The Best Ways to Spend Your Time Between University Terms
With nearly two-thirds of a million applicants to universities in the start of 2022, a serious contingent of new students is set to land in further education come the autumn. If you’re one of them, you are bound to be incredibly excited and nervous in equal measure. University is a life-changing experience, but a little guidance can go a long way. Here are some ideas for how to handle your downtime, between the madness of university terms.
Catch Up on Work
Studying at university intensive by necessity, and it can be easy to feel like you’re falling behind with the breakneck pace of terms. Term breaks are a great chance to get caught up once again, whether with coursework or course reading lists.
Even if your break is due to the end of a semester, there is a lot you can do to prepare yourself for the next. There will be significant reading lists for each of your modules or units, as well as course rubrics you can study to get a feel for the term to come. You may even be able to get a head-start on coursework, if you aren’t already concerned with the completion of your dissertation.
Visit Family
Important as it is to keep abreast of your studies, term breaks are also the only meaningful length of time you can use to visit family at home – which should of course be a priority. However, travelling home between terms may be a tricky prospect, due to the leaving of your personal belongings in your accommodation.
Safe storage can be a solution for keeping your possessions safe; if you were visiting home from the University of Liverpool, you could utilise self-storage units in Liverpool to keep your valuables well looked after in your absence.
Start a Project
You may already be on top of your workload, giving you additional time with which to do as you wish. This time can be great for nurturing a skill or hobby outside of your course’s remit, such as a vocational craft like woodwork or even knitting. Giving time to a hobby is a great way to keep your mind sharp without burning out on your course.
You could also use this time for a specific project, whether a ‘side-hustle’ to bring additional funds in or a business project you intend to launch following your graduation. Using your free time, and the skills and knowledge from your studies, you can set yourself up for longer-term success.
Simply Take a Break
The pressure to succeed is high at university, and it is absolutely possible to put too much pressure on yourself. Even with the punishing demands of your course modules, it is crucial that you find some downtime to simply relax, and rejuvenate yourself ahead of the next term.
Relaxing can look different to different people, so don’t worry too much if minimising your activities sounds more anxiety-inducing than relaxing. For you, you may find that your batteries recharge better when socialising with friends – and between terms, when your workload is at a relative minimum, can be the best possible time to schedule some meaningful hangouts and social activities.
