Before coming to Queen’s, I used to think that an Actuarial Science and Risk Management students’ life would consist of being drowned in studies and research. While this may be somewhat true, it’s not as hectic as you might think! Here’s what I do everyday as a first year in the Actuarial Science and Risk Management major.

Setting my alarm 3 hours before classes

Now, I know what you’re thinking, “What on Earth would she need three hours for?!” This is just a personal preference of mine, because as an introvert, I could only get so much ‘me-time’ during the day. Staying up late is also not an option as it seems to be a built-in mechanism for me to fall asleep anytime my head hits anything moderately soft. So, mornings are perfect for ‘me-time’. Here’s what I do for each hour:

^{BT2 View}

The first hour: I generally take longer to process things right after I wake up so its always good to give myself an hour to freshen up and slowly regain my consciousness. I usually use the hour to stretch and walk around, or I’ll just scroll through social media when I’m feeling lazy.

The second hour: I would usually start the second hour by making breakfast, which would take me no longer than 30 minutes to do. My favorite breakfast combo usually consists of two slices of bread, topped with cheese, baby tomatoes and pepperoni paired with a nice cold cup of milk. Once that’s finished, I would use the other half an hour to clean up the flat’s kitchen and my bedroom.

^{Today's breakfast}

Third hour: The first half of the third hour would generally be used up when I mix and match my outfits. Since it’s currently Winter, the weather tends to be a bit chilly for my tropical self. But on the flip side, now I finally have a good excuse to invest in puffer jackets! Once I finish packing my bags, I’m ready to head off to Queen’s. Side note: It usually takes me 30 minutes to walk from BT2 to Queen’s, but it should take no longer than 25 minutes if you’re walking at the average human pace.

^{My outfit for today}

Classes

Most of my classes start at around 9 or 10 in the morning, though, I’d usually arrive 10 minutes earlier before my morning classes to spend some time walking around Botanic Gardens. This is definitely one of the things I look forward to do in the morning because it’s just perfect. The chilly morning air, pretty greeneries and chirping birds sets the perfect mood to clear my head and gets me up and ready to face my lectures for the day.

^{Botanic Gardens Belfast}

As a first-year student, I’m lucky enough to only have three classes: ‘The Introduction to Probability and Statistics’, ‘Economy, Society, and Public Policy 1’, and ‘Financial Reporting and Analysis’. All of which take place in or around the Lanyon building, so it’s easy to get around and make it to lectures. Today is a Thursday, which means that I have all three lectures for the day. Well, one thing I can say about today is that it’s definitely not going to be boring.

^{The Lanyon Quadrangle}

Breaks

Something that I feel like everyone looks forward to after a good long hour of lecture is a relaxing break. I’m lucky enough to always have breaks in between classes, which help freshen myself up from previous lectures. The breaks usually last up to an hour or two so I’d use this time to head over to the McClay library to review materials for upcoming classes as well as fetching myself something to eat at the Hope Café, which is situated inside the McClay library.

^{Studying in the McClay Library}

Class continuation

After my well-deserved break, I resume with the rest of my classes. My schedule might not be as busy as you’d think. While my Mondays are definitely the busiest, with classes starting from 10 in the morning to 5 in the evening (mainly due to me getting the worst tutorial time slots as a result of procrastination in registering), most of my classes end at around 1 in the afternoon, so I do have lots of leisure time to do other activities!

^{Leisure activities}

Visiting my friends!

My favorite thing to do in my free time is visiting my friends in different accommodations. I sometimes visit my friends living in Elms BT1, BT2, BT9, and Alma Place. But I would say that I tend to visit my close friends at Aster House more often because I’d always pass by their accommodation while going back home, so why not make the most of my day by annoying some of my friends!

^{My stress relievers!}

Going home

And at last, my day has finally come to an end. Once I pass through my flat’s door, I’m off to the kitchen to fix myself a nice warm meal (and maybe some dessert if I’m feeling generous). After cleaning up after myself, I usually take a quick shower and review all the materials learnt that day and prepare for tomorrow’s classes. And with everything in my to-do list done, I spend my nights drowning myself in crime documentaries and horror films before finally heading off to dream land.

Find out more

BSc Actuarial Science and Risk Management

The Graduate School

Life in Belfast

Keziah Saragit MSc Actuarial Science and Risk Management | Postgraduate Student | Jakarta, Indonesia Hi! My name is Keziah, and I am an undergraduate student at Queen's University majoring in Actuarial Science and Risk Management. I moved to Belfast from Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia (roughly a 20 hour flight from Northern Ireland), and I am staying in Queen's accommodation, Elms BT2. As of now, I am part of Queen's Student Managed Fund as well as PPI Belfast, an Indonesian Students Association.