It’s nearly summer and the long university holidays are stretching far into the future. Your Glide bills for the year have been paid, the last essay has been uploaded and the sun is shining into your bedroom window as you pack for home.
But what to do with the coming months? It’s easy to dream of your Mum’s home cooking, afternoons in the beer garden and no deadline stress but vegging on the sofa will only be fun for a week or so.
It’s good to make a plan to really make the most of the break and here are our suggestions:
Rest and relaxation
In the first few days after coming home it will feel lovely to be back in familiar surroundings with the people you grew up with, be they family or friends. Appreciate the peace and not having to be anywhere at any particular time. It’s vital to re-charge as it will leave you full of energy and enthusiasm for the exciting things ahead.
Get a part time job
There’s no getting around it – a good time sometimes needs a little bit of cash to fund it. Cocktails, dancing and ‘educational’ trips to the art gallery aren’t ever free!
Work some hours but don’t cane it and feel more tired at the start of the new semester than you did at the last. Make sure it’s a job you enjoy too. Some of the most fun days I’ve ever had were with a great team waitressing at a well-known chicken restaurant, it made paying my all-inclusive bills much easier and I met some awesome friends.
Volunteer
Always keep an eye on the health of your soul – and your CV! There are loads of opportunities to volunteer your time and expertise. It could be visiting the elderly in your neighbourhood, feeding the homeless at a soup kitchen or building a school in Nepal. Whatever life affirming task you choose, the experience and skills gained will make it one of the most worthwhile things you ever spend a sunny summer day doing. It might even be an idea to continue your volunteering work when you return to University.
Spend time with your family
They have missed you. If close relatives seem a little clingy and overwhelming in your first days home then just be patient, the novelty of your return will wear off after the fifth load of washing and being woken up by you stumbling noisily home at 3am.
Take the time to talk and catch up and you, and they, will feel so much happier. Little sister might want to go swimming, Mum will want to feed you up and Dad will be well impressed when you share that you have taken on his financial wisdoms and paid all your Glide bills on time.
Do some university work
Stop twitching! We’re not talking lots … just enough to get a little bit ahead next semester. Check on your reading lists, do a bit of research on the topics coming up and start thinking of possible dissertation titles. All easy stuff which will leave you feeling virtuous and more than ready for the challenges ahead. It’s also a thought to do this soon after you return home and not wait until the night before returning to uni!
Start preparing for your new digs
Early in the run-up to the summer holidays is the best time to start looking for a student house if you are leaving university accommodation. Decide who you want to share your Glide student bills with, find a great little (or large!) house in an area close to uni and the pub and then start planning. Chat with Glide about the fantastic value all-inclusive bills they charge for all essential utilities, go shopping for fancy house stuff and get excited about a place of your own. Just remember that choosing your housemates carefully is part of the process and you will need to get on and ensure your time at uni is a rewarding one – choose badly and you’ll be lumbered with housemates who aren’t as much fun as you had first thought and who don’t do the washing up (theirs!) or the cleaning. They probably resent paying the bills for electricity and gas too but with Glide that won’t be a worry for you.
It helps that the mundane and scary stuff such as contacting utility and broadband providers will be taken care of and you just get one bill for everything.
For more help and information about Glide bills and why they can help make your uni days memorable without stressing over money, then speak with the team today by calling 0333 666 5555.