Let’s be honest, no one is really spending their reading week actually doing the mountains of reading they’ve been neglecting, but then that begs the question; what should you do?
While many people will go travelling or head home for the week, those that stay at uni can very easily find themselves overcome with decision paralysis and end up with a full week of bed rotting.
While bed rotting absolutely has its place, it’s called self-care babe look it up. The way to actually get the most out of your reading week is variety!
Yes, the spice of life, by doing a few different things throughout the week, you can look back on the week feeling refreshed, accomplished and ready to face the upcoming exam season.
So, to help you make the most of your week of freedom, I’ve put together a basic day planner to help get the most out of your week and save you from the guilt that arises after a week spent entirely under a weighted blanket (trust me, it’s great in the moment but the guilt sucks!!!!).
Oh and treat this guide like the pirate-code, guidelines more than a set of hard rules, savvy?
Blow off some steam – 1 day
Uni is a stressful time; between looming deadlines, uncertain futures, mountains of reading and inevitable imposter syndrome, it will absolutely drain you.
While there are lots of mindful and wellness-based ways to deal with these feelings, sometimes you’ve just got to let loose, go wild and scream into the void.
Reading week is the perfect time for this, so let loose in whatever way best suits you.
Want to get super drunk and scream-sing karaoke? Go for it!
Need to let out your academic rage? Hit up a rage room!
Whatever way you unwind and exhale go for it, though I would advise doing it at the start of the week as it will help you enjoy the rest of the week and you may need a recovery day…
Do some life admin – 1 day
Boring? Yes. Helpful? Also yes. Something you’ll regret not doing? Absolutely.
Spending a day straightening up your room, doing a bunch of washing and, my biggest recommendation, doing some batch cooking can make the return to uni so much easier as you get all the tedium out of the way in advance.
I say tedium, but taking the day to do things like this can actually be a really laid back and relaxing way to spend a day.
As such, doing this after your blow off steam day is a pretty good idea, plus it’s very doable hungover which is a massive plus.
If you’ve never batch cooked before and have no idea how to approach it or why you should do it, you can check out my full article on it here.
Rest… – 2 days
See, I told you bed-rotting had its place.
Taking a couple of days to do as little as physically possible will do wonders for you physically, mentally and spiritually.
I really do mean as little as possible so stay in your pajamas if you want to, order a takeaway, binge an entire season of a TV show you’ve already watched eight times and have an overly extravagant bath.
Just relax and put zero pressure on yourself, sure you have work you need to do but not today, today is all about recovery.
You need this rest time and you deserve it, so embrace it.
You could do these two days back to back if you fancy but personally I separate them, one at the start of the week and one on the last day before returning to uni but you do you.
Work on your assignments – 2 days
Sorry but it has to be said, part of the perfect balance is throwing in some academic productivity.
If your uni is anything like mine then a lot of your assignments will be due the week after reading week, so getting a chunk of them done during reading week is a must.
Be it getting a first draft of an essay done, setting the plans for multiple assignments or just gathering sources, a bit of academic weaponry is an unfortunate necessity.
You don’t need to spend the whole day on work but a strong 4 to 6 hours will make a massive difference.
Depending on your preference you can do these days back to back or separated, again just depending on your style, personally i’ll be taking a day in between them.
Studying and assignment working isn’t gonna be fun but trust me, when you look back and know that you have been somewhat productive over reading week you’ll feel so much better than if you just procrastinated the whole time like I usually do.
Go on an adventure or do something fun – 1 day
My last suggestion, and the one that I’m currently struggling to plan, is to do something fun and memorable.
Having a random shenanigan day breaks up the uni monotony and makes reading week feel like an actual fun break.
Plus, if you organise it in advance it gives you something to look forward to which is always motivating.
If you’re a thrill seeker then going bungee jumping is a great option, if you’re after a more chill vibe then how about a paint and sip event with friends?
Regardless of what you enjoy, doing something fun and different can help keep you out of a rut as you head into the back-half of the semester.
So, now that you’ve got my suggested plan, the rest is on you to build the best reading week you can.
Do as much or as little of what I’ve recommended as you want as you like, just remember that variety is the key to having a week that is restful, productive and fun while setting you up to face the rest of the semester head on.