Congrats, you’ve made it through half a semester! Before stressing about the upcoming due dates after this week of paradise, take a fraction of time to switch your brain off and kick back. Here are some upcoming activities to look forward to, as well as some of my favourite things to do during recess week, organised by the amount of off time I have in total.
Upcoming activities:
Looking for a quick list of activities to try out during your off-time? We’ve curated a list of exciting things to do for every personality.
New World’s End by OH! Open House
This is for my museum/art buffs. An immersive theatrical experience that’s been gaining popularity fast, this one is drenched in nostalgia and makes for the perfect photo-op when you’re done enjoying the exhibits.
Get your tickets here.
Spatial Collective
If you enjoy being productive even during the break, at least make it fun! Student-tried, tested, and loved, their low rates (as low as $1.90 per hour), stylish workspace and central locations make this a must-visit if you’ve always been curious about co-working spaces. To top it off, hot beverages are on the house.
Book your study date here.
Resin Play
Founded by resin enthusiast Amado Gudek, Resin Play’s workshops and supplies allow you to create your very own unique masterpiece. Create chic terrazzo earrings or seascape coasters for yourself or your loved ones with their starter kits.
Shop Resin Play here.
HiRoller
Get moving with HiRoller. Suitable for beginners and masters of both roller and inline skating alike, the indoor skating rink provides you a space to play, learn and practice safely.
More details, plus booking site here.
If these aren’t for you, browse more low-commitment, low-on-energy ideas below. If you have…
A few hours
School hitting you hard? A few hours is all you need.
1. Change up your look
They say if you feel good, you look good, but to me, the opposite has always been true as well. No matter your gender, book yourself an appointment at a hair or nail salon and get both tips refreshed.
2. Meditation
This isn’t for everyone, but I promise it’s worth the time, especially if your brain gets hazy increasingly often. Take anywhere from five minutes to half an hour (or more) a day to clear your brain. Though it can be difficult to get to this peaceful zone at first, it gets easier the more you do it. Try not to let the due dates, grades and other stressful thoughts intrude your mind at this time, instead focus on ‘centering’ yourself and being as present as possible by focusing on your breathing patterns, or listening to surrounding noises.
3. Clean up your room
Whether it’s your room or your hall room, an organised space helps productivity and relaxation. My favourite and probably the most efficient way to clean up loose items without relying on fancy methods is to sort them by where they’re supposed to go. For example, clean clothes in a pile to go to the closet, cables to a designated drawer and loose assignment sheets in a file on your desk. Once you have separate piles, you can more quickly clear out your room, compared to keeping them one by one as it reduces movement.
Apart from the physical clean up, open your door and windows wide (if safe to do so), and turn the fan to a high speed to get the stale, sealed-in air out. When the room is well-ventilated, I usually burn incense or responsibly sources Palo Santo, a fragrant wood that comes in stick form, as well for good measure! If this sets off smoke alarms in yours, try room sprays instead, or soy wax candles.
4. Trying out a new recipe
Great recipes for all diet types are aplenty on Google or Pinterest, and they make fantastic surprises for your friends when you see them again.
Here are some of my all-time favourites:
- Allrecipe’s Simple White Cake recipe + any lemon icing
- Gigi Hadid’s pasta recipe (no vodka version here)
- Ochikeron’s chocolate chip cookie recipe
- Whenever I’m in a pinch and only have an hour to spare, I grab a box of brownie premix from the grocery shop, bake it according to the instructions and finish off the cooled brownies with sifted espresso powder. You could also do cocoa powder or icing sugar for an even sweeter version.
One day or more
1. Binge-watch that TV series now
Finish off especially addictive shows such as Euphoria while you still have time, rather than saving them for “10 minute study breaks” that turn into three-hour binge watch sessions.
2. Book a staycation
It’s all fun and games to party with your friends, but I actually highly recommend trying this out yourself! It can be a little awkward at first with no one to talk to for most of the day, but this also means you get to do what you want to do, whenever. You could unwind in the room, soak in the bathtub, visit a museum, have a walk in the park, or go thrifting or for an art jamming session.