Your A-Level exams are ending soon, and the long summer awaits you before university begins. You have been anticipating these alarm-clock free mornings and that sweet satisfaction of crossing of the last exam boldly marked on your calendar. Some of your friends are off travelling, volunteering or even working. While that all sounds great, some of us are still wondering what to fill these months up with. Having an unplanned summer can make things a little anti-climactic, but do not let that get you down. We have a few tips to help make the most of your vacations.

1. Travel, obviously!

Although this is a given, planning a trip does not have to be something out of our budget. As Groupon and Wowcher taught us, we can save a whole lot on local getaways that will get our Instagram feed looking summery. Make the most of them!

2. Find a healthy balance between binge watching Netflix and going out.

While it is tempting to hibernate at home and break the world record for watching a series in a short space of time, space out those episodes. Schedule in some time to go out and enjoy the sun with friends and family, don’t just rot at home.

3. Take up a new hobby.

As cliché as it sounds, finally capitalise of this free time and take up that one hobby you always wanted to try. You might discover that you are basically Picasso. But do not be too disheartened if you paint like a two-year-old, we know it’s been awhile.

4. If you are just starting university, visit the campus!

Ideally before getting here on the first day, this would have really eased the continual mishaps involving walking in to the wrong room, or being in the wrong building!

5. Sort out your living situation.

For those living away from home, take the time to plan where you will be living in the upcoming year. Visit the accommodation and the local supermarkets to cut down on take-out costs; I highly recommend Chapel Market for your fruit and vegetables. You can find Facebook groups or forums of other students who are going to live there, which may ease any anxiety about making new friends. If you luck out, you might find someone living in the same flat as you.

Come and visit us at City, we have tours every week: https://www.city.ac.uk/study/visit-us/campus-tours