A day in the life of an English and Philosophy student

9am: 'Social Philosophy' lecture, Humanities Building

I’m glad I enjoy my degree in English and Philosophy, because it makes waking up for a 9am lecture the tiniest bit better! 

I sat next to my friends from this module and our lecturer went through the logistics of upcoming assessments. Then we delved into the concept of social construction and explored this further using the reading, The Social Construction of Human Minds by Asta. 

We shared our thoughts on a website called ‘Padlet’ as to what parts of society we thought were a social construction or not. After more presenting from the lecturer, we were given a break which usually leads to more discussions and debates about the lecture topic.

After the break, we explored social epistemology, the study of the nature of knowledge. As this is a big topic, we are given many opportunities to ask any questions.

10-12pm: Seminar prep 

After my lecture, I went to the piazza of the Humanities Building and spent two hours doing seminar preparation and reading more philosophy material. 

1pm: 'Philosophy of Art' seminar, Lenton Grove

This module explores some of the contemporary issues in the philosophy of art. I find this module fascinating, as it intertwines various types of art that are philosophically criticised or supported. 

We discussed a reading on Japanese architecture exploring a type of ontology of Japanese shrines. Our seminar was heavily discussion based, as the purpose of the seminar was to break down any confusing concepts from the reading, solidifying our understanding. We shared our viewpoints which led back to the question of what art can be accepted as art or not. 

2pm: Hallward Library group work 

After my seminar, I met with my friends in Hallward Library and completed some group work for my 'Social Philosophy' module.

This module often leads to discussions as it produces conversations about social issues, which I am passionate about discussing. 

3-5pm: Independent work

I caught up on more independent work and my friends and I grabbed some snacks from Spar in the Portland Building.

On my way out of the Portland Building, a Students' Union team gave me and my friends a free cupcake. This was promoting student voices and student input into aspects of university, such as societies and social events. It made my day! 

5pm: Home 

I left my friends and made my way back to my accommodation. I had a fun and productive day learning interesting concepts about philosophy.