We hope you’ve had a lovely break away from the University and managed to do some of the things you enjoy on your time off.
The new term at the University of Chester starts on Tuesday 2 January 2024 and whether you stayed at our sites or returned home, it’s normal to experience a range of emotions about returning to university.
Check out some of the tips from Student Minds on how you can best prepare for your return:
Review your previous experience
Take some time to think back over your experiences in term 1. Ask yourself: What did/didn’t go well? How can you use this to have as good a time as possible when you return?
Prepare academically
Over a break, you can lose contact with your academic studies and this can make the return feel more challenging.
Reconnecting with your learning in advance can mean you are better prepared to learn and to respond if the level of challenge increases. This doesn’t have to mean doing a lot of work – just some time connecting with your subject can help – re-read some of your notes or listen to a podcast on your subject area.
Prepare socially
Whatever your previous social experience of university, there are still opportunities to build friendships and grow your social network. It’s still possible to join Chester Students’ Union societies, make friends via the Umii app and attend social activities where you can meet new people.
If you’ve got friends from term 1, you may want to connect with them and arrange to meet up when you return, so you can re-establish those relationships right away.
Prepare to take care of your wellbeing
New starts, like the beginning of term, are a great moment to establish healthy habits. They provide ‘reset points;’ because you are changing routine in other ways, this frees you up to build new habits and routines.
Think about healthy changes you could make that would help you maintain your wellbeing during the next term or year of university.