How to not waste your summer

Ah, summer. The hot, sunny days and the long evenings. Fantastic if you’ve got things to do, less so if you have the imagination of a post dissertation student. You may be reading this as procrastination from revision or you might even be completely finished for the year already.  Thankfully, you have this handy article to help you out!

“What am I going to do with myself now?” I hear you ask, well…

Get out of the house!

There is so much to do in and around Norwich, a whole world to be discovered. It sounds clichéd but it’s true.

If you fancy some history then you’ve got Norwich castle and Strangers Hall in the city as well as the Cathedral.

There is plenty of shopping to be done, and given that we get out largest instalment of student loan in the final term I’m sure you’ve got extra to use up (even if you haven’t there are some fantastic summer bargains to be had) and you have to make the most of your student discount while you still can!

When the sun does make an appearance grab a blanket, football, a book and your MP3 player and head to the park for a kick about or just to chill out and top up the tan before your summer holiday. Earlham Park is right next to campus, Eaton Park is both beautiful and on the 25 bus route, plus UEA campus itself is stunning down by the lake.

Further afield there’s Banham Zoo and Wroxham Barns where you can embrace your inner child (and ignore the fact that you’re meant to be an adult now) and play with the piglets, chicks and guinea pigs.

If your idea of leaving the house means heading to the garden – get the BBQ on! Always keep some burgers, sausages and buns in the freezer and you’re ready to go whenever the sun pops out.

 Get a job!

If you already have one then BRILLIANT, but you can probably skip this section. (Unless of course you’re looking for something better! Read on, my CV enhancing friend). Even if you’re back to uni in September a part time job can bring in the wonga and add something else to your sparse CV.

If you’re about to graduate the terror of entering the big wide world of full time employment can be daunting to most of us but with the right job it could be really rewarding (plus…think of the money!)

Here are some of the top websites for job listings, especially for students and graduates:

Milkround – 100s of graduate jobs, schemes, courses, internships & placements, plus events &; career advice”

Prospects – The UK’s Official Graduate Careers Website

Media Muppet – “UK media jobs, paid internships and other opportunities. TV production, journalism, public relations and more. Career advice, interviews and blogs”

We Connect Students -Build a free searchable CV and be found by employers for part-time / full-time jobs and internships. Where Jobs Find Students

And, don’t forget that UEA runs its own graduate placement scheme that you can access through Portal!

Remember, as much as we all love it money isn’t the most important thing. Look to do some volunteering too, in this economic climate it’s even more difficult to find a job so to fill the time and make your CV stand out to employers add some unpaid work either with a charity or your local youth group or theatre. It’s enriching and a lot of fun!

 Get fit…or get lazy!

Winter is perfect for not dieting or going to the gym. The blessings of the big woolly jumpers are endless but it’s more difficult to hide that booze belly in those unforgiving shorts. Try and limit the ice creams to one a day and maybe cut back on the cider (there’s on average 250kcals in a bottle!) Alternatively get some exercise. Start the 30 days squat challenge, this year’s toning craze.

But, if you’re one of those annoying people who stay skinny whatever they eat, or you’re still recovering from the academic year…chill out! There are some great shows on telly at the moment and plenty to catch up on online, New Girl, Game of Thrones and BGT to name a few. Or, read a book. I find trashy novels a lot of fun especially after so much academic reading but there is also the “50 books everyone should read” that will occupy a lot of your time. Reading in the sun? Perfect!

Whatever you decide to do, enjoy it!