1. Visit another Uni
You may well have been to Bridge nine times this term, but if you still haven’t had your fill of Wiley tunes then what better way to celebrate the end of an Oxford term than by going to stay with friends halfway through theirs. Head to Leeds, Newcastle and Manchester, the Northern nirvanas of party. You might just have more fun in one night than you did all term.
2. Get Cultural
There is plenty on at the moment, especially in London, as ever. Go ice skating at Somerset House or head to the Tate Modern or British Museum. Most museums have lots of exhibitions and events at this time of year and you can usually get in free with a student card. Besides, it’s not embarrassing and you won’t look pretentious – after all, no one’s around.
3. Go Abroad
This is the perfect opportunity for a weekend away, while it’s not yet high season and the mad rush hasn’t set in. Nip over to the bright lights of Paris for the weekend, or catch the Christmas markets in Vienna while your overdraft is still available and you haven’t blown it all on Christmas gadgets and extravagant presents.
4. Roadtrip
If you can’t quite face emptying your bank account to shell out for Eurostar tickets, then get in the car and go somewhere for a day out. If you’re near Oxford then head to Blenheim Palace or Highclere Castle (Downton), or drive to Brighton for a 99 Flake and a drag show. Guaranteed, it’s better than Facebook stalking Freshers.
5. Become a Domestic God(dess)
There is a serious upside to being home, and that is, undoubtedly, a full fridge. Gone are the days of squabbling of whose turn it is to wash up because you have, glory be, a dishwasher! Make use of the free food and appliances, and convert your kitchen into a baking heaven that would make Mary and Paul proud. Your family will thank you for it, if not your waistline, but that’s what pyjama bottoms are for. If you are especially proud, it just gives you another excuse to Instagram your showstoppers.
6. Beat the Rush
Its impossible to walk down Oxford street without buying something, especially with the lights turned on. You want to go shopping the Saturday morning before Christmas. Bloody brilliant! So does everyone else. Instead of spending the week before Christmas wrestling overpriced jam off tourists in Fortnum and Mason, get your shopping in early so that come Christmas eve you can kick back with a smug smile, safe in the knowledge that you bought mum her cashmere socks three weeks ago.
7. Get money get paid
Chances are, though, that you’ve hit the bottom of your overdraft, what with it being ninth week. ‘Tis the season to get money, with plenty of Christmas functions and store redecorations coming up, there is little doubt of you finding an easy bob or two. Apply for a catering job, or reclaim your sixteen-year-old summer job and watch your bank account start to smile again.
8. A Real Job
For some of us it’s crunch time. With the last years of university approaching and the terror of what is outside the bubble looming, this is the beginning of the end. Deadlines are fast approaching, and we need to find a way to account for three years of Jaegerbombs. Dust off the CV and get yourself out there. Whether it is applying for internships or actual real world paid jobs, the old adage stands – there is no time like the present.
9. Bod Squad
Its the end of term: cue party tutes and fake snow. Yet the term doesn’t stop here. While you might want to run for the nearest pub, there is a lot to be said for holing yourself up in the Bod for a week at the end of term. It might just be the most productive week of your life. Come Christmas and New Year, you won’t feel the guilt or the panic that sets in when you realise you nabbed all the core books from the library but have yet to open them. You might even pass your collections.
10. Sleep
It’s cold and you are probably quite ill. You are probably quite tired. Your dark circles probably make your Halloween costume look pathetic. So hibernate. It’s that time of year after all. All our furry friends are doing it, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t just curl up in bed with several seasons of crap TV and a packet of chocolate digestives. It’s easy, it’s free and you’re probably quite good at it.
