A day in the life of a philosophy student

Author: Christina Sexton

Harrison Pugh is in his final year of a Bachelor of Theology/Bachelor of Philosophy double degree, with his sights set on a career in research or ministry – preferably both. Here’s his typical day on campus.

5.30 – 7.30am

I get up pretty early and spend an hour or so in prayer before heading to the gym most mornings. After I’m done, I do some work from my home studio.

7.30 – 9am

I often have work before I head into uni. I have a great job teaching music to people of all ages on the Sunshine Coast. It’s really flexible and I can be my own boss, which really helps with trying to fit study, a social life and everything else into my day.

9 – 10.30am

It takes me about 1.5 hours to drive to uni, depending on the traffic. Sometimes I just chill out to music or I’ll listen to a baseball podcast, which I’m really into. If it’s exam time or I’ve got an assignment due, I’ll often tune in to a podcast on the drive about a theology or philosophy topic that’s relevant to what I’m studying. My favourites are The Partially Examined Life and The History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps.

10.30am – 12.30pm

I head straight to the library when I get to campus. I use this time to research assignments, watch lecture recordings or do some reading. The library has some particularly great resources for philosophy and theology students. I always borrow plenty of books to take home with me.

12.30 – 1pm

I’ll take a lunch break before class and relax for half an hour. I’ll grab a bite and maybe catch up with a friend.

1 – 4pm

We have a combined lecture and tutorial, so it’s more of a workshop. It’s really interactive and there are plenty of opportunities to ask questions and have a class discussion. I like that we have a small cohort – meeting people in my course who are into what I’m into has been the best part of uni.

4 – 6.30pm

I head back to the library to keep going with my reading and research. I’m in the library a lot as most of my assessments are assignments rather than exams, which I don’t mind. My plan is to keep going with research after my degree – I want to do honours and then a PhD. My career aim is to have a hand in academia and a hand in the Church. I am happy to wait and see what doors open in each field along the way.

6.30 – 7.30pm

At this time of night, there’s less traffic on the highway home so it’s a short trip. I love living on the Sunshine Coast and commuting to Brisbane for uni has been easy.

7.30 – 10pm

I am pretty tired by the time I get home. I just have some dinner, hang out and maybe watch a movie before heading to bed.

If you’re interested in day like Harrison’s, explore where philosophy or theology can take you.

Category Future student

Tags Current student Philosophy Theology Uni life Undergraduate Student