Taking the leap from school to university can be an exciting yet tiring time for some students. Everything is new and if you have moved to university it may be one of the first times that you have been on your own.
Knowing when you should be in class and when you have time off is vital for succeeding at university as it not only gives you time to relax but it also gives you time to plan out your revision and essay writing periods.
No, Universities do not have a half term break. In University your will study for 3 semesters, Spring, Summer and Winter. Your breaks in between these semesters will typically last 3+ weeks.
Moving to university is a challenge in itself and getting around the country and back for a 1 or 2-week break often isn’t worth it for students. Although student storage can help with keeping your goods safe when you are away, typically a small break such as half-term would cause more problems than it would solve for university students.
Term times will vary from university to university so our advice is to check with the university of your choice to see their term times and the breaks that you have through the year. Most of this information though will be brought up during your first week of uni so that you can plan accordingly.
If you are staying at university we would recommend hiring a storage unit in advance if you need to leave your items without being worried that they may get damaged or stolen.
Going to university can be a challenging time and failing to plan out your year can make it much harder than it needs to be. University courses can stretch from 3-to 7 years depending on your course so being stressed for all of that time isn’t good.
Students can use their time off in multiple ways. Some students may need the time to unwind and relax. Going out every night, studying during the day and repeating for a whole semester can take its toll on your body so be sure to relax when possible as you will then be ready to tackle the new semester ahead.
For other students, time off is a great way of remembering all you learned from the previous semester by looking at your revision notes. You can also use this time to map out and work on any assignments that are due when the new semester starts.
As a student, you may not want to use your time off to study, but if you are finding yourself struggling with your course or you simply want better grades at university then using your time off will help you with this and minimise the stress that you put yourself under.
You may also want to get a part-time job when university breaks up. This will help you with your cost of living and will allow you to go on those nights out at university which makes university an enjoyable experience. When looking for part-time jobs check out your student union for job adverts, and check local bars, restaurants and hotels to see if they need any help too.
There are also job boards for students so be sure to check your area for jobs available. Our tip is to make sure you don’t get taken advantage of when working as a student and if your job gets in the way of your study to either get a new one or leave.
The money you earn from a part-time job may seem useful now but when you leave university and do other things in your life such as buy a home or start a family these wages won’t last long. Use your part-time job to make your university experience more enjoyable but don’t let it get in the way of studying.
Making the change from school to university does require some adjustment. You may not get half term and semesters are longer but when you do get a break from university, the break is longer and you have more freedom than in school. If you are going to university this year and you are concerned about not getting half term, don’t worry, you will adapt and will have an amazing time at university.