Blog
Balancing youth work, university, tutoring, and volunteering makes for a demanding but rewarding week. Meet Mohammed, a third year Youth Work and Communities student. His schedule takes him from Sheffield to Birmingham for lectures, evening youth sessions and weekend tutoring, all while managing ADHD and sleep struggles. Here’s a glimpse into his routine - busy, unpredictable, and deeply meaningful.
Monday
10am – I wake up, stretch, and take a moment to centre myself. Sleep is a struggle, so I don’t always wake up at the same time. If I’ve had a rough night, I give myself grace and ease into the morning. Meditation helps—The Daily Jay by Jay Shetty and The Daily Calm by Tamara Levitt are my go-to sessions on the Calm app which helps set me up for the day and allow me to feel more regulated.
11.30am – I pack my bag and drive to the train station for the 12.15pm train to Birmingham, I use this time to listen to a podcast or music.
1.30pm – I grab a coffee from Leon and head to Curzon for teaching. My Youth Work and Communities lectures run from 12.50pm to 5.00pm, with breaks in between. The modules are intense but rewarding, focusing on safeguarding, violence prevention, and multi-agency work. I'm also applying what I learned directly to my youth work practice.
6pm – I usually stay at Curzon until 9 or 10pm to catch up on coursework or spend time with friends from my course. If I’m near Birmingham New Street, I sometimes grab discounted food from Wasabi before heading to my hostel or hotel for the night.
10.30pm – I wind down with stretching and a body scan meditation. Sleep doesn’t always come easily, so I listen to an audiobook or calming music to help relax my mind. This really helps me slow down my thoughts after a busy day and have a better night sleep.
Tuesday
8am – I wake up and get ready for another day of lectures. My final lecture ends by 1pm, and I take the 2.15pm train back to Sheffield, arriving home before 4pm.
4.30pm – I eat, recharge, and prepare for my evening youth club session with Friends of High, the SEN charity I run. We provide a much-needed space for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).This provision is quite close to my heart, with my own lived experience of ADHD and being able to mirror my personal experiences to support and empower young people in a community space.
6.30pm – 8.30pm – The youth club is one of the few of its kind in Sheffield, and funding is always a challenge. I’ve been reaching out to supermarkets including Asda and businesses like Lush for support with donations and fundraising. Despite the struggles, seeing the young people thrive makes it all worth it, boosting my determination to do what I can with my team to ensure the provision stays open.
9.30pm – After the session, I wind down by watching something on Netflix or ITV. I recently finished The Traitors, which I loved for its insight into human psychology.
Wednesday
10am – Today is a slower start. I wake up later after a hectic start to the week. I do some light stretching, use my spiky prana ball to relieve tension in my upper back, and listen to a podcast.
12pm – 5pm – I have my weekly therapy session in the city centre which I really value as a way of processing my thoughts/feelings in a dedicated space. I then go to my work office and spend the afternoon on university work, including planning for my placement module (which connects to my job as a youth worker and lead SEND youth worker). I also have meetings related to work and upcoming projects.
6pm – 9pm – Sheffield City Council youth work. I lead sessions, collaborating with Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday amongst other services. I've also been planning a food heritage project called Food Narratives, where young people explore global cuisines and cook dishes from different cultures. This follows consultations with young people in our provisions who come from diverse backgrounds, stating that they haven’t had the opportunity to explore their own food heritage, as well as various gaps in other services which we hope to address, so that young people who access our youth clubs are able to feel more connected to their communities and cultural identities.
10pm – After work, I decompress with a short audiobook or meditation, then sleep!
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Thursday
10am – Another slow morning, focusing on self-care and university work. I try to stretch, meditate, and go through emails and my calendar.
12pm – 5pm – Today, I focus on securing funding for Friends of High. Keeping the charity running is tough, so I spend time contacting donors, drafting funding proposals, and networking with local businesses for support.
6pm – 9pm – Another youth work session with my my main placement at Sheffield City Council. I work in a more affluent part of Sheffield, in the South West with a small team of youth workers, after recognising that there has been a limited youth work provision for over four decades, I'm now trying to bring this back as youth work should be universal for all young people. I’ve worked in diverse areas, and I enjoy getting to know the young people in different communities who have a plethora of experiences and strengths.
9.30pm – I spend time unwinding, maybe watching a show or chatting with friends. I’ve realised how important it is to make space for self-care instead of always being on edge. Winding down, and often not doing anything, is key for reducing burnout, and has also helped to build my mental presence and performance in different areas of my life.
Friday
10am – Morning routine as usual: meditation, stretching, and light movement to reset after a long week.
12pm – 5pm – I catch up on coursework, respond to emails, and plan for the weekend. My modules focus on violence prevention and mental health, so I try to keep up with recent studies and research. I am also the lead for the youth work student network. This has been a highlight of the course as a way of networking with other students, academics and practitioners in the youth and community work field across Birmingham and more widely in the UK.
6pm – 9pm – Final youth work session of the week! Fridays are more relaxed, and we often do creative activities or sports.
10pm – I unwind and plan for the weekend ahead. I spend time with family and often do some cooking and meal prep for the week ahead.
Saturday
10.30pm – I wake up later today after a full week. Some days, I go to the gym, other days I take it easy.
12pm – 2pm – Private tutoring through Spark Academy. I have a caseload of two young people with SEND, helping them with schoolwork and confidence-building. I recently started tutoring which has been really nice, as I’ve always wanted to do more collaborative work with parents and in homes.
3pm – Afternoons are flexible. Sometimes, I meet up with friends, other times, I focus on self-care, watching a show or listening to an audiobook. I also quite like visiting the city centre in Sheffield. I just find a nice café like the Chakra Lounge to drink a matcha latte (my favourite drink and place to go!) to sit, read or listen to something. I also quite like having conversations with the staff who I have positive relationships with, and it’s just nice to catch up on what’s going on in our lives.
7pm – I relax in the evening. Black Doves on Netflix has been a recent favourite.
Sunday
10.30am – Another slow morning with meditation and stretching. I reflect on the past week and set intentions for the next one.
12pm – 1pm – Another tutoring session. Seeing my students’ progress is one of the most fulfilling parts of my week.
3pm – I work on my NSPCC online volunteering training, which aligns with my long-term goal of working in youth crime prevention. This is important to me, especially given recent incidents in Sheffield.
6pm – I prepare for the week ahead, going through my schedule and tasks.
9pm – I end the week with body scan meditation and audiobooks or calming music before bed.