Life after exams: What now?

Exams are done. You’ve got time, space, and zero motivation to think about anything serious. That’s normal. But if you let the whole summer drift, you’ll hit September with regrets and no plan. Here’s how to make this post-exam period useful without killing your freedom!

UoB Extra and Finales

The university puts on actual events worth going to during this time. Outdoor movie nights at the Green Heart, games, face painting, live music, and much more. You don’t have to plan or spend anything; just turn up. It’s the easiest way to get out of your room, hang out with friends, and feel like you’re still part of something before everyone disappears. The 3K campus run is part of it too. You can run, walk, or volunteer to help out. You’ll get a free T-shirt, probably a great sense of achievement, and a solid reason to be proud of showing up. It’s also a good chance to meet people you wouldn’t usually cross paths with.

Think Ahead: Final Year Project

If you're in your penultimate year like me, now’s the best time to plan your final year project or get an idea of what you want to do. Not when term starts and you’re already stressed. Pick a topic that interests you. Look for a real-world problem. Think about what you want to learn and what skills it could show off. If you’re unsure, talk to lecturers or schedule meetings with some supervisors to see how they can support and help with your chosen topic. Even one paragraph of planning now can save you weeks later.

Portfolio and CV Check

If you haven’t updated your portfolio or CV since your last job hunt, fix that now. Add recent coursework, side projects, or anything from the past year. Use real numbers where you can. List the tech you used. Show results in your GitHub. Clean up the layout so it’s easy to scan through in under 30 seconds. No portfolio? Make one. Even a simple Notion page, Google Doc, or GitHub README is better than nothing.

Apply to Internships

You’re not late. Companies post roles all through summer, and some hire closer to term time. Set a goal to apply to two or three each week. Use LinkedIn, RateMyPlacement, Bright network, and company career pages. Reach out to startups. Message someone on LinkedIn who works at a place you like. To keep track of everything, make sure to use a tracker to monitor the status of each application you send out; otherwise, it can get too overwhelming. Worst case, they ignore you. Best case, they help you get your foot in.

Set Clear Goals

Forget vague ideas like “be productive.” Write down real goals with real actions, for example:

• Finish one project
• Learn one new tool
• Apply to five internships
• Read one book related to your course
• Build a basic website or improve your LinkedIn

You don’t need to do everything. Just do something. And make sure to set targets for each goal you want to achieve, breaking it down to smaller, more manageable chunks.

This Summer Can Set the Tone for Your Final Year

You’ve got time to recover. You’ve also got time to build momentum. The students who show up in September with a project idea, updated CV, and some experience already lined up- they’re not smarter. They just used the summer well. The choice is yours.