So exams are over and all of a sudden you have hours of free time. Your daily routine revolves around hours of procrastination, and whittling away time in the less glamorous venues of York such as the Willow. However instead of frittering away your final week or so, you could consume your time with activities that don’t mean spending money excessively or damaging your liver.
University provides so many opportunities to get involved in which may not become available to you again. So the moral of the story is, make the most of these chances while you can. Here are four activities you could do to enjoy your final weeks of the term, which don’t involve consuming alcohol and are free or cheap enough that they won’t break the bank:
York
You decided to choose York as your desired university, for many that decision may have been based around the allure of the beautiful city. York beholds so many surprises and cultural destinations, which I would encourage you to go and explore. Take a trip to one of York’s many museums, York students can get into the Yorkshire Museum for free with their student card, whilst the National Railway Museum is also free of charge. If that’s not for you then how about a stroll around York, a pleasurable way to spend a day without impacting your wallet. Take a walk around the Museum Gardens or down by the river, or just through the city centre and see what entertainment is on offer. York also hosts an abundance of markets, which are alway worth a wander around whether you’re spending or just looking.
Course (mates?)
So if you’re anything like me, you’ve spent a year or more on your course, yet still don’t know half of the people, and those you do its only in passing through chatting with them in lectures and seminars. Now is a perfect time to go and meet up with them and get to know them better. Again what have you got to lose; this provides a great opportunity to make new friends, and learn more about the people you may be working with next year. A good chat doesn’t cost anything, or even better go and take part in one of the aforementioned activities with them.
College activities
This time of year plays host to a number of college events. The end of year dinners and summer fairs are being held, and JCRs are putting on a series of activities for your enjoyment – many of which are free or at a very low cost. Not only that, but college sports are still continuing, so why not go down and support your college in action, in events such as College Cup football which is continuing throughout week 9. Even better volunteer for any other college competitions that arise, such as the Langwith v Derwent sports week, which is currently occurring leading up to a Grand Final in D-Bar on Friday evening. All college activities are easy for anyone to join so just make sure you’re paying attention to the facebook groups. They are a fantastic opportunity to represent your college, and are open to individuals of all abilities, played in a welcoming and friendly atmosphere.
Host with the Most
Summer is the perfect time of year to have a barbeque, and now with all of your free time you have plenty of time to create such events. Invite your friends and other people from your college, allowing you to get to know them and share a great experience. This is a fantastic way to spend an evening, and something which I’d definitely recommend for everyone. You can pick up a small disposable barbeque for £1 from Poundland, or a slightly better one (albeit not great) for £2 at Tesco. Ask everyone to bring along some food, and the cost is kept at rock bottom.
So there you go, there are my tips for how to make the most of your final few weeks of the year. A taster of activities for those that don’t prefer just to sleep all day and party all night.