How to make the most of Second Semester

Mireille Harper - Student Contributoron 23 January 2015
How to make the most of Second Semester

Did you feel like you didn't make the most of first semester? Don't make the same mistake again in 2015...

1. Make the most of Friends and Family

If there’s one thing that the Christmas holidays teaches you, it’s to spend more time with your friends and family. With four weeks off, you’re finally given the opportunity to catch up on all of the stories you’ve missed, and to see what’s changed in everyone’s lives over the past year. Most of all, there’s always someone remarking that ‘Meeting up more often has to happen!’ and ‘It shouldn’t be another year’ until you see each other again. Once you’re in the New Year, however, it’s easy to push seeing friends and family to the end of your list of priorities, especially when your Uni work is piling up. If the opportunity arises, when you have a free weekend or mid-week break, why not take a trip to see your friends at other unis, or even family members that you haven’t seen in a long time, especially if they’re nearby!

2. Make the most of breaks

The great thing about Second Semester is that there are a lot more opportunities to go and explore. If you have a reading week, this will be around February, and since there’s Easter, you’ll have about a month and a half off from uni, so take advantage of travelling! And since Christmas is the peak time for holidaying, breaks and mini getaways won’t be anyway near as expensive! Even better, around May/April, the weather will be picking up all over Europe, so even if you stay in the UK, it will be nice and warm! Hopefully…

beach break

3. Take advantage of clubs and bars

Second semester is the time when students really start knuckling down. There aren’t as many events as in Autumn/Winter, when you have September full of Freshers’ events, October full of Halloween events, November full of fireworks and fairs, and December full of Christmassy events. January may be the time for ‘refreshers’ but after this, clubs and bars aren’t as packed in February, March and April, meaning you can nice nights out without feeling like a tinned sardine!

uni clubs and bars

4. Take advantage of the sales

If you’re not really a boxing day/black Friday/cyber Monday, kind of person, January is a super month for shopping. And if you want to make the most out of your wardrobe and wallet in second semester, the final sales are for you. Starting around the beginning of January and ending towards the start of February, you can get electronics, books, music and clothing for up to 90% off.

sales

5. Planning your revision/exam timetables

As there’s not as much going on in Second Semester, it’s a great time to plan your exams, essay deadlines and so on. As most unis start late September/early October and finish around mid-December, it can also feel like you’re cramming in a lot of work. Set aside a week, maybe after January deadlines/exams, to plan out your revision and studying in detail, and you won’t find it as stressful to meet your targets.

failure or success

6. Live up to your New Year’s Resolutions

Even if you’re not a fan of resolutions, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t set yourself a target for the year. After dozens of roast dinners, you may feel you’ll need a gym membership anyway! If you’ve always been a cautious person, try something outside of your comfort zone! Even if it’s literally something as small as relaxing more or taking the time to see friends and family more frequently, why not try to achieve it? If you set yourself one goal at the start of your Second Semester, attempt to have succeeded by the end. Chances are you’ll feel a lot better about yourself!

puppy and weights

7. Plan your Summer

The best bit of all! The countdown to summer can commence, since it’s this year! January to April is the perfect time to start looking at flights, hotels, festival ticket release dates and more! Since Christmas is a busy time, your course friends or housemates may have worked temporarily over the holidays, or have been given cash as a Christmas present, meaning they have spare money! Since prices are rock bottom over the Second Semester period, it’s the best time to plan and book, and will make Second Semester seem a lot more fun!

summer

Before you Go...

READ/LEAVE REVIEWS ON YOUR COURSE MODULES HERE!

Mireille Harper - Student Contributoron 23 January 2015