Miraculously, I have survived another autumn term at Bristol. It’s been even busier than last year and I’ve loved every minute. That pace of life is finally taking its toll on me now though, and the tiredness is beginning to set in. It catches up with you when you come home and suddenly find you have nothing to do! Although of course that isn’t really true. I am acutely aware of all the revision I need to do…
First and foremost though, it is important to actually take a break and relax a while. Something I have learnt while being a student is that you need to have time dedicated to simply chilling out and doing fun things, and some time allocated for work, and you need to keep those things separate. Last year I tried to do work all the time, but inevitably got distracted, and the result was that I just spent the whole time feeling guilty whenever I wasn’t working (which was most of the time), so I never really relaxed either. Working out how to balance and manage my time has been one of the hardest things to master as a student. You go to university for an academic education, but some of the most valuable lessons are learnt outside the lecture theatre.
It is so good to finally relax. It seems like everyone is a bit burnt out by the time first term ends, and Christmas always comes around the right time. Being at home in sleepy Surrey is a stark contrast to the Bristol buzz but I think you need those home comforts every so often. My favourite thing to do is sit in front of the fire with my two mad cats and a cup of tea. At the moment I am also attempting to watch all the old Star Wars films before going to see the latest release at the iMax in London. I don’t claim to be the world’s biggest fan but the films are a lot of fun. Just hoping I’ll have the force with me when I step into that exam hall in January…
I am really looking forward to catching up with all my school and family friends while I’m back at home. It’s bizarre only seeing them once or twice every few months when not long ago I was bumping into them every day and taking it for granted. Organising whole-group gatherings is a challenge indeed. Make the most of your time at school!
Alice 
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