Monday

Monday is my big grocery day. I like to head down to Lisburn Road - about a 20-minute walk from my accommodation at Elms Village - where there’s a Tesco Superstore, Marks & Spencer Simply Food, an Asian supermarket (Camseng), Savers, Poundland, and plenty of cafés. It’s a super convenient area to get everything I need in one trip.

When I get home, I try to meal prep for the week - it saves time, money, and keeps me from surviving off snacks all week.

Later in the day, I will head to the Queen’s Physical Education Centre for a workout. It has great facilities including an indoor swimming pool, a rock climbing wall, courts for squash, badminton and basketball. There are even exercise classes that you can join such as spin classes, Zumba and more, led by fun and engaging instructors.

Every night before bed, I try to do a 30-minute “closing shift” - tidying up, making sure dishes are washed and putting things away so they don’t pile up too much throughout the week.

Tuesday

Tuesdays are library days, so I take my laptop, iPad and student card with me, and walk to the McClay Library. The library has loads of study spaces and even bookable pods and group rooms if you’re studying with friends.

Since I’m working on my dissertation, I spend most of my time reading, pulling together ideas and writing. When I need a break, I like to step outside and take a walk through the Botanic Gardens, which is right next door. There’s a cute little pink Coop Coffee Co. van at the entrance by the main road, and I usually grab a coffee or a sweet treat to energise myself before heading back to work.

Coffee from Coop Coffee Co.

When I am feeling peckish, I head to Mosaic Café to grab lunch, just a short walk from the McClay library. They have the best toasties and comforting, hearty homemade soups - perfect for the gloomier, rainy days in Belfast. Then it’s back to work until the evening.

If I have energy to spare, I’ll stop by the PEC for a quick post-library workout, which is conveniently located right at the other end of the gardens.

Lunch from Mosaic Cafe

Wednesday

Wednesdays are usually my social days, so I’ll meet up with some friends for a little midweek dopamine boost. This week, a few friends and I took a half-day trip to Helen’s Bay, which is less than an hour’s train ride from Belfast. We sat by the benches, skipped pebbles, looked for sea glass and chatted for hours. It’s the perfect spot to unwind and enjoy the sea breeze.

Helen's Bay beach

In the evening, we headed back to my place to make dinner and watch movies together. Living alone makes me appreciate having the company a lot more.

Thursday

Thursday is another focused study day, usually back at the McClay Library or even the Thomas J Moran Graduate School.

To reward myself after an intense study session, I like to watch movies - the Queen’s Film Theatre or Odeon always have a wide selection of films. This week, a group of us watched the live-action How to Train Your Dragon (2025). Fun fact: it was filmed in Northern Ireland, so seeing those landscapes on screen made it feel even more special and reminded me how breathtaking this place can be.

After the film, we treated ourselves to Boojum for dinner - they have great student deals, so I always make sure to bring my student card with me!

Friday

This Friday, I had some fieldwork to do for my dissertation. It involves interviewing people and doing participant observation, so I always bring along my laptop, notebook, and my phone for recording. Once I’m done, I like to sit down and organise my notes while everything’s still fresh - it makes things much easier to manage later on.

In the evening, I might meet up with friends for dinner or drinks. My favourite places would be the Students' Union Bar, which plays great music and offers £2 drinks on Fridays, or Kelly’s Cellars if I’m in the city centre, which has live music performances 6 days a week and great vibes all around.

Kelly's Cellars

Saturday

Saturdays are work days for me. I work as a receptionist at the PEC gym, which helps me stay connected to campus and adds some structure to my week. I get to meet and interact with lots of people, and everyone’s always really friendly. It’s a nice balance to the more solitary nature of dissertation life.

After work, I sometimes head to Ormeau Park with some friends. It’s lovely on a sunny day, and there are also plenty of restaurants and cafés around the area to grab a bite and relax, and maybe do some light dissertation work as well.

Brunch from #Harmony

Sunday

Sundays are slower, so I usually sleep in and call my family back home. Being an international student means juggling long-distance relationships, so those video chats really help with homesickness. After that, I do a proper reset of my apartment - cleaning, catching up on laundry, and tidying up with a film or TV show playing in the background.

After my reset, I like to take a walk along the Lagan River or go to a cafe along Lisburn Road. I end the day planning the week ahead and winding down with a movie or a book.

Lagan River

Thanks for tagging along with me! Life as a Master’s student in Anthropology can be pretty unpredictable, with some days drowning in readings and other days spent exploring the city and coast. It’s a mix of stress and fun, but I’m learning to enjoy the in-between here at Queens’!

Find out more

Why Queen's for Postgraduate Study

Information for students from Singapore

Christstela MA Anthropology | Postgraduate Student | Singapore Hi, I’m Christstela! I moved to Belfast from Singapore to pursue my Master’s in Anthropology and also meet people from all walks of life, which has been my favourite part of the journey so far. Outside of studying and working, I enjoy travelling, photography, pretending to be a lifestyle vlogger, hanging out with friends and romanticising uni life to get me by.