The summer break is upon us and students everywhere are wondering how to spend this precious time - and how it will be affected by the coronavirus. Here are five top tips for making the most of your summer break.
The summer break is upon us and students everywhere are wondering how to spend this precious time - and how it will be affected by the coronavirus. Here are five top tips for making the most of your summer break.
While you might be tempted to get stuck into next year’s topics and reading list, make sure you’re setting aside plenty of time this summer to relax and recharge - it’s been quite a stressful first half of the year, after all! While it’s always a good idea to get a feel for what you will be studying when term starts, it’s also very important to make sure you avoid burnout. Schedule in no-study days and book in fun, relaxing activities, to break up the summer and give your mind time to recharge. Make sure to get some fresh air and exercise - getting out and about and moving around has a really positive effect on mental health, which will put you in a good place when it’s time for uni.
Nothing against PlayStation, but you can’t put trophies on your CV. While looking for fun things to do this summer, try to see if there is anything you can do which will help your career goals, or give you some relevant experience ahead of next year’s studies. While options might be slightly limited this year in light of the pandemic and the social distancing measures it has brought about, there may still be opportunities to gain experience remotely, and you are always free to pursue your own endeavours, such as charity work, maintaining a creative outlet, or playing sports.
If you’re going to university for the first time, there would already be a bunch of things to familiarise yourself with and get used to. But the coronavirus pandemic has added a whole new layer of things you’ll have to get your head around pretty quickly. Will your course be taught online next year? Chances are that at least some of it will be, although a recent poll showed the vast majority of universities are planning to incorporate face-to-face teaching at some point in the new academic year, so hopefully you won’t be working 100% remotely. Many universities, including Dundee and Salford, have published updates regarding their plans for next year. Take the time now to read them, so that you know what to expect and it’s all a bit less of a culture shock later in the year.
One worry that you can rid from your mind early in the summer is where you will be staying next year. If your UCAS choices are made and your offers and predicted grades look pretty firm, finding a place to live in the university city you plan to study in will be a huge step towards a nice, relaxing summer. The worst thing you can do on this one is… well, nothing, because then you’ll be rushing around at the end of the break trying to arrange accommodation. With Mears you can book with confidence, thanks to the range of flexible options we have put together to support people in these unusual times.
If there’s one thing 2020 has taught us, it’s the value of our relationships. Not being able to see people IRL earlier in the year was a real wakeup call to some: not only did it highlight the people we missed and cared for the most, it also showed in some cases those relationships we haven’t been spending enough time on in the past year. So whether it’s through video chat, meeting up in a socially distanced and responsible way, or picking up the good old mobile for a chat, make sure to let your people know that they matter to you.Looking for a place to live next academic year? Look at our student accommodation options and live your best student life with MSL.
Please complete all sections below