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Posted April 22, 2025

How should you spend the university holidays as a postgraduate student?

University holidays

As a postgraduate student your term time is going to be very full-on! Your university contact hours will vary depending on the subject being studied. Sciences are likely to require plenty of time spent onsite doing lab work or in lecture theatres. Meanwhile studying postgraduate literature and languages will demand much more self-directed study, with time spent ploughing through suggested reading lists, as well as reading and researching around the primary texts.

Whatever masters degree you are studying, the suggested amount of study time remains the same – at around 35–40 per week for classroom time and independent study time combined. In addition to this, many masters students will find they need to take on part-time paid work to help cover the costs of their studies. But it is important not to let the time spent earning money exceed your university’s recommended limit – which will be a maximum of 20 hours per week during term time. For international students – this limit is also likely to be one of the terms of the study visa, too.

With all this activity packed into your term time or study semesters – it’s important to make the most of your university holidays – so how is this so-called downtime best spent? Let’s take a look.

Rest, recharge and relax

One of the primary purposes of the university holidays is to allow students to recharge their batteries so they can come back to the new term refreshed and full of enthusiasm and bright new ideas. Make sure you use this free time to take a break, catch up on sleep, rest your brain as well as your body, and generally concentrate on your mental health and wellbeing.

Spend time with family and friends

If you are studying away from home, either in a new city or a new country, it’s a good idea to use the university holidays to go home and catch up with your family and friends (finances allowing). If going home isn’t possible – either due to costs or time restraints – try and arrange for a friend or family member to come and spend a few days with you during the university holidays. There will be less demands on your time from your university, so you will be able to explore your local area with them and catch up on all the news and events from home.

Try something new

Use the university holidays to learn a new skill or enjoy a hobby. Trying out new activities are a great way to look after your student wellbeing and to keep your mind fresh, active and ready to tackle the term ahead. Some new hobbies could even help you in your future career, such as learning a new language or computer coding. While joining a sports club or team are excellent ways to improve your physical and mental health as well as meet new people and maybe even network.

Prepare for next term

Although it is important to relax and recharge, you also want to be properly prepared for the next term – so a good way to do this is to go through the previous term’s notes and essays to make sure you understand what you have learnt to date and are fully up to date with the work that is ahead of you. You could also use this time to think about your dissertation – and maybe even do some preliminary research. Organise your study notes and get any new study materials ready in advance of new term.

Apply for internships and work placements

For many people, one of the primary purposes of postgraduate study is to further their career – but for many jobs, work experiences also plays a very important part in climbing the career ladder. Applying for jobs ­– even internships and work placements – can be very time consuming, so use the university holidays to seek out internship opportunities, finetune your CV and put together outstanding job applications. If there are any interesting online Continuing Professional Development (CPD) short courses – sign up! Take on relevant volunteering roles if you can. Network with university alumni and professionals in your field. LinkedIn is a great place to start with your networking – and you can even do this whilst relaxing on your sofa, because as discussed earlier in this article, it is very important to relax during the holidays.

Earn some money

If you need help financing your postgraduate program, it can be better to earn additional money during the holidays rather than having to earn while you learn during term time. With most UK universities suggesting a limit of 20 hours of paid work a week during term time, in the university holidays you can boost the number of hours you work to build up your university funds ahead of the upcoming term. If you are an international student, make sure you check the terms of your visa with regards to paid work.

Take an actual holiday

Finally, if funds and time allow – use the university holidays to take an actual holiday! Holidays are a great way to relieve stress, improve wellbeing, gain a fresh perspective, increase creativity and prevent postgrad burnout. Even a two-day mini-break will give you a chance to switch off and gain a fresh perspective – so if you can, take a break!

Looking for the perfect postgrad program? Use our course search to find a masters degree or PhD program.

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