Ever wondering what it is really like working from home as a graduate in 2021? Jenny takes you through a graduate day in the life working from home.
08.00
My alarm goes off. I lean over to turn it off and immediately fall back asleep. Ten minutes later another alarm goes off and this time I turn it off and make an attempt to sit up. I climb out of bed to the bathroom and quickly check my phone for news updates. I open the curtains, turn on BBC breakfast and make a green tea.
Since the start of lockdown I have been learning Spanish on duolingo. I have a running streak of over 365 days and I like to make sure I tick it off early in the day before I forget. Today I’m learning about emotions: Yo estoy cansada hoy.
09.30
As the clock turns to 9.30 I move over to my desk in the bedroom and get out my laptop. My desk double ups as a makeup table and I have to move my mirror and eye shadow palettes to make space for my mouse.
My work currently has daily stand ups at 9.30 so as soon as I log on I put on my headset and join the meeting. Everyone usually has their camera on so I make sure I’m looking presentable first! We go through the priorities of the day and by the end of the call I feel a lot more awake and motivated to get started.
10.00
This morning I have a report due and the deadline is 11. I spend the next hour proofreading the report and adjusting the formatting so it’s ready to go.
After this is done I have a catch up with my manager. We spend half the time talking about what we are baking at the weekend (I’m attempting bread rolls). I then have a bit of time before lunch to do some preparation for my meetings in the afternoon and plan for the upcoming week.
12.30
I finish up for the morning and start my lunch break. If I was in the office, I would only take half an hour for lunch. But since I’ve started working from home, I like to opt for an hour lunch break where I can so I can go on a walk and have time to cook something to eat.
Today I walk down by the nearby canal. My partner comes with me and we spend the walk talking about his new business venture that he is starting.
For Lunch I make a mozzarella and pesto toastie. This is a new lockdown obsession of mine and my lunch of choice for the last month.
13.30
I move back to my work laptop and sign off. I immediately check my email and teams chat to see what I’ve missed in the last hour.
I have an afternoon of meetings to look forward to including a regular team planning session. My time spent planning this morning means I’m well prepared though.
I dart between meetings, trying to fit in time to make a tea between two (I end up joining the second one 5 minutes late).
My meetings finish at 16.30 and I spent the next 30 minutes writing out the actions from the meetings and organising my notes.
18.00.
I finish up for the day and turn off my laptop. I put my laptop and headset away in the draw. Out of sight, out of mind! Before I have a chance to sit down and get tired, I change into my gym clothes ready for a workout. Today I do a 45 minute yoga session on my FRAME online member subscription.
19.30
After my workout, I take a shower and then get ready to make dinner of the evening. Today I’m making a quick cheesy pasta.
After dinner I make a milky decaf coffee (I am a long life fan of nescafe azera) and sit down to watch an episode of the Queen’s Gambit. This was a big hit last year but I have only just got around to watch it.
Naturally I love it since the chess games appeals to the mathematician in me and in addition the fashion in the show is absolutely beautiful.
After the episode I tidy up the kitchen and finish my chores for the day
22.00
I like to spend time winding down for bed without technology so I get out my book and spend some time reading before bed. During lockdown I have done a lot of reading. I like to switch between fiction and non-fiction books. At the moment I’m reading the psychology of money by Morgan Housel. I can highly recommend this book, especially if you are beginner to investing like myself. It explains the basics in an engaging way with a big focus on human behaviour when it comes to money.
23.30
My boyfriend and I turn the lights down and start another episode of the queen gambit. We only watch half of it though before it starts to get too late and we decide it’s bed time.
Finally, I set my alarm for 8.00 the next day, ready to do it all again!
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Not sure if an office job is right for you? Read my guide for how to work out what you want to do after university here.
