How to get the most out of the mid-semester break

The semester is flying by and the mid-semester break is already coming up! You’re probably already thinking about all the great things you’re going to do. But if you haven’t, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are five things you can do to get the most out of the mid-sem break:

1. Plan your week so it doesn’t go to waste
The mid-semester break is only a week long, which isn’t very long at all. It’ll go by fast so you’ll want spend some time pencilling in your events and daily plans. My recommendation would be to smash out all your immediate assignments/work at the beginning of the break so you can spend the rest unwinding.

2. Get a head start on your finals preparation
With uni on pause and no work piling up, take advantage of the week to get on top of your studies. Get up to date with all your study notes and start revising content from the semester so far. Future you will be thankful that you’ve already reduced the work load by half, making life so much easier during your final exam study. 

3. Accelerate your career
Do you have a list of opportunities you want to apply for but never got around to doing? Look for experiences that can challenge, develop and upskill you, then apply for them before you get too caught up in the whirlwind of uni life again. You can enact positive change in a community with the Community Placement Program, develop your leadership potential with AIESEC, work in a social enterprise with 40K, and much more.

4. Create healthy habits that will stick

Stop putting off exercise, healthy eating, sleeping well or any other health goals you may have. Pick a habit you want to get into (e.g. getting 8 hours of sleep every night, being active for 30 minutes a day) and stick to it every day this week. It’s all about consistency and before you know it, it’ll become a part of your daily routine.

5. Go on a short getaway
It’s a break after all so make sure you take one! Spend a couple of days away from home with your family or friends to relax – sometimes you have to slow down to speed up. Having some down-time can actually give you the chance to process, reflect and enhance creativity and productivity, so don’t feel guilty about it.

By Tracy Trieu, current Bachelor of Commerce (Liberal Studies) student at the University of Sydney Business School