Before you leave uni

Make sure you’ve done the following before you head off for the holidays:

Book your train/flight tickets home

If you know which day you’re heading home for the festive period, book your tickets in advance.
This will likely save you more money than if you were to buy them on the day of travel. Important, especially if your student loan is running a little low…

Save a bit more cash by being flexible on your route, time and date of travel, booking online and investing in a 16-25 railcard for a third off rail fares. Mature students over 25 in full-time education are also eligible.

Get as much work done now as possible

Put in a few more hours in the library before the end of term, so you don’t have unfinished work hanging over you during Easter break.

If you have a deadline before the end of term, try to hand everything in as soon as you can (without compromising on the quality, of course). If you can, you may be able to leave uni a few days sooner and get more quality home time.

Return library books 

A pain point for many students over the break: remembering that unreturned library book sitting in your uni room, accumulating late charges by the day.

Check with the library before you leave that you’ve either returned any due books, or that you have time to return them once you’re back on campus.

Tidy up your room

Picture the scene: on your return, the post-holiday blues have kicked in and you’re missing the comforts of home. The last thing you want to face is a messy room with the leftovers from last month’s assignment-writing chaos strewn across your desk (or worse, mice have moved in because you didn’t take out your rubbish).
Recycle any work papers you don’t need anymore (and file away the ones you will need), run the vacuum cleaner round and change your linen so you can jump into bed on your first night back.

The same goes for communal areas; don’t forget to clear out the fridge and the bins. It’s definitely one of the more productive ways you can procrastinate!

Essential packing

How you’re travelling home will affect what you can pack. Take back just enough clothing to tide you over during the break – avoid lugging a black bag of weeks-old laundry.

Do bring back any valuables, including laptops and tablets. Plus, don’t forget materials you’ll need for any uni work you need to complete over the break.

 

Locking up

Take sensible security precautions: lock doors and windows, keep items out of sight and don’t publicise on social media when you’ll be away.

 

Figure out housing for next year

While you’re away from the ‘uni bubble’, think about who you might want to live within the next academic year and start making plans – we’ve found that depending on where you study, you might have to start looking for housing before the end of your first term.  Who are you missing most, out of your uni mates? It might be a sign of who you’ll get on best within a house or flat-share.

• Finding private housing for second year

 

Enjoy the downtime

And finally, remember to recharge away! There’s the final round coming, and preparing for exams might be exhausting, so enjoy your time away.

Once refreshed, you’ll be ready for the final countdown . .