Summer is here. Term time is over, timetables are terminated and deadlines fade into a distant memory. In its place waits a 6 week period of aimless procrastination, indulgent lay-ins and general frolicking. Sounds thrilling right? Of course, but after a certain period of time even the most slothfully inclined individual will become restless. It’s the common summer curse that when we behold a seemingly infinite time span of freedom, we don’t know quite what to do with it. Well fear not, there are plenty of things you can be getting up to this summer without severely breaking the bank. Don’t waste your summer, but embrace it.
Volunteer at a music festival. Music festivals are a summer must and the ultimate student getaway. Boasting mud ridden fields, poor toilet facilities and heavily intoxicated crowds – the appeal is clear to see. While you may be put off by the hefty price tag, some festivals including Leeds, Reading and Bestival offer volunteering opportunities that allow free entry in return for a little work. All you need is an initial deposit fee and bundles of enthusiasm.
Go camping. Not just a thing the scouts do anymore, camping has become a popular activity for young people looking for a good time. While it gets you away from home, camping is relatively cheap and requires little organisation. The New Forest National Park, Lake District and the Scottish Highlands offer perfect escapes on a budget with options to indulge in outdoor sports. Make a camp fire, toast some marshmellows and memorise some cheesy songs and you’ve got yourself a party.
European getaways and city breaks. No to-do list for summer is complete without the obligatory holiday away from home. Nowadays flights are so frequent and cheap, especially last minute deals, being spontaneous has never been easier. Prague, Amsterdam and Barcelona are popular destinations offering a great mix of culture and nightlife. Check out travel wise or other travel websites to find the latest deals.
Explore. Slightly vague but this could be acting like tourist in your own town or buying a ticket and discovering new places. Railcards are a great little investment for a student that saves you 1/3 on rail fares allowing you to travel around the country on humble budget.
Host a movie or board game ‘night in’. Rent some cult classics or delve through Netflix favourites if you fancy a movie marathon or if you’re feeling dangerous bring out the board games and enjoy hours upon hours of monopoly. Good company coupled with homemade sweet treats can be a cost effective way to have fun and make lasting memories.
Visit museums and heritage sites. Learning can be fun, sometimes. There are so many choices around the UK and with free admission to national museums, learning is literally priceless. The British Museum, National Gallery and Tate Modern are firm favourites or check out your local museums most of which will offer a student discount.
Let’s go fly a kite. Quite literally. You are never too old to indulge in a little innocent fun and kite flying is a perfect example. If you’re a little more committed, Kite festivals are a ‘thing’ that exist so you should probably check it out. The Brighton Kite Festival is held in July while the Portsmouth International Festival takes place in August– try it out and your kite might not be the only thing that is blown away.
Get active and enjoy the great outdoors. Take a wander or a bike ride on some local nature trail. Walking may seem like an archaic pastime but its an interesting and relaxing way to engage with your surroundings. Nature has an ineffable healing power without the hefty price tag so enjoy it in all its glory. Visit Box Hill in Surrey, picnic in Greenwich Park or enjoy some Austen inspired walking trails in Wiltshire.
Learn a new skill. Be it an obscure instrument you’ve always wanted to play, a new language you’ve always wanted to know or a sport you’d like to get involved with – this is the best time to explore new things and find a passion. It’s fun, challenging and makes you an overall more rounded person and more employable – in essence a win-win scenario.
The seaside – obviously. In the summer it would be rude not to celebrate the best of British weather. The beach is an acceptable place to relieve stress and regress massively to childhood. Make sandcastles in the sand or bury a friend, hunt down the ice cream van and fight the waves. Choose from likes of Eastbourne, Whitstable and Weymouth to have this old-fashioned fun.
Run a marathon. Training for this can be intense but it provides you with a fantastic opportunity to keep fit over the summer break and it simultaneously raises money for great charities. It will keep you motivated over the summer and give you a goal to strive towards. Search The Marathon Runners Diary for a list of upcoming races. If you don’t feel quite marathon ready you could try a 5 or 10km run instead like Cancer Research’s Race for Life.
Visit your local library and don’t neglect your reading. Yes, ma’am. It is easy to fall out of the habit but this is great way to keep your mind stimulated while you’re not in education. Read for enjoyment but if you do have unyielding impulse to annotate as you go along, no one will judge you.
This gives you just a glimpse of what is out there. So 6 weeks left to your own devices no longer seems like a dangerous and hugely unproductive prospect instead it will fly by and what is left, awesome memories. Just remember to surf the web, there is always a great deals and student discounts on offer throughout the year. Make the most your student status and you’ll find it has its perks.
