How to make the most of semester three as a Liverpool Uni student experiencing a flop

If semester one and two weren’t your vibe, it’s time to make a comeback as summer approaches

8 months ago

With only six weeks of the uni year left to face for most students in Liverpool right now, the spring break becomes a bittersweet time to reflect on how your university experience has been going since September. Whether you’re a first year looking back on how far you’ve come in such a short space of time, or a third year doing your dissertation and wishing you could just stay in your uni house forever and avoid the “real world” out there, everyone will have some mixed emotions when it comes to the expectations you held when you took your first steps into a brand new city.

However, no matter how you’re feeling about uni at this point in time, there’s always a fresh start around the corner, and the final term of the year is a perfect time to break some bad habits and really get your life in order. The sunny days are coming, pub gardens are calling, and walks around Sefton Park have never looked better – here’s our (not so definitive) guide to making the most of term three in Liverpool to get all of us back on track.

1. Getting into a good study routine

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It sounds cliché, we know, but at the core of university is managing your never-ending workload, and forcing yourself to have a study session in the library rather than frolicking in the beer garden at The Sphinx with your flatmates every afternoon. Putting an end to the 4am sleep schedule will work wonders not only for your productivity, but also your mental health – feeling organised and successful by sticking to a good working routine will help you thrive during exam season. Just think of all the pints you’ll drink during summer when all your assignments are handed in at the end of the year. Life is good.

2. Working harder, but partying just as hard

Now, to contradict the motivational speech of our first point, not allowing yourself to let loose and socialise with your friend groups through exam season is also a recipe for disaster; a positive work/social balance is key to getting the most out of your final days of the year, because nobody wants to look back at their uni experience and feel like they were forced to stay in every night to finish some coursework.

Keep in touch with home friends and family and organise trips to see them, have coffee dates with your course mates and never EVER skip the Wednesday night social. At the end of the day, you’re here to have fun as much as you’re here to get a degree, so make the most of it! I didn’t believe anyone when they said your time at uni flies by without you noticing, but I sure do now.

3. Falling in love with your uni kitchen again

Go on, swipe up and off those takeaway delivery apps, I dare you. Although the temptation to treat yourself to a cheeky UberEats order is pretty strong from time to time, we know full well that we rinsed our bank accounts enough last term when we needed a serotonin boost during the winter months. By prepping and cooking your favourite comfort meals from home, or planning a big flat dinner a few times a month, you’ll automatically start to feel better than you did during that week you only ate microwave mac “n” cheese.

4. Making summer plans to look forward to

Sometimes the last few weeks of a uni term just aren’t it, and you’re in desperate need for exciting plans to look forward to that consist of something along the lines of festivals, holidays, city trips, picnics, cinema visits or day drinking sessions with your pals. As the sun comes out, we all start to feel better, and if your uni experience isn’t quite what you were looking for, the summer break can become a time of rebalance, rest and recuperation that will give you a well-needed boost. And to top it all off, you’ve made some lifelong uni friends already that you can travel across the country to go and visit and catch up! Anything that gives you something to work towards is a yes from us.

5. Finding new hobbies and activities to do

The girls know that a good self-care night in after a Sunday reset is the ideal way to go into a brand new week feeling like a fresh and put together it-girl. But adopting a new hobby or activity at any point during the year is so accessible at uni, so try and branch out! Anything from fitness and gym related habits to reading, journalling, learning a new instrument, starting a new TV show or having a film night with your friends can really help to boost your mood and give you something to be excited about after a long day. And leading onto my next point, there are societies for almost everything that can help you get started…

6. Realising it’s never too late to join a society

Societies at uni may sound daunting to some, and incredible for others, but there is a guarantee that you’ll meet likeminded people that will eventually become your forever friends, whilst also learning so much about yourself and your new hobbies. They’re a great way to put yourself out there, and you never know, you might be attending a ball, a formal or a pub crawl in the near future for a course or activity that you absolutely love! Liverpool is packed with opportunities to join groups and attend events, such as the women’s only walking group GirlsOnTheGo (which we absolutely love).

7. Treating yourself to things that make you happy

A little sweet treat here and there never goes amiss when you’re not feeling 100 per cent yourself. Not only are you making the most of the corner shops planted right outside your accommodation, but you’re putting a smile on your face for rewarding yourself for ticking everything off your to-do list. An afternoon tour of the vintage shops on Bold Street, grabbing a coffee with friends, or taking a mooch around Sefton Park might be up there with your favourite things to do – so do them! You only live once.

8. Taking time to explore the city you’re calling home now

And above all, feeling comfortable in your new home city and exploring the hidden gems away from the uni campus is essential to feeling as if you’re truly making the most of the uni experience. Moving miles away from home to a brand new place can be so scary, so familiarise yourself with the city you’re living in and explore as much as you can. You never know what you’ll find! And after all, it is one of the best cities in the entire world. Fact.

But this is only our short guide to term three as a Liverpool student. There are endless opportunities to be found here, you just have to go out and search for them. Surrounding yourself with similar people with good energies and making the most of your degree isn’t an easy feat, but starting small within the next six weeks will take you far. And don’t forget that there are always ears that will listen to your thoughts if you feel as if your uni expectations are much bigger than reality. You’ve got this!