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A day in the life of a newly single RHUL third year

Navigating RHUL as a new singleton


Single life at RHUL can be hard, Christmas is coming up which means couple trips to Winter Wonderland begin now, that same couple that consitently kisses in the library only highlighting how lonely feel, everyone seems to be pulling at the SU apart from you and you've had more dialogue with the man at the Happy Man than any other guy in the last couple of months. All alone, in this big old campus, why can't I find a nice guy to marry in Founders chapel?

Here's some thing you will be able to relate to you if you're single too:

7.30am

Alarm. Why do you have good intentions? No one else you know wakes up at this time. They're all having a lie in with their future husbands, or that guy they pulled last night at SU. Whoever they are, you're already bored of how hearing how great it was. Snooze.

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9am

Shit. Oh no. A 10am lecture – why didn’t you sent another alarm?! No wonder you’re single, you can’t sort yourself out let alone another human being too. You live in the far stretches of Englefield now, the days of a quick walk from the backgate are over.

Midday

You haven't eaten breakfast for the third day in a row, you can't buy another slice of pizza from Crosslands, so instead you fuel yourself only with strong milky (overpriced) coffee from Cafe on the Square.

Forgot laptop and no time to take one out from the library (it's usually used to hide behind in the lecture so you look like you're doing work). Had to take notes on paper – must remember to speak to the Careers Service about grad jobs that don't require you to be in a committed relationship with laptop.

Bumped into THE FITTEST guy EVER from the lecture, standing awkwardly in the corridor outside the Boilerhouse looking like the spinster you're destined to be. Not 100 per cent sure you brushed your hair. He looked like a two kids and a dog kind of guy, you know, country wedding in the grounds of his family estate… ugh. Good old Surrey boys x

2pm

Fuelled self with real food, if you count SU shop meal deal and some Maryland cookies. Who can afford the premium deal? You know you can't. You're meeting a MALE friend to study this afternoon at the Boilerhouse Cafe.

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Mediocre, at best.

You're determined to make this a study-fuelled, intellectual date. Must convince at least one man this week that you can be organised. Will drink those tiny coffees with sophisticated rigour and digitally highlight your readings like your really grasping the concepts.

Could suggest getting a drink later, you're both living further apart this year, he's in Egham your in Englefield, so need to find any excuse to hang out. He's has sworn off drinking, including your weekly Two for Tuesday trip at the Packhorse, so he can get that degree, but you can see the enthusiasm for one in his eyes.

5pm

You've just spent the whole afternoon catching up and swapping gossip on your new housemates with Boilerhouse boy. Gutted for him he's living by the back gate – you wouldn't want to be walking up the hill every day.

Heard all about his new exercise regime he's taken up and, honestly, you nearly slipped a disc just thinking about it. You much preferred the conversation about the gym clothing, where you could pipe in with the latest knowledge gained from the influencers you've been following. Had a covert text halfway through from your housemate, wanting to know where you were:

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Have a think? Are you flirting? Nahh.. you can't be…

Time for dinner, where you will whip up a culinary masterpiece that the whole of campus will envy. Should suggest adding a cook off to Varsity if this goes well. You're sure you can convince someone that it’s a sport. Cooking and man-hunting, for sure.

11.30pm

Just got back from The Happy Man, your favourite place. Was so pleased with the pesto pasta that you rounded up the gang for a celebratory drink at the best venue around. The convincing went something as follows:

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Can always count on the gang x

You're fully aware that at any other university the night out wouldn’t be starting until now. Look at the insta's of your friend's from home and they're only just finishing pre's. But not in Egham. The cosiness of your favourite Egham pub and the option to take control of the jukebox is always too good to resist. (Happy Man, we really love you)

Best friend from earlier was on top form – convinced you that you don’t need a man when you're surrounded by the type of friends that you can call family. Friendzone forever it is then. Egham's a small place to go looking for a man anyway.

But… that sounds about right. Going into your final year single and stressed about the workload, but full of love for your friends, you can’t help but feel a bit like a premature Bridget Jones. And that's totally, completely fine.

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