Skip to content

A day in the life of a first year Human Nutrition & Dietetics student

laura holding coffee
laura holding coffee

COVID has really changed how I had pictured my first year to end, post-exam celebrations and picnics in the parks, hiring bikes to explore the city and maybe even a trip to the sea. I like to tell myself it would have been raining anyway, it is Wales after all! Instead I’m sat at home with my parents reflecting on what a great time I had in Cardiff, despite it being a shorter period of time than planned, but in a positive light, second year is going to be amazing.

In early March I filmed what a typical day looked like as a first-year dietitian at Cardiff Met, you can watch this on the CardiffMet Instagram page as a highlight under the name of ‘Dietetics DIL’.

To start my day I like to drink a couple of cups of coffee and do some reading before making breakfast, in my bag I take:

  • Catering coat (for my bi-weekly kitchen practical)
  • Lined paper
  • A few pens
  • My laptop – to open up lecture slides allowing me to take notes
  • Water
  • Snacks
  • More snacks
  • Some Tupperware (to take leftovers from cooking to eat for lunch)
, A day in the life of a first year Human Nutrition & Dietetics student, CARDIFF MET BLOG
Watch my ‘Day in the Life’ Instagram takeover here!

Arriving at uni, myself and all the other members of my catering group kitted up in coats and hair nets (and beard nets) before we begin cooking. One of my favourite practical’s that stood out to me is the comparison between shop bought and homemade food, where my group cooked a vegetable lasagne from scratch to be compared with a shop-bought ready meal lasagne by taste, looks, cost, easiness, time and more. What I love about these sessions is not only the taste testing of all the different meals made in the kitchen, but also when the Tupperware comes out and we get to take the leftovers for lunch or back for dinner.

On this particular day, I had three hours of nutrition lectures after lunch, where we focus on studying different micronutrients (macronutrients were studied in first term). These lectures are incredibly interesting and are so different to anything I’ve studied before coming to university.

After a walk back from uni, I snack on some homemade chocolate ginger bars and then kitted up for a run. I met some running friends pretty quickly after moving to Cardiff, because first year has been so busy I havent been able to join any sports clubs (yet!), but I always make sure to fit in some exercise; Cardiff is a beautiful city to run in and I’ve loved exploring it on foot and by bike.

Following my run, I then cook up dinner in the kitchen and enjoy talking to my flatmates. I have been blessed with some amazing flatmates, which definitely added to my first-year experience.

, A day in the life of a first year Human Nutrition & Dietetics student, CARDIFF MET BLOG
I had three hours of nutrition lectures after lunch, where we focus on studying different micronutrients (macronutrients were studied in first term). These lectures are incredibly interesting and are so different to anything I’ve studied before coming to university.

Most weekdays for me end up with some of my notes from the day being written up (I prefer to transfer from my laptop to paper to reinforce information in my memory) and filed away before spending time with my flatmates before picking up a book and heading to bed, but on most Thursdays I head to CU and I catch up on note summaries the next day.

On the Instagram takeover I answered some questions submitted by some who were following along, if those answers don’t help you feel free to message me on Instagram: @Elfy_Living and ask me (almost) anything about uni/dietetics/Cardiff city/accommodation.