Student Diary: A 39-year-old Access to HE Health and Physiotherapy student from Belarus

Age: 39

Course: Access to HE Health and Physiotherapy

From: Belarus

8am: On the days I have classes (Wednesdays and Fridays), I get up at 8 am to make sure I have enough time to have proper breakfast and prepare for my 9:15am class on Microsoft Teams. This year, all of my classes are online (in fact, I have only been to the campus once when I needed to visit the library). The classes are a mixture of lectures and work in groups in breakout rooms. I do miss face-to-face interaction with the tutors and other students, but online classes also have their advantages because all the classes are recorded so you can replay them if you need. My first class on Wednesdays is Biology and on Fridays it is Math and Physics.

12.15pm: As soon as the first class is over at 12:15pm, I put my trainers on and go for a run. It really helps me clear my head and I love the fresh air. After a short run, I have a quick shower and have something healthy for lunch (usually it's something like a chicken sandwich on wholemeal bread and an apple) and get ready for my next class at 1:15 pm. My partner is working from home at the moment, so we usually have lunch together.

4.15pm: My classes finish at 4:15 pm and usually I feel on a roll so I try to do some work on the upcoming assignments or organise my notes. I often feel really inspired by what we learn in classes (especially Biology - I'm a real anatomy and physiology geek!) and enjoy doing some additional reading. I usually stop around 6pm so I can fit a yoga or HIIT session before dinner.

6pm: In the evening my partner and I have a dinner together, go for a walk in our local park (I've started a challenge of getting a minimum of 10,000 steps a day and I think it's really good for my mental health) and then watch something on Netflix before going to bed. If I have a looming deadline, I sometimes have to work on my assignments after dinner but I try to schedule some relaxation time most days to avoid burnout.