There’s no need to jet abroad to get that well-earned break! Britain has plenty of options for the discerning student to help keep overdrafts and carbon footprints small.
By Amy Swales
It’s hard work being a student. No, really. Despite the common perception that all students have to do is drink their way through a lump sum for three years and they’ll get a piece of paper while wearing a funny-looking hat, many people (not least students) can forget there is actual work involved in obtaining a degree.Never fear, we at Smaart understand that as you emerge bleary-eyed from weeks knee-deep in 8,000 word essays while simultaneously trying to revise for multiple exams, the usual cracks about lazy students pissing taxpayers’ money up the wall start to wear a little thin.
We understand that your strained grimace hides a unique simmering resentment towards those who, try as they might, are never going to fully comprehend what it feels like to spend months arranging tens of thousands of words into something coherent, nay, your finest work, and then how it feels to trash the lot because you forgot to reference a statistic.
Yes, my friends, you need a holiday! Scratch that, you deserve a holiday! Joking aside, a break from the stresses and strain of your final year is great, not just for your frame of mind, but for your friendships too. This time of deadlines, exams and degree-making results is the time you need them the most, yet when you meet up at worst you’re irritable and at best you’re gazing around feeling guilty that you should be doing something more productive. If you’re living with your friends, it’s easy to get bogged down in who emptied the bins, or used the last tea-bag – getting away together reminds you to have fun, or at least you can whinge about tea-bags somewhere new.
Let’s face it, the Christmas and summer holidays can never really be relaxing when there’s always that nag in the back of your mind about the tons of essays, or research you have to do before term starts again – dedicating a week, or even a couple of nights, to completely forget about those problems will be refreshing.We’ve provided you with a few ideas to get you going – having something to look forward to makes all the difference, especially if you reward yourself for finishing a particular piece of work. Don’t worry if you’re on a budget, there’s something for everyone, and if you still end up with ten essays to finish in one night and haven’t even started your dissertation, you can come too – we’re here for a good time, not a long time, right?
What: Camping
Why: A few beers, a few friends, a canvas palace and you’re set. Actually, take some food. And some matches. A sleeping bag could be useful. Bond over your fire lighting abilities and mutual terror over things that go bump in the night.
Where: ‘Wherever you want’ is not strictly true – if you’re off to a campsite, make sure they accept groups of young people (many don’t), and if you’re finding a field somewhere, check with the owner. Try www.ukcampsite.co.uk for ideas, a list of sites and honest, independent reviews.
When: Summer, summer, summer, unless you’re a Duke of Edinburgh freak (in which case find yourself a rock to sleep under on the side of a mountain).
Damage: Provisions and campsite charges – prices vary depending on site amenities. The charge is usually per tent, and you’d be better off sharing a car than lugging your things around on public transport. Try www.outdoorworlddirect.co.uk for supplies and pound shops are invaluable for cheap disposable barbeques.
Handy Hints: Anglesey has a host of reasonable campsites as close to beaches as you can get without pitching on sand, and many are secluded, with wardens checking in morning and evening. Gorgeous locations on the cheap.
What: Backpacking UK StyleWhy: A holiday devoted to hedonism, not homework. The premise is simple: find a room, find an undemanding bar job, find something debauched to spend your wage on. Backpacking with no language barrier, not far from home (but far enough).
Where: An impressive nightlife mixed with chilled out beach-living, Newquay is the original and the best, check out the many surf-related forums available for evidence. If you’re not a surf head, there’s more than enough to entertain you, just don’t rely on the British weather. For the official line, visit www.newquay.co.uk
When: Early summer is the best time to find a room and a job, and maybe a bit of sun, but it’s your call – best to go when you’ve got money to last, or time to find a job. As long- or short-term as you want it, reward yourself when everything’s over with an extension to your student lifestyle before the real world sets in.
Damage: Budget hostel style rooms can be as much as £160 per week, but you’re best to swing by and see what you find independently – it’s a good idea to save up a couple of hundred before you go to give yourself breathing space.
Handy Hints: A part time job will fund your lifestyle, but not much else, so don’t expect to come away anything but skint.
What: Gigs AbroadWhy: Good music, minus the downfalls of festival life – no tents, no mud, and probably cheaper food and drink. Only an overnight bag needed, if that. A tip – flying hungover is an experience that will stay with you for life, so take some painkillers with you.
Where: Loads of cities round Europe and flights can be cheaper than a train to somewhere in the UK. Check www.lastminute.com for current packages, or www.easyjet.com to book your own flights separately.
When: The beauty of a long weekend, or just one night – it’s pretty flexible.
Damage: Although the gig is generally cheaper, the travel jacks it up a bit, but it’s not bank-breaking. Lastminute.com offers three nights and Rod Stewart in Paris for £160, but much more interesting is the Dance Weekend in Madrid for £87.
Handy Hints: Accommodation is an extra cost if you’re doing it separately, so if you’re up to it, book your own flights with just enough time for the gig, a quick nap in the airport and voila: beds are not required. Think ahead and organise your transport from airport to gig and vice versa, or you’ll swiftly remember just why you earned that F in GCSE German.
What: Renting a CottageWhy: Like camping, only with proper walls and a roof. Or like a self-service hotel with no fellow guests telling you to keep it down.
Where: The Lake District, Devon, Cornwall, Wales – there are hundreds of websites, try www.cottageholidays.co.uk
When: Up to you - hole up in winter with fires, extra socks and maybe see in the New Year, or in summer have a barbeque and play frisbee like you’re in an advert.
Damage: Still cheaper than a holiday abroad, plus the more of you there are, the cheaper travel and rent will be. Rates vary, from £160 per week between two people, or £450 + for six. Peak season brings higher prices, so the weeks around Easter, Christmas and New Year are more expensive. Check exactly what prices include, and you might want to stock up on food and drink if you’re going to be miles from anywhere.
Handy Hints: Worth noting that if your housemates don’t do the washing up in your student house, they probably won’t on holiday either. You can go super-basic and live without electricity: curiously satisfying, but a game of murder in the dark (in the darkest dark you’ve ever known) can be a shattering experience.
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