It’s now or never: Your ultimate Bristol final year to do list

As many of us move into our third and final year, it can be easy to get wrapped up in all the deadlines and events that celebrate the end of undergraduate life. But this is it, the last dance. So here’s my take on a third year to do list, to make sure we actually live a little before we throw that cap in the air. Let’s see if any of us can make this last.

1. Go to the library at least three times a week

During second year, I managed a respectable one or two trips a week. Two hours max. I’d love to say that I’m aiming for four now, but I’m trying to be realistic. I don’t want to burn out before reading week. If I do end up going four times a week, I’ll have more to be proud of, but right now I’m setting the bar low. During final year, it’s really important to be present at the library, with no distractions, no scrolling, no “quick coffee breaks”, focusing on what really matters (and absolutely no tabs open for graduation outfit inspo).

2. Go for a walk once a week

I’m not a walker, sometimes I’m more of a “scroll in bed for 45 minutes” type. People say it helps them, I just don’t understand it. But the science says walking helps your mind, body, and soul (or whatever). So in the name of science, I’m going to try to set a realistic target of once a week, maybe even twice if I’m feeling particularly wild.

3. Cook every meal for two whole weeks

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No Deliveroo. No Pret. Two weeks of home cooking like a functioning adult. It’s not that I can’t cook, I just don’t. But I need to stop spending £7.50 on a meal I could’ve made for 80p, and make something less basic than pesto pasta full stop.

4. Join another society

Discovering new societies and making friends shouldn’t stop in third year. I’m thankful I’ve had the courage to join The Tab, there’s great people and I get to rant about uni life in article form. However, I think there’s room for one more society before I graduate, probably music, maybe even sports if they have pints beforehand (I’m joking… maybe).

5. Stay out till sunrise. Twice.

In second year, I actually didn’t do this at all, sleep and hunger always won, so I didn’t even make it to the sunrise. Bristol has some beautiful sights and I refuse to graduate without seeing the sun rise over Harbourside at least twice. I know it’s third year and I should be writing my diss, but if I only do it twice, it doesn’t count.

6. Actually go to that free weekly literary course

UWE runs a literary workshop pretty much every Tuesday. I know not everyone is at UWE, and other unis will most likely supply a similar kind of workshop for students in all stages of their undergraduate life, but I do history, and I need all the help I can get with this dissertation. Free feedback, free structure, and hopefully less crying over footnotes, especially when you forget which page of that paperback book you referenced from. Hopefully, I’ll get into a good routine. Hopefully.

7. Read two books this year

In many degrees there’s a lot of reading. With heavy reading and writing subjects, you lose time to read for pleasure. I want to get back into it. This year, I want to read two whole books with no citations, no highlighters, and no JSTOR tabs open. Actual stories. Remember those?

8. Buy my graduation dress

It’s never too early to start planning the greatest outfit I’ll ever wear. I need to be ready take the best instagram photos of my academic life, before we’re all crying.