From baking to wrestling: Romanticising a week in my life as a Birmingham City Uni student

As a student, my world revolves around my deadlines, SFE payments, and the rising price of popcorn.

However, life doesn’t have to be so doom and gloom. If there’s one thing Gen Z students excel at, it’s splurging on discounted food and living life to the fullest — and while I might skip the spending, I’m fully committed to the living.

So, here’s a romanticised week in the life of a Birmingham City student, from a true expert.

Monday

Mondays typically bring a familiar combination: Back-to-back lectures, internship applications, and far too many snoozed alarms.

With a 9am every Monday morning, I had to drag myself out of my bed (after clicking snooze four times), and scramble to make myself look presentable.

Three hours later, I was back under the covers, contemplating what to make for lunch. In an attempt to make my bank account happier, I decided to make homemade chips. Two hours and a bag of potatoes later, I paired my crispy creation with some trusty freezer nuggets. Say what you want but I think it’s a glorious combination, a great way to elevate a “childish” dish. People just don’t appreciate fine dining when they see it.

Later that evening, in true university student fashion, I found myself craving something sweet. Baking is one of my favourite hobbies which allows me to make the most out of what I have.

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After scrolling through TikTok for inspiration, I landed on a classic choice: Brown butter double chocolate chip cookies—predictable, perhaps, but always satisfying. I picked up the few ingredients I was missing (so much for using only what I had), and got to baking. The cookies turned out warm, gooey, and utterly delicious. Not only did they hit the spot, but they also left my bank account relatively unscathed.

Tuesday

My Tuesdays are fairly relaxed, but in the spirit of romanticising my life and maintaining my social life, I spent some time with a friend at her place. We ordered Wasabi (so much for making my bank account love me, again), but thankfully, she had a discount, so I’ll let it slide. We ate and played what I believe is the best game ever, The Sims 4 – argue with your unfinished assignments if you disagree.

When I got home, I opened Netflix and immediately put on WWE Monday Night Raw. The combination of over the top outfits, dramatic storylines, and undeniable talent always makes for an entertaining evening.

Wednesday

By Wednesday, I had unintentionally consumed half of my cookies. It seems I underestimated my own cravings.

Wednesdays are for group project classes, which was fairly productive. However, we had to present our ideas in front of the rest of the class, which is naturally nerve-wracking for anyone, but it was a success.

Determined to make the most of my university experience, I also help run the social media for our athletics team. After braving the chaotic crossing at Perry Barr, I spent some time doing photography work for the team.

Later that evening, I headed home for dinner—care to guess what I had? That’s right, more chips. I’m starting to get a little tired of them, but at this point, my bank account and I are basically best friends.

Thursday

Operation Placement Powerhouse is a go! I have been trying to secure a placement year, but I am applying for summer internships too. This Thursday, I attended a virtual Q&A with Red Bull to learn more about its summer internships. I really enjoyed the webinar and I applied for a role.

I got rejected but at least I took a step forward and applied. In order to get that “congratulations” email with a beautiful offer, you must apply first. It is all about perspective over here. 

Friday

Finally, it’s Friday! For some reason, I can hear Annoying Orange’s TGIF song in my head, which proves how old we are getting. I can’t believe we are the new adults.

On Fridays, I have my photojournalism class in the Curzon Building of Birmingham City Uni, If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Curzon, it’s that your nails are probably stronger than the WiFi there—it’s notoriously slow. Also, the fact you can only access certain rooms from certain lifts confuses me every time.

Once the class was over, I indulged in a two hour Sims 4 session, which felt like 10 minutes because I spent an eternity between the loading portal and CAS.

The afternoon came to a close and it was time for more wrestling. Around this time of the year, Friday Night SmackDown, Monday Night Raw and other pay-per-views are hosted in European cities, which is an American nightmare for those in the U.S because it means they have to stay up. For me, it means I only have to stay up until 1am, only to fall asleep 45 minutes later.

Saturday

On Saturday, I attended a football match with my course mate Imaan. We braved the chilly weather and the extortionate stadium food prices as we made our way to Derby. While I snacked on a half-eaten pack of custard creams, we watched Chelsea dominate Manchester City to win 2-1 in the Women’s Subway League Cup final. Food tastes so much better when you’re cold and hungry.

After the match, we rushed to Derby train station to catch our train. While we made it just in time, it’s safe to say those custard creams caught up with me.

Sunday

I always go to church with my friends on Sundays. House of Praise is a great church to meet like-minded, kind people and I always enjoy hearing the Word. Service was enlightening, and insightful as usual, then we followed it up with a cheeky trip to Five Guys. Look, if I am going to spend the last of my money, let’s go out with bang (my bank account and I aren’t on speaking terms right now).

We got milkshakes, looked at our bank accounts and sighed. The unpredictable English sun even made a rare appearance. We aimlessly walked around before remembering tomorrow was Monday- which equals more lectures, internship applications, and snoozed alarms.

So after all of that, my message is to romanticise your life.

Life as a student right now can feel like an endless marathon of assignments and stress. However, seeing the bright side of life can help a little bit. Go to that society social. Order that takeaway. See that movie,  even if it’s on your own (I am itching to see Sinners). You won’t be a university student forever.