What to do with myself

I have finished my first year of university and now I have nothing to do until September, I have no friends, I have been unsuccessful in finding a job...does anyone have any advice or ideas

Reply 1

Anonymous #2

Same here

Reply 2

mike23mike

Enhance your CV by doing some volunteer work - working for a charity for free for example. This will get you out of the house and socialising - good for your mental well-being. The experience will look good on your CV. Lots of companies are still offering summer placements so contact your uni careers service.

Reply 3

University of Huddersfield

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I have finished my first year of university and now I have nothing to do until September, I have no friends, I have been unsuccessful in finding a job...does anyone have any advice or ideas

Anon,

Below are some ideas, but in general, if you can create for yourself a mini project then you can achieve something over the summer.

You could:

•

Start learning a new language.

•

Improve your culinary skills and learn to cook a different type of cuisine.

•

Start a blog.

•

Reach out to friends from secondary school or from college/sixth form and plan a reunion.

Hope that helps,

Oluwatosin – 3rd year student – University of Huddersfield

Reply 4

WolvesRep2

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I have finished my first year of university and now I have nothing to do until September, I have no friends, I have been unsuccessful in finding a job...does anyone have any advice or ideas

Hi @Anonymous #1,

I know it can be difficult to find a job during the summer, have you tried your local pubs, supermarkets, cafe or restaurants? They quite often have work available in summer and sometimes not good at advertising it so might be worth going into places and asking if they have any work available.

Here are some ideas which I did to help pass the time in between finishing for summer and starting again in September:

•

Take some time to rest after a busy year at uni

•

learn a new skill

•

Take some online courses you are interested in whether that's course related or not

•

go exploring and see if you can find any hidden gems in your area

•

cook/bake some new recipes

•

find a new book series to read

Hope this helps🙂
Louise - University of Wolverhampton rep.

Reply 5

Anonymous #3

Original post by Anonymous

I have finished my first year of university and now I have nothing to do until September, I have no friends, I have been unsuccessful in finding a job...does anyone have any advice or ideas

the above advice is helpful
also if you’d like to talk i’m here!

Reply 6

De Montfort University

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I have finished my first year of university and now I have nothing to do until September, I have no friends, I have been unsuccessful in finding a job...does anyone have any advice or ideas

Hi there,

Keep trying and exploring different opportunities in your area, such as volunteering or internships. In the meantime, consider finding a new hobby or skill you can learn. This could be anything from coding to cooking, painting or even learning a new language. Not only will this keep you busy, but it could also open up new interests. You might want to consider volunteering in your local community. It can be a rewarding way to spend your time, meet new people, and it's also a great addition to your CV.

Let me know if you have any questions,
Ilya

Reply 7

Anonymous #1

Original post by De Montfort University

Hi there,
Keep trying and exploring different opportunities in your area, such as volunteering or internships. In the meantime, consider finding a new hobby or skill you can learn. This could be anything from coding to cooking, painting or even learning a new language. Not only will this keep you busy, but it could also open up new interests. You might want to consider volunteering in your local community. It can be a rewarding way to spend your time, meet new people, and it's also a great addition to your CV.
Let me know if you have any questions,
Ilya

Hi thank you so much, I will check around at food banks maybe they can use an extra hand
Many Thanks!

Reply 8

Anonymous #1

Original post by Anonymous

the above advice is helpful
also if you’d like to talk i’m here!

thanks a lot !! appreciate it

Reply 9

JDINCINERATOR

Original post by Anonymous

I have finished my first year of university and now I have nothing to do until September, I have no friends, I have been unsuccessful in finding a job...does anyone have any advice or ideas

Join local clubs, make friends on TSR and/or help people out, be visible to people and engage in hobbies and activities you enjoy doing. You could prepare for your second year of university by checking out what modules you'll be undertaking, or you could hang out with people from that university if you think they'd be worth hanging out with. If you can make connections with people you'll find your life will be stuffed with more activity.

Reply 10

Anonymous #3

Original post by Anonymous

thanks a lot !! appreciate it

no worries! <3

Reply 11

University of Suffolk student

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I have finished my first year of university and now I have nothing to do until September, I have no friends, I have been unsuccessful in finding a job...does anyone have any advice or ideas

Hi

I would agree with the previous posts, you can definitely take this time for improving yourself. Whether it's gaining some work experience or applying for internships or volunteering, these are all really good things to put on your CV. Also, this can be a good opportunity to meet new people who are interested in similar things as you.
This can also be a good time for trying out new hobbies or doing more of what you love ex.going to movies, reading, going to museums...

Hope this helps and all the best,
Milena
MA Creative and Critical Writing at Uni of Suffolk

Reply 12

McGinger

Its only MAY - you could actually keep looking for a job.

Reply 13

Anonymous #1

Original post by JDINCINERATOR

easier said than done but I will try my best, thanks!

Reply 14

Kingston Reps

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I have finished my first year of university and now I have nothing to do until September, I have no friends, I have been unsuccessful in finding a job...does anyone have any advice or ideas

Hi there, I completely understand how you feel as I was in a similar situation before coming to uni! I ended up getting a full-time job and did a couple of internships to get some experience before officially starting uni in September. If that is not for you, I would recommend taking a break, picking up things(eg. hobbies, short trips) you always wanted to do but never had time for as uni can get quite intense once you start! I hope this helps!

Zhi En
(Kingston Student Rep.)

Reply 15

hallamstudents

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I have finished my first year of university and now I have nothing to do until September, I have no friends, I have been unsuccessful in finding a job...does anyone have any advice or ideas

Hi there,

I would keep going with trying to find a job as this can be a good use of all of the time you have off during the summer! If you are struggling, looking in bars, restaurants and cafes can usually be good places to look. Or, walking around town with your CV can sometimes work! It sounds scary but if you want a job this can be a good way to get one, or at least find some places that might be hiring and going in and talking to them.

If you can't get a job, volunteering somewhere even just once a week could give you something to do and be a good thing to add to your CV and just good experience in general.

Or, you might be able to find a placement/internship for the summer. They might be tricky to find but if you are willing to do an unpaid one, you might find more options are available. It's worth having a look as this will be a great way of getting some experience which will really help you when finding a placement year if you are doing one or just for after university when you are finding a job!

If none of these appeal to you, or you can't find anything, there are still lots of things you can do to fill your time over the summer. Spending time with friends and family is always good before you go back to uni in September, learning new things you can cook while you are at uni, go to the gym, start a new skill. There are lots of things that will keep you entertained if you want to do some of these!

Or, an online course might be fun to learn a new skill. These are usually quite easy to find and sign up to, however you will likely have to pay for the so it depends if you want to do this!

It's also good to just rest and recharge after a busy first year at uni and prepare for second year! If you want to you could also do some wider reading around the course that you are doing and find some books and journals that you find interesting in the subject!

I hope some of this helps,

Lucy -SHU student ambassador.