14 Jun 2015

End of semester break is finally here and I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty bloody excited about that. And I don’t even go to uni. One thing I have learnt since leaving school is that tutorials are evil, group assignments ruin everything that is good and pure, and university is hell-bent on stealing my friends’ social lives.

I suppose university is good for some things. I mean the future is sort of important and education is power and all that, but darn it if I’m not excited for it to be over. Because if I hear another mate tell me that they have “too much study” or “another 76 assignments due” one more time, I swear to God I’m going to kidnap them all and maroon them on an island where they have no choice but to spend all their time with me. Love me, goddammit!

I know, I know, I’m being selfish. My friends are trying really hard to knuckle down and do well in their studies, and I’m sure they hate sacrificing the lunch dates and late nights out for another few hundred hours hitting the books. But they do it because they are good, diligent people with ambitions and dreams, and when uni is in session, I have to respect that.

But when end of semester comes around, it’s time to f***ing party.

For someone who isn’t actually a student, I’m going to be making the most of the end of semester break. Here are some tips to have an absolute blast on your break, so you can make some memories and head back to university with your super-happy-fun-times quota fulfilled.

1. Take a trip

The easiest way get out of the study-mindset is to literally put some kilometers between you and university. Everyone could use a little change of scenery to wind down and recharge, whether that be halfway across the world or a couple hours up the coast.

So, jump on a plane and head to a place where summer is still in full swing. Grab your mate’s van and drive to a new city. Jump on a bus and watch the beach turn to bush around you. Whether you’ve saved up some cash over the semester or you barely have enough in your bank account to afford a six-pack, you have every opportunity to get some distance and discover someplace new.

And if you haven’t already planned a trip for your break, then remember that some of the best adventures are the ones that are spontaneous, and being impulsive is the best way to exercise your newfound, uni-less freedom.

2. Try something new

Whether a new brew, a new restaurant, finding yourself a new haunt or making some new friends, the best way to make your break memorable is by making some new discoveries. There are countless things out there just waiting to be found, everything from new bars to new bush walks, to new burgers.

If you want to find something you love, then you have to go looking for it, so forgo what you know and try something new. No matter how good or bad it turns out to be, it will always be an interesting tale, so get out of the comfort zone and put yourself out there.

3. Catch up with an old friend

Take it from someone who knows – if you’ve been busy with university and haven’t had the time to see your friends, then chances are they probably miss you. A lot. They’ve probably been waiting with bated breath for this time of year to come around again, just so they can see your pretty face.

Try and carve out some time in your break to spend with the people who you haven’t managed to see much of lately. They have waited patiently for you (mostly) and they didn’t hold a grudge when you cancelled on them to do some last minute study (not for long, anyway). So say thanks to them by buying them a cup of joe and having a jolly old chin-wag. You probably have a lot to catch up on.

4. Get out and about

It’s easy to get into a holiday funk and want to spend all your time elbow-deep in a bag of crisps watching Friends reruns. And while downtime has it’s place, you’re going to find your break whizzing by if you don’t get out and about and make the most of your free time.

You’ve probably spent a good deal of your days and nights in lecture halls and tutorial rooms, in your room studying or under your bed hiding from responsibility. It’s time to get out of the house, get into the sunshine and out into the world. Extracurricular activities of the social variety are a great way to hang out with your mates or meet some new people. So, jump online, do a bit of research and find out if there are any gigs/festivals/markets/trivia/sports events/theme nights at the pub happening in your local area that you can head along to. And if there’s nothing nearby, well, there’s your excuse to go on that road trip.

5. Be proactive and make an effort to party

You’ve put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into your uni work, particularly over the last few weeks of assignments and exams. You’ve forgone social events and stayed up late to study, but now that’s over for a little while. You probably want to switch off your brain and take a more comatose-state approach to life, but you’re not going to make any memories that way.

If you want to make the most of your break, you have to be proactive and make the effort to do so. Spend this time doing the things you’ve always wanted to, but never had time for: start an exercise regime, learn a new skill, dive into a hobby, organise an event with your friends, be productive. You’ll feel happier, healthier and more refreshed for when you have to return to uni and start slogging away once more.

And the number one rule?

Always, always, make the effort to party.