How to Make the Most of Your Winter Break

Winter break comes as a huge relief after a full semester of studying hard. Unfortunately, it can easily flash by — in no time at all, you’re back at university, realizing you did little more than catch up on your favourite series. To make the most of your winter break, plan how you’ll use your time with the following tips.

1. Find Opportunities for Internships or Volunteering

It may not feel like it now, but summer will be here before you know it. With it comes the opportunity to start an internship or volunteer. You could put off looking for opportunities until a few months before the summer, but you’ll likely find it more difficult to dedicate time to your search when you’re back in your school routine.

2. Apply for More Scholarships

You most likely applied for scholarships before you enrolled — but there’s no need to end there. Winter break is the perfect time to apply for more financial aid. Knowing that your loans will be even slightly reduced can help to alleviate some pressure while you’re at university.

3. Manage Your Online Presence

Potential employers don’t just care that you have a degree — they also look to see what they can find out about you online. (The same goes for companies that may want to offer you an internship this summer.) In addition to cleaning up your social media profiles, make some new posts to show you have interests and a life beyond university.

4. Eat Healthy Meals

Campus life usually means a break from your favourite home-cooked meals. If you usually rely on your parents to cook while at home, now’s your chance to learn their recipes — they’ll come in useful when you move into your own apartment.

5. Look at the Big Picture

For the last few months, you’ve been focusing so hard on your studies that you may have forgotten that there’s a larger world out there. Dedicate some time to catching up with the news, whether this means reading, watching TV, or listening to a current events podcast.

6. Make Better Use of Your Chill Time

Of course, winter break should also be a time to relax. However, to avoid the sense that you’ve wasted your time, aim to watch thought-provoking movies and documentaries rather than mindless reality TV.

7. Search for Better Housing Options

Many students start out living on campus, only to realize it means limited freedom and close quarters. Over the winter break, reassess your options, and maybe plan your move into off-campus housing. For instance, you could begin talking with friends you’d like to move in with and checking out appealing neighbourhoods.

If you’re living on campus, it may be possible to move out at the beginning of winter break and find somewhere better to live starting next semester. Even if you’re stuck in a lease, it’s worth beginning your search for better housing now. For Waterloo student housing rentals, look no further than King Street Towers. Contact us today to book a tour.