Surviving Your First Holiday in the UK

The holiday seasons are stressful for most people, but they can be especially emotional if you are away from home for the first time, in a new country. At Across the Pond, we’ve been through it, so we’ve put together our top tips and tricks for surviving (and thriving!) during the holidays if you are staying at uni for the break.  

Travelling home for the holidays can be expensive – flight prices go up, and if you’re only doing a one-year program, it may not be worth it for you to travel back to Canada for the break. Even if you can’t travel across the ocean, there are many ways to enjoy your break that won’t break your student budget.  
 

Christmas Markets

The UK is very well known for their Christmas markets – beautiful displays of lights, local venders, and rides, centred around the holiday. Most will start in November and stay active through January, so you have plenty of time to get out and get a cup of mulled wine, enjoy the lights, and get some unique presents to send to friends and family back home. If you have the time, you could visit multiple cities to see their displays – my personal favourite is Edinburgh’s Christmas! Good food, pretty lights, and beautiful sights, what more could you want?  
 

Travel

While the university is closed, why not take advantage of your break and visit a new country or two? Mainland Europe is so close, and when else will you be able to get a flight to France at that price (thank you, RyanAir!)? If you want a break from the darkness and cold of the UK in winter, Europe has tons of warm climates you can explore to get some sun. Check a few things off your bucket list at a fraction of the price it would cost you to visit from Canada. You don’t even need to go abroad – you can explore new parts of the UK!  
 

Host Visitors

Just because you can’t go home, doesn’t mean your family and friends can’t come to you! Maybe you’ll get some visitors for the holidays – most people have time off around the end of December, and having a newly local guide is a nice bonus for them. You can show friends and family around, share a holiday meal, and catch up. It’s a great opportunity for them to explore a new country, and also see one of their favourite people.  
 

Study

Hear me out – it may not be the most fun, but you’ll be able to focus on studying for your exams and assignments, without as many distractions while campus is quiet. Take frequent study breaks, but get ahead, so that when everyone is back to school and panicking about the new semester, you’re prepared! 

Celebrate with New Friends

With semester one done, you’ll likely have made a few new friends! Plan a holiday celebration with them, either before they leave campus, or on the day of your chosen holiday, if they’re also staying, and celebrate together. As well, if you have friends who live locally in the UK, you could get invited to their home to celebrate. Just because you aren’t at home, doesn’t mean you can’t have a lovely celebration! The International Office at most universities (or sometimes Student Societies) will often host holiday gatherings to share the traditions of different cultures on campus, you can check to see what activities they have scheduled for December and use it as an opportunity to learn about different cultures or maybe to share your own traditions with friends at the university.  

Being away from loved ones during holidays can be difficult, but it’s a perfect opportunity to create new traditions, which you can eventually share with those at home. This may be your only holiday season in the UK, so enjoy it while you’re there, and I’m sure it will become a fond memory for all future holidays!