Activity 8 - Designing Your Dream University Timetable!

Welcome to Activity 8! In this activity we are going to be thinking a little bit more about life at University, and what a day in the life of a University student might look like. University timetables are quite different to your timetable at school. You have a lot more freedom to pick and chose what you would like to spend your time doing. This also means you have a lot more responsibility to manage your time well - there are so many different things you could do with your time, you need to try to find the right balance between studying, spending time with friends, keeping fit and active and taking care of yourself. 

Follow along with the video below and "PAUSE" when suggested below. We are going to be thinking about:

• What University has to offer outside of studying

• What a week at University might look like

• How a week at University might be different from a week at St. Francis

Task 1: School Timetable vs. University Timetable 

At school, you will spend your time learning about and having lessons in lots of different subjects, including Maths, English, History, Geography, Science and more. This will be spread across five days a week, Monday to Friday for most of the day. However, at University, instead of learning about lots of different subjects, you will focus on one subject which you will study in detail. You are able to chose different parts of that subject that you are most interested in - these are known as "modules". 

This means ... Your weekly timetable at University could look very different to another student who is studying the same subject! 

*PAUSE THE VIDEO AT 1:54 - 

Do all subjects have the same amount of contact hours in school? 

I want you to have a think about the hours we spend at St. Francis studying each subject during the week. Pop down a few notes on a piece of paper considering the below: 

Do we spend the same amount of time on P.E as we do Maths?

Do you spend as much time on Art or French as you do studying English?

Why do you think we spend more time studying some subjects than others?

*PRESS PLAY AT 1:60 - 

Task 2: All About You 

University is not all about studying, and your timetable is made up from more than just lectures and seminars. You will also have to dedicate your time, if you wish, to sports and keeping active, cooking and carrying out household chores with your flat mates, socialising and meeting up with friends in your spare time as well as participating in activities for any societies you might join. 

Grab a pen and paper and take a few notes, considering the points below. This will help us to design your dream University timetable:

* PAUSE the video at 4:50 - 

• What do you like doing the most in your spare time?

• Are you involved in any after school clubs?

• Do you have any hobbies?

* PRESS PLAY on the video at 4:50 - 

Task 3: Creating your own dream University Timetable 

We are now going to create our own dream University timetable. It is up to you to decide what this is going to look like and what you want the timetable to include. There is a lot of flexibility at University, so you will need to decide what time of day you are going to be studying and going to lessons, when will you be eating and what time will be best for sports and spending time with friends. These are all things you need to think about ...

To do this, you might want to make some notes on the following questions:

1. What subject are you going to be studying 

2. What sports would you like to play?

3. What clubs/societies would you like to participate in?

4. What activities would you enjoy doing with friends? (e.g. cinema trips, going out for lunch etc.) 

For some inspiration on creating your dream University timetable, I have included some images below which might help you think about how you could set this out. Remember, be creative! There is NO right or wrong answer.

Task 4: Reflections 

Once you have had a go at creating your dream University timetable, it would be great if you could share this with someone at home.

Have a think about, and try to explain to whoever you are showing your timetable to - 

• Why did you the activities you did?

• Which day on your timetable do you think you would enjoy the most?

• How could you improve your timetable?