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How does time off at uni work?

Hi I’m just wondering if unis have something similar to half terms? I’d expect it to probably be less time off as it’s higher education.

Also if there is time off during the academic year is this meant to be used specifically for something like internships etc.

Thank you :smile:

Reply 1

jamesfun

Universities typically don't have "half terms" like schools, but they often include breaks such as reading weeks, semester breaks, or holidays like Christmas and Easter. These breaks are meant for catching up on studies, research, or even internships, depending on your course requirements. Always check your university's academic calendar for specific dates. 😊

Reply 2

Scienceisgood

Universities do not do half terms. You MAY get a reading week depending on the course and university you attend but that is it.

Otherwise, the only time you get off is Christmas, Easter and the Summer, unless you do a course that has you work on placement during the summer (I.e Nursing).

Reply 3

PS Reviewer

It’s worth remembering that you may be expected to do substantial amounts of coursework during any reading week. It’s often a break from lectures but not from study.

Reply 4

UCLan Student

Official Rep

Original post by shanaeg23

Hi I’m just wondering if unis have something similar to half terms? I’d expect it to probably be less time off as it’s higher education.
Also if there is time off during the academic year is this meant to be used specifically for something like internships etc.
Thank you :smile:

Hi there,

This is a great question! Universities often have breaks such reading weeks or achievement weeks which are there for you to have a break and recharge but also keep on top of your assignments. You also get Christmas and Easter breaks as well as a summer break. Summer breaks depending on what course you study can be for placements and internships but also time for you to enjoy a break.

However, I would check with the university you want to study at as often term timetables are available on their website 🙂

Hope this helps and feel free to ask if you have anymore questions 🙂
^Zac

Reply 5

YSJstudents

Official Rep

Original post by shanaeg23

Hi I’m just wondering if unis have something similar to half terms? I’d expect it to probably be less time off as it’s higher education.
Also if there is time off during the academic year is this meant to be used specifically for something like internships etc.
Thank you :smile:

Hi!

Universities don't typically have 'half terms' however you do get a longer Christmas and summer break than in school. Sometimes you will get a reading week however, this is designed to allow you to get more independent work done.

Hope this helps! Faye 🙂

Reply 6

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post by shanaeg23

Hi I’m just wondering if unis have something similar to half terms? I’d expect it to probably be less time off as it’s higher education.
Also if there is time off during the academic year is this meant to be used specifically for something like internships etc.
Thank you :smile:

Hi @shanaeg23
At universities you don't get half terms, however you do get breaks for Christmas and Easter which tend to be quite long (4 weeks), and you usually get about 3 months off over summer. However during these breaks most students find they still have coursework assignments to complete, so there not completely time off from university work, however they give most students a break and to return home for a bit. Also you can get reading weeks in a term dependent on what subject you study, where they wont be any lectures but instead you'll be expected to do some independent study.
Hope this helps!
-Jasmine (Lancaster Student Ambassador)

Reply 7

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by shanaeg23

As noted some unis/courses have reading weeks. However these aren't holidays, just periods where you don't have lectures typically. However sometimes if a lecture was missed for some reason earlier in the term, they may "make it up" during reading week. While some students do plan to travel home during reading week I think formally you are expected to be available for any timetabled activities. As above often there is an expectation you will undertake specific learning activities independently or work on coursework or similar during this time (my uni commonly has a coursework deadline the Monday back from reading week). Note also not all courses have a reading week even if other courses at the same uni do - one uni I was at we did not have a reading week on my course, although other courses at the same university did. We still had regularly timetabled lectures and labs and such instead.

As for when the winter/spring/summer breaks are and how long these are, this varies by uni. At most unis I've been at there's 3-4 weeks in Dec-Jan, about a month in the spring (usually in April ish), and then from whenever your exams finish in May-June until the term starts again the following academic year (usually late Sept/early Oct). Also many courses have no formally timetabled activities after returning from the spring break so this is time for revision/finishing coursework/etc.However some unis have different timings such as Oxbridge which have 8 week terms with around 6 weeks them in the winter and spring periods, and they start a little latter than most courses so there can be more flexibility for fitting in short internships potentially in the spring/summer breaks (however I gather there is often a significant expectation for additional work to be completed during these periods for Oxbridge students).

Regarding internships, usually these are undertaken over the summer. There can also be shorter activities in the spring (often for a week or so), which may be a prelude to a summer internship in some cases.

At the end of the day though it's completely dependent on the university and course - some courses are "long courses" (and you get extended SFE funding for them), mainly certain healthcare courses, some courses may have mandatory placements during "holiday" periods regardless (again, often healthcare courses), some may or may not have reading weeks, some may have fieldcourses (optional or mandatory) that take place often in the spring or summer breaks, etc.

Ultimately though you'll find you have a lot less structured, timetabled activities even during the teaching term and the onus is on you as a student to structure your time and use it effectively. Remember the expectation usually for university students is to be spending approximately full time equivalent work on their course (i.e. 35-40 hours) during term time (although realistically this is usually spread out as some of that work is undertaken between terms during the winter/spring breaks, or summer sometimes for dissertations). You won't find yourself short of time that you can potentially spend on studies or on personal activities, but what you might find a struggle is figuring out how to balance that effectively (which is part of being a student).

Reply 8

hallamstudents

Official Rep

Original post by shanaeg23

Hi I’m just wondering if unis have something similar to half terms? I’d expect it to probably be less time off as it’s higher education.
Also if there is time off during the academic year is this meant to be used specifically for something like internships etc.
Thank you :smile:

Hi there,

Time off tends to differ depending on which university you go to, so it would be best to have a look on your university's academic calendar as this should say roughly when you will have time off. Some people will have a reading week which tends to be in place of a half term but some people will not get these.

You will also usually have longer off at Christmas and over the Summer than you usually would do at school. Again, this depends on your uni but you may have a couple more weeks off than you would be used to from school. You will also get an Easter break too which may be longer.

When you get time off, it is ultimately up to you what you do with it, however you will likely get given some work which should be done during this time. It's a good time to catch up with work and make sure you get everything done that you need to get done while you have a bit of time off uni. You could also look to arrange an internship or something similar - maybe during the summer when you have lots of time off.

I hope some of this helps,

Lucy -SHU student ambassador.