Hi! I'm Sophie a second-year dentistry student here at RCSI.

A typical day as a dental student in Sandyford starts around 7:00am and ends around 5:00pm, but the reality is that no two days look the same. Between morning lectures, enquiry-based learning (EBL) group cases, hands-on simulation labs and patient care in the clinic, it is a constant balancing act. Here is an unfiltered day in my life, in case you are wondering what you are getting yourself into.

7:00am: Getting ready and the commute

My day starts at 7:00am when I get ready. I take the Luas to Sandyford because the dental building is there. On my commute, I drink my coffee on the Luas and listen to music. I definitely do not do assignments.

9:00am: Morning lectures and EBL 

Starting the morning with lectures isn’t too bad because it eases you into the day. Depending on the day, our schedule might mix morning lectures with EBL groups where we work collaboratively on clinical cases.

• Current focus: We are currently diving into topics like viruses, immunity and professionalism to help guide us through clinic.
• Looking back: Last year, our academic focus was heavily centred around anatomy.

11:00am: Study break and second-floor breakout space

When there’s a block of free time between classes or EBL, my friends and I make the most of it.

• Where we go: We spend lots of our time in the second-floor breakout space or pop over to the Dunnes nearby if we need to grab something.
• Studying: When we are studying together, we help each other as best as we can. I usually make notes and try to understand it all before testing myself.

1:00pm: Lunch time

Lunch is usually at 1:00pm. I usually bring something from home, but there is a Dunnes nearby where I can grab food if I am stuck.

2:00pm: Simulation labs and clinic

Some days are heavy on practical and clinical work.

• SDLE (Simulation Lab): On Wednesdays, we have simulation lab where we do anything from practising scaling to restorations, which is quite hands-on.
• Clinic: On other days, we head into clinic where the work varies from check-ups and cleanings to radiographs and fillings.

5:00pm: Unwinding and evening food

We have so much fun together outside of classes. We especially love grabbing an Xian before heading to the library or grabbing a coffee in Oakberry.

6:30pm: Evening and getting settled

After coming home, I make dinner, catch up on cleaning my room and the kitchen and sometimes call my parents. If I need to look over something for tomorrow, I will do it and try to get to sleep as early as I can, although this is usually not the case.