Are you an early bird catches the worm type, or is waking up for a 9am lecture a weekly struggle? Do you plan your outfit the night before, or reach for the first thing in sight? Would your housemates describe you as clean and tidy, or are they constantly reminding you to complete your weekly chores?
Being at university means becoming familiar with the different types of students. From the organised student to the messy one, I’m sure everyone knows someone who fits one of these characters. And if you can’t think of someone, maybe it’s you and this is your reminder to stop snoozing your 7am alarm and take the bins out.
The Organised Student
This is the student you see in your lecture who boasts an elaborate stationery kit and makes notes ahead of the lecture. A full set of highlighters is typically a good indicator of an organised student, where each colour represents a different topic. If you sit strategically, you can spend half the time listening to the lecturer and the other half trying to see what notes they have made.
If you’re lucky enough to befriend them, you earn the privilege of asking for help with the seminar questions and joining their meticulously planned study sessions. Unfortunately though, if this is you, then it comes with constant question of ‘please can you send me your notes’.
The Disorganised Student
And then, on the other end of the spectrum, there’s the disorganised student: the student who has attended just as many lectures as they’ve missed, turns up late when they do eventually come and forgets when the deadlines are.
Yet, despite all of this, they remain impressively calm. Stress seems to be a foreign concept. If the deadline is on the 10th of the month, the introduction will be completed on the 9th. These are often the students who camp out in Ali G overnight, running on Red Bull and snacks from the vending machine, swearing that they work best under pressure anyway.
The Social Butterfly
If there’s a trip to the pub, they made the plan; if there’s a post-lecture coffee date, they’re already there; if there’s a night out, they’re the last person to go home. This student embodies the stereotype of ‘here for the social life, the degree is a bonus’.The social butterfly is always up for anything, anywhere, at any time.
They’re also the student who seems to know everyone. A quick trip to the Fallowfield Sainsbury’s turns into a meet-and-greet, with them being stopped in every aisle. In other words, they’re a BNOC (big name on campus). That said, they’re the perfect friend to have, especially in Fresher’s week.
The Finance Bro
This is a character I’m sure everyone is familiar with, and if you’re not, a visit to the Alliance Business School will quickly familiarise you. You can spot them through their uniform: a quarter zip, smart-casual attire and an unmissable projection of confidence and seriousness.
A mundane conversation of “hello, how are you”, is shortly followed by “what are your plans for after uni?” They seek opportunity everywhere. A house party to this student is a pool of pending LinkedIn connections, and they’re all vying for the same grad jobs at the Big Four.
The Problematic Housemate
A stranger to Henry the Hoover, this housemate always finds a way to avoid their assigned chores. Their dirty plates mount up on the kitchen side and the only time they take their pan off the draining rack is when there are no clean ones left. Even an overflowing bin isn’t an obvious enough hint that it might need to be taken out.
If you haven’t had this housemate, then count yourself lucky that you’ve dodged the awkward messages in the group chat that subtly remind everyone to clean up after themselves. Consider this a gentle nudge to not be that housemate- and avoid the shared-kitchen politics.
The Fashion Icon
This student comes to uni every day looking like they’ve just stepped out of a Pinterest board. Oxford Road is their catwalk and the wardrobe is Salomon’s and an Arc’teryx raincoat (the UoM uniform).
You think you’ve done well by choosing to wear jeans over joggers, only for these students to walk past in the most effortlessly put-together outfit. That extra half hour they dedicate each morning choosing the perfect outfit clearly pays off, because if you’re ever feeling uninspired, just keep an eye out for what trend they’re currently setting.
The Group Project Leader
As soon as the group project is assigned, there’s always one student who naturally assumes the role as the leader. They allocate tasks to each member and send friendly reminders to make sure everything is completed on a strict schedule.
They create the group chat, organise the meetings and book the library study rooms. Often, they pick up the slack for the student who takes a back seat and carefully review everyone else’s work. If it weren’t for them, the project definitely wouldn’t do as well- or might not even get done at all- which almost makes up for them getting aired in the group chat and quietly policing everyone’s schedules.
From the organised note-taker to the finance bro, you are likely to have come across at least one of these characters- and chances are, you might embody one of them yourself.