How to: Spend Your Summer After A Levels

Hello, Reader!

Now that exam period is over, I figured some ‘summery’ blog posts are in order. I really struggled to think of posts that would be relevant at this time of the year - because I’m used to writing about studying and, obviously, you don’t want to read about that after finishing the academic year. Luckily, this topic was suggested to me on Instagram! Big thanks to the angel that thought of it - so here it is; how to spend your summer after A Levels.

You’ve probably figured this one out by yourself but… relax. It’s been a tough two years and suddenly you find yourself in this ‘in-between’ space where you don’t have anything to study or stress over. Enjoy it! You’ve earned this period of being lazy and taking it easy because you made it through these exams and did your best. It’s really important to take care of your mental health after a stressful period - take this time to return to a calm and positive mind space if you lost it somewhere along the year. Meditation, spending time with friends, reading for fun, travelling - find your happy place and hold onto it!

This might be somewhat last minute if you haven’t made any plans yet, but travelling is a great way to spend your ‘long’ summer. The summer after my A-Levels I went to the Netherlands, Georgia, Poland and a few places around the UK - some alone, some with family - the thing is that I spent as much time away from London as possible. Also, it was quite a good range of different types of holidays which made me feel just as excited for every one of them - and I tend to feel exhausted and overwhelmed when I travel lots. I spent time in the mountains of Georgia, away from civilisation then touristed around Poland for a bit with my family, then later travelled alone to Scotland to see a Uni… the variety really made me feel like I used my summer well and gained a lot from it. If making significant progress on your travel bucket list is out of budget but you still want to get out of the country - you can look into abroad volunteering opportunities. There are tons of them all over the internet, so there should be something that suits you - just be careful and make sure they’re legit! If you’re lucky enough to have family abroad - pay them a visit. I’m sure they’ll be happy to see you and you can have a break from being at home and hopefully spend some time somewhere nice. 

If you don’t have the time or the resources to travel, there are also great ways to spend your summer without leaving your city, (or even your house, if that’s your thing.) One of the things I like to do is scroll through Eventbrite when I have a slow week - there are so many things happening in London at all times so you can always find something to do. If there isn’t anything really worth checking out, museums are always a good day out. When was the last time you’ve checked out your ‘local’ museums? Especially if you’re into art, keeping up to date with all the new exhibitions around you is a good way to explore new art and find a fresh breath of inspiration. Not really your thing? Take up a new skill. Some of them don’t even require leaving your house; learn how to cook in preparation for uni/adult life, start journaling, learn sewing or painting, take up a new sport. The options are endless and you’ve got lots of time on your hands so just try something new - if you don’t like it, there’s no harm done!

At the end of the day, if you’d just prefer to spend the summer catching up on Netflix shows and laying in bed - I support that. Let’s call it self care. Spend it however you need to be able to start for September with a burst of motivation - ultimately, that’s what will help you when the summer is over.

Enjoy the sun!

Love,

Agnes xo