Yay, it’s December. The most wonderful time of the year.
Or is it?
First year or third year, it doesn’t matter where you’re at in your student life, once you’ve experienced the freedom of living away from home, moving back can be tough. You’ll be used to brief visits and short weekend stays – maybe not even that this year, with the Coronavirus pandemic putting the brakes on travel. Which all serves to make the prospect of the extended Christmas holidays feel pretty full-on.
Chances are you’re dreading the thought of Dad necking back the Bucks Fizz and wanting to debate Brexit (again!). You’re already cringing at having to field Mum’s barrage of intense questioning over Christmas dinner and you’re loathing the idea of battling with siblings over the TV remote. We get it. And you’re forgiven for thinking it might have been easier to have ‘accidentally’ missed the student travel window and stayed put.
But, here at Caro Students, we say bah humbug to the idea of staying in your university accommodation (as lovely as our rooms are!) or hiding out under your duvet at home. Instead, we’ve pulled together our favourite festive survival tips to help you get your cheer on and make it through to New Year unscathed! Read on to find out more…
Top survival tips
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Count to 10
It’s a classic but it works! Emotions run high over Christmas and it’s all too easy to fly off the handle. Try to step back from tense situations and think before you react. It’s best to avoid the drama rather than star in it.
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The art of deception…ahem, we mean deflection
Have you made any ‘special’ friends? Are you keeping up with your studies? Do you eat properly? Just some of the questions you’re likely to get hit with. While it might be tempting to hide away until the interrogation dies down, it’s likely that avoiding questions altogether will be impossible. Instead, prepare your answers in advance and deflect anything you don’t want to be pinned down on with a return question.
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Get into it
More than ever the pressure is on for family time at Christmas. Our best advice? Don your festive jumper and get into it. With Covid-19 likely to put the kibosh on nights out with old mates, you might as well take charades seriously.
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Plot your escape
Ok, so your usual escape routes of a trip to your old local and nights out with friends may be blocked this year but that doesn’t mean you can’t get out.
If it’s all starting to feel a bit much, head for a walk. The fresh air and the change of scenery can be real stress busters. And don’t forget, depending on your tier level, you can still wrap up warm and meet your friends in a beer garden somewhere. Luckily, it’s mulled wine season, so you might make it to two rounds before your freeze completely.
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Use your time wisely
Chances are you’ve come home armed with essay deadlines and reading. Not only is work the perfect excuse for some time out (and a sure-fire way of spending time on your own undisturbed), but it also gives you something else to focus on. And, boxing it off while you’re at home will mean you avoid the stress of battling to meet deadlines in January.
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Remember you love’em really!
Embarrassing, annoying, frustrating – yes, all of that – but they are family and they’re yours. It’s been a tough year all round, so just take a deep breath, try to relax and appreciate being fussed over… you’ll be back making your own tea before you know it, so enjoy it while you can!
Look forward to going back to uni
Family aside, if you’re a Caro student you’ve more reason than most to be excited about getting back to uni. Our luxury yet affordable Liverpool student homes offer some of the most stylish accommodation in the city. With three excellent locations – The Bridewell, City Point and Kensington – we can cater for groups of all sizes. If you’re not already staying with us, maybe you should be!
Why not take a look at our rooms online now or, better still, arrange a viewing and see for yourself where you could be living it up in 2021?
