1. Join the RAG (Raise and Give) Society
Every other blog post, alumni speaker or parent draws your attention towards the importance of joining a society and following your passion as a means of optimal happiness and success, be it joining the Jazz Dancing society or the Football club. While these societies that you can join, I am confident that joining RAG
society is a society you should join! Unlike other societies, it does not require consistent participation. Instead, conducts thrilling activities across the academic year, allowing you to flexibility participate in the adventure of your choice.
Want to help the underprivileged by participating in stimulating activity in an international location? Trek amidst the depths of the Amazon Rainforest, live outdoors in hammocks, eat from plates made from palm leaves, watch the Olympics in Rio and then dance with children at Childreach International. If you are a student who appreciates outdoor activities, is inspired to help those less privileged and create unforgettable memories, RAG is the society for you. RAG Society is a student-run charitable fundraising organisation widespread throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. RAG allows you to fundraise for vision-focused charities like Breast Cancer Now, Childreach, etc., as well as participate in adventurous events like Jailbreak, Amazon Trek, London To Paris Cycling and Skydiving. These are just a few of the activities I have participated in. These opportunities have defined my university experiences. These adventurous allowed me to step outside my comfort zone, network with other intellects and broaden my horizons.
2. Apply for your (Schengen) Tourist Visa
Your typical first day in University is spent filling forms. Filling accommodation forms, University registration forms, bank forms, etc. Then why not tick applying for a Schengen Visa off your list? University, especially if you are an international student, has always been about carpe diem. Do not get stuck in a situation where you are unable to travel to Southern France during reading week. Do not put yourself in the position where you are unable to join your flatmates and travel across Spain during Spring Break. Your University experience is not defined purely by what you learn within the lecture halls, but what you learn outside closed walls. Travel to Italy alone to cycle through the canals of Venice, or jump off a cliff and into the blue waters in Mykonos. Sometimes, opportunities come knocking at your day. Be it a last minute trip with friends or a society trip with members. You do not want to miss these opportunities because you do not have a valid Schengen Visa. University allows you to embrace its spontaneity. Especially when you are on a student budget, you need to be spontaneous when booking cheap flight tickets to land in a crowded city full of exploring and opportunities. Waiting for an appointment at the embassy, then anxiously awaiting visa approval can sometimes remove the thrill of the holiday. The countdown before the trip is meant to build up your excitement, not increase your stress levels. Term time tests are going to give you enough stress already.
3. Don’t leave your running shoes back home
While my father has always made me feel like a princess at home, with no restrictions or limitations, he has always pushed me towards regular exercise. Since high school, I have been attending training sessions in athletics every day. However, when I started University, the weather gave me the chills, literally. I was demotivated from running at the athletics track. Two years later, I only wish I had listened to my father sooner. Just 20 minutes a day; workout at home or the gym or take a dip in the swimming pool. Exercise keeps you not only physically active but mentally calm. University is all-in-all a stressful and challenging academic experience. Why not remove a few minutes from your schedule to cleanse yourself? A daily detox away from your books, your phone, and your tasks. There’s no stress buster like a sweat buster!
4. Sunny Spring Break vibes
If I had to look back at one time in University that I would want to relive today, it would be Spring Break. It’s a time when most of the campus goes back home, creating an aura of calm and silence. It’s a time when the sun decides to warm us with her presence. It’s the ideal time to take a break before hitting the books again. You can go for an all girls or all boys trip with your best friends and let the ocean waves crash against your skin. The study spaces are silent, which means no need to wake up before the crack of dawn and run to the library, just to catch a study space. Instead, you can wake up at your own pace, take a stroll through the park and stop for a picnic lunch before heading to your ‘ favorite library spot.’
5. Driving through memory lane
Having a United Kingdom Drivers License allows you to drive through roads less traveled, to international highways. Having a UK drivers license lasts over ten years making it a beneficial long-term investment. Take your friends for a day trip to a beach location or a road trip for the weekend. It replaces mundane train journeys with a flexible car journey, where you can play the playlist of your choice. Want to drive from Florence to Rome? Why not stop along your drive and soak yourself in Tuscany’s natural hot springs?
But I got to say, circling back to the start. We have read over hundreds of articles mentioning the importance of balance between sleep, study and social life, however somehow we compromise one over the other. When you look back at your University journey, yes the memories you have created will be your first thoughts. However, your academic performance will also be remembered. Find the correct balance, take a few steps forwards now, and see yourself leaping towards opportunities during your adulthood in the future.
