With the mid-year break upon us, you might be stuck on things to do if you haven’t got anything yet planned. While it may seem like a relatively short break, there’s still plenty of activities you can fit in to get the most out of it:
- Travel
If you have the time and a little bit of money, travelling is a great way to spend your free time during the break. Whether you’re visiting the closest major city, going interstate or overseas, travelling can be a great way to explore and experience what different places have to offer.
- Volunteer
Volunteering is an immeasurably rewarding way to spend your time. Places to volunteer can include your local pet shelter, local sporting events, aged care homes and community clean up initiatives. Websites such as govolunteer are great starting points to find local volunteering opportunities.
- Catch up with friends
Whether you’re catching up with friends you haven’t seen for a while or organising plans with your university friends, social interactions are a great way to wind down and enjoy your time. You can take a trip to the beach, watch a movie or visit a local bar or restaurant.
- Exercise
Now that you have no excuses such as university commitments, now is the best time to improve your physical (and mental!) health by exercising. Whether you commit to 20 minutes of yoga in the morning, a walk each day, a hike or a visit to your local gym, exercising is a great way to clear your mind while improving your physical health, and can be continued when you return from the break.
- Get organised
The mid-year break is a great time to organise your notes and anything else related to university. This can include putting your notes into separate folders by subject or topic, making lists of things to do during or after the break, or printing diagrams. It can also include marking those important dates in a diary or calendar for the coming session.
- Study
With first semester exams now over, it may seem like any thought of study should be avoided. However, it’s never too late to prepare for your second session subjects, especially if you have a subject that continues from the first to second session. Use this time to print out subject outlines and brush up on the more prominent notes relevant to your course.
- Stock up
The mid-year break is the perfect time to check what you do and don’t have for university, such as a raincoat for winter or stationery such as highlighters that you’ve run out of. This can also include buying non-perishable food items that you may be low on, such as cereals. Use this time to make a list of what you need to buy, and actually go out and buy them! Organising this during the beginning of the break will allow you free time later in the break, and when you return to university you can focus on the really important things (like uni!).
Image: gita-online
By Rogina Torabinejad
