Here are 10 signs semester two has already humbled you (Glasgow University edition)

The beginning of semester two always brings with it the urge to completely reinvent your university life. New year, new you right? Fresh stationery, fresh routines, a vague sense of motivation.

But two weeks in, reality hits and suddenly semester two is already delivering some deeply humbling moments. If you recognise yourself in any of the following, I’m sorry to say it, but semester two may already have you in a chokehold.

1. You’ve caught Freshers’ Flu (or Re-freshers’ Flu)

There’s nothing more humbling than waking up with a scratchy throat and trying to convince yourself its “just the dry air”. You power through the day armed with ginger shots and coconut water, knowing full well what’s coming.

If you’ve managed to catch Freshers’ Flu again, no judgement. It’s cold, it’s dark, and honestly, January is the perfect excuse to get some R&R and hibernate before deadlines properly kick in.

2. Your gym routine has gone out the window

Ah yes, the doomed January gym routine. You were definitely going to go at 6am every day, weren’t you? That plan was over before it even started.

Still, there are technically 10 weeks left to turn it around. Otherwise… there’s always next year.

3. You’ve caught yourself in the library past dark

To be fair, in Glasgow in January this is almost unavoidable, given it’s pitch black by about 4pm. Still, it is humbling to realise it’s only week two and you already feel like you live there. It’s quiet, the lights are harsh, and there isn’t even the community of people suffering like there is during exam season.

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4. You’ve already started putting things off until after reading week

You know things are bad when you already have a mental list of everything you’re going to do “over reading week”. Who actually does work during reading week? Exactly.

5. You’re already in your overdraft

Listen, we’ve all been there. That SAAS hit your bank account and suddenly you got a little too tempted by ASOS. On the bright side, everyone is going to be jealous of that new wool coat you’re strutting around campus in.

6. You’re already having to live off Greggs

The dietary consequences of above. Necessary. Reliable. Questionable from a nutritional standpoint.

Yes, the lunchtime queue is massive, but desperate times call for sausage rolls.

7. You’ve started justifying the £4 coffees from fancy West End cafés because it’s all too much

Trust me, I get this one on a spiritual level. In my opinion, there’s nothing a cheeky diabolically expensive coffee can’t fix.

Bad hair day? Oat flat white.

Situationship not replying? Cappuccino with chocolate sprinkles on top.

Essay went badly? Matcha latte will fix all.

While these coffees are incredible for the soul, they are devastating for the bank balance. I’m personally trying not to let coffee bankrupt me this semester – results pending. The only thing saving us is Black Sheep’s £2 hot drink deal, assuming you can face the Monday queue.

8. You’ve been burned by too many ghost buses (the First Bus app lied)

I used to live in Wolfson Hall so that app was once my lifeline, but also the bane of my existence. There is nothing more heartbreaking than standing on Byres Road in the rain, darkness fully set in, clinging to the First Bus app for hope.

The app says the bus is two minutes away. Five minutes pass. 10. 20. No bus. You already know what’s happened, this has happened many times before – you’ve been ghosted.

9. You’ve already been humbled by Hillhead Subway at rush hour

Suddenly it feels like the entire population of Glasgow has decided to use the Subway at the exact same time. You’re being pushed, shoved, and emotionally tested – and it’s far too early in the semester for this level of stress.

10. You’ve already had to call pest control

The inevitable West End flat experience. But for it to happen this early in the semester? That’s some bad luck. You thought they disappeared over Christmas, but one suspicious rustling reminds you they never really leave.

So, if you recognised yourself in any of these – congratulations. Semester two has already humbled you, and it’s only just begun. The routines are gone, the overdraft is looming, and the idea of being “caught up” feels like a distant memory. Still, there’s something oddly comforting about knowing everyone else is in the same boat. At this point, all we can do is embrace the chaos and pretend it was all part of the plan.

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