Don’t Dream, Do!

The festive bug has well and truly hit the student population. Fairy lights are being put up, Christmas flat meals are being organised and conversations about home are starting to pop up. d hazard a guess that most of us, although we might deny it out loud, are looking forward to going home.

The seductive allure of hibernating in our onesies with only mulled wine and hot chocolate as sustenance is becoming harder to ignore. Yes, that may sound like bliss after two and a half months of assignments, dissertations and circling. However, I am here to warn you that this is a trap!

Don’t be a sloth in December. Reader, I highly doubt you can look me in the eye and tell me you have no essays due in January. Try to structure your break by doing a little bit of each assignment per day, and you will thank me come D-Day (Deadline Day). Productivity doesn’t just apply to academia, though. Even if you are an international student, there are plenty of other things you could be working on besides your tan on a beach break in Australia.

Volunteer your services in a hospice or children’s home. Not only do you gain some serious karma points, it also adds to your CV, and I won’t insult anyone’s intelligence by saying how important that is. Travel somewhere you’ve never been before. Record your findings in a blog, and you could end up improving both your writing and photography skills. You could also learn how to cook – cooking is a life skill that keeps on giving, people. Picture this scenario: the morning after a night of Purple-fuelled passion, and you’re whipping up blueberry pancakes. He/she would be well impressed, but not if you’re burning the batter! Practice makes perfect, so try different recipes out in December to prepare for the term ahead.

Also, exercise! There is something about the month of December that makes us feel extra sluggish. If it’s too cold outside you could do yoga or cross-fit in the comfort of your own home. Bonus: looking hotter than everyone else when you get back to Warwick in January. The point is, readers, don’t dream in December, do. You can thank me later.