How to fill in your spare time

I know the score, you’re at university and you’re there to study. Whilst you’re at uni, it can be a good idea to do something productive to fill the time in between studying. Here are my top ten suggestions to fill in any spare time you have!

1. Get a part-time job. A part-time job would be considered reasonably easy to a) apply and get, and b) to work around your studies. Not only will it fill your time, but you’ll be able to earn some money to fund your studies and social life.

2. Start a new hobby. Picking up a new sport or hobby is a productive way to spend your time. You will be channeling your energy into learning a new skill, and university is the perfect opportunity to do this.

3. Join a new society. Societies at unis often hold socials to help people make friends and socialise. Join a society that you wouldn’t normally join, you might surprise yourself by enjoying meeting new people with different interests to you. If you don’t like the first social, then you don’t have to go to another one.

4. Start a project. Projects, such as creating a blog or a website, can be a productive way to spend your time because you will gain something from it. It will also be something that you can add to your CV.

5. Get fit. During university, you may find that you don’t exercise as much as you should. Exercise is important and despite the effort to get changed into your gym gear and make your way to the gym, it will benefit you.

6. Learn a language. University is the place where it’s suggested that you try something that you might not have the opportunity to try again. Learning a language is one of these, because when you graduate and are working full-time, you might not be able to dedicate enough time to learning a language. There are plenty of apps and online courses that can help you achieve the goal from the comfort of your university room!

7. Volunteer. I’m sure there are people out there who, like me, believe that volunteering can be a fulfilling experience. However, as a student, you are short of money and don’t want to work for free, I get it. But, volunteering in a company for a short while will add another dimension to your CV, proving that you did actually make a difference whilst you were at university.

8. Learn to cook. It’s no secret that many students make a range of weird concoctions through their time at uni, because either you can’t be bothered to cook, don’t know how to, or simply only have a carrot and a bag of pasta work with! Learning to cook will be one of the most valuable skills you learn, so if I were you, I’d consider learning to cook a new dish once a week so you don’t have that same pasta dish over and over again!

9. Make the most of what the university has to offer. Some universities have schemes, opportunities to work, volunteer work, or awards that can be completed. I would highly recommend this option; it looks very good on your CV as it proves you are giving back to the uni, and it’s the perfect chance to make some new friends! The work environment tends to be quite young with fresh ideas and people, who will make it a positive experience for you.

10. Be spontaneous and brave, start a business. I know a few people who started and have maintained a successful business. University is the ideal place to do this as you can get the support, and maybe even some of the funding, to help you along the way. Not only will this look good on your CV but it will take up a lot of spare time in your week. It can be very time consuming, so you have got to be completely committed  for it to work, but the benefits and rewards of this can be extraordinary.