essay at 2am. These playlists are actually an important part of every study routine. Definitely not another form of procrastination.  Bonus points if you listen to your daylists and compare it with your friends.

6. Survey begging

Most final year students are writing up a dissertation, so you can usually spot them posting on their instagram story with a link to their important survey, begging people to fill it out. Maybe they’ve gone the extra mile and printed out QR codes to put on tables on campus. Either way, you avoid eye contact when they ask if you’ve got a minute to fill it out 

7. Sweet treats 

Every study session requires fuel. You can usually spot a final year student with a pile of wrappers around them, evidence of a sweet treat boost, because what’s the point in a study session without sufficient snacks to get you through it??

Sometimes it’s fizzy sweets, sometimes it’s a Parson’s pastry. Bonus points if it’s paired with an energy drink or a Sainsbury’s meal deal. It’s basic for a reason.  

8. LinkedIn professional

If you’re looking for a final year student on campus, look for the ones that are scrolling LinkedIn during lectures. Every final year student is starting to dread the inevitable question, “what’s your plan for after graduation?”, and the only way to remedy that is by doomscrolling on LinkedIn, realising that everyone else your age has already achieved so much more than you and the people you went to school with have their entire lives together. It’s a guarantee that every final year student has stalked an old enemy or an ex, forgetting they’ll be notified when you view their profile.

9. Grad trip planning

Just like the graduation ceremony shopping, every final year student needs something to look forward to. They can often be seen with an EasyJet tab, an Airbnb tab, and a Pinterest board on the go, planning the graduation trip they’ve been fantasising about since they first moved to uni. Maybe it’ll be Australia, maybe backpacking Asia, or maybe a villa in Italy. Either way, it’ll make great content for Instagram.

10. Hobby experimenting 

When you get to final year, you realise how much of your time you’ve dedicated to your degree. The looming reality of it being finished makes you realise you don’t have much else going on, and you’re about to be bored when you’re an unemployed graduate. You can usually spot final year students grasping for a new hobby, maybe making clay magnets, pottery painting, or trying to get into a gym routine they’ll actually stick to. None of it will last, but it’s fun to try and a good way to de-stress, too.