Written by Hana Mougharbel, your Welfare and Community Officer
Reading week is a time for you to recharge, reset, and try something new. Take some time for yourself this week, and discover all the opportunities waiting for you at your Students' Union.
Wondering how you can make it a productive and relaxing time? Read on for ways you can enjoy reading week whilst also getting the most out of it...
Get on top of university work and assignments
If you have any outstanding lectures to watch, essays to prepare or deadlines to meet, invest some time during the week to get on top of these tasks. Ticking these tasks off your to-do list will ensure you feel prepared going into the next part of term, and you won’t be behind on work.
If you find you need some support over Reading Week, our Advice Service is here to help. We can offer support on helping you succeed in your studies.
You might also want to check out Your Guide to Thrive, an initiative run by the Student Support and Wellbeing Services. During Reading Week, they'll be sharing their top tips and tricks for confident academic writing in an online session - you can reserve a spot here.
Balance your studies with breaks
Reading week isn’t just about catching up on coursework - it’s also a great time to take a step back and look after yourself. Try to use part of the week to rest and reset. Go for a walk, get some fresh air and give your mind a break from constant studying. Sometimes, the best way to boost productivity is to slow down for a while.
During Reading Week, check out Your Guide to Thrive's Sleeping Better Workshop with Dr Guy Meadows (Co-founder & Clinical Director of Sleep School, a London-based clinic formed of global sleep experts). If you can't make that, they're hosting a Therapy Dogs support session (this is a quiet session for neurodivergent students).
If you're looking to get active, a Project Active session is a great way to unwind and reset. The classes are low cost and completely beginner-friendly. If you can't make it onto campus during Reading Week, they have a whole range of classes that can be done from the comfort of home.
Spend time with friends and family
With multiple deadlines, extensive reading lists and all the things you do outside of class, term time is a little too busy to be able to spend enough time with friends and family. Use the free time this week to plan exciting things with the people you love.
You may wish to travel home for reading week and visit your family, stay in London with your UCL friends and flatmates, or even take a short break somewhere new. Whichever you decide, plan a few day trips out, schedule a movie marathon, and spend some quality time with those around you.
You might want to join us for a Bonfire Night celebration with unbeatable views across London (you can reserve your spot by booking a free ticket here). If hiking is more your thing, and you want to get out and experience a different part of the country, check out UCL Hiking Club's residential trip to the Yorkshire Dales - three days of beautiful countryside, incredible views and a whole lot of nature. If you're keen to try something more lowkey, Project Active and artsUCL have teamed up for a paint and pilates session, where the focus is on movement and creativity.
Prepare and organise
During term, you may find you lose track of papers, books and other learning material. Maybe you need to give some books back to the library, or take a trip to Waterstones to buy some new ones for the next half term. Use reading week to organise and prepare for the next few weeks: put loose sheets into folders, re-organise your laptop desktop so your files are sorted into folders, tidy the books away and check new ones out of the library, and top up your stationary materials.
You could also spend some time organising your living space. Perhaps you’re a few weeks behind on the cleaning, or there’s linen and towels to be washed. Getting these chores done whilst you have the time will make your term much smoother; listen to a podcast or audiobook whilst you’re doing it, so it makes it more fun!
If you're looking for a new podcast to try out, The Bridge: A Disagreeing Well Podcast, explores what it means to engage in meaningful disagreement. It's produced by your Students' Union in collaboration with UCL, and aims to equip you with tools and techniques to navigate challenging conversations.
Spend some time giving back
A pause from studies is also an opportunity to give back to your community. There's lot's of ways to do this through the Students' Union - this Reading Week, join the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) for a unique behind-the-scenes volunteering opportunity at their Biobank. Along the way, you’ll also get a rare chance to see ZSL’s dry collection specimens, including taxidermy and skulls, and learn how they’re used in wildlife research, forensics, and tackling the illegal wildlife trade.
If you can't make this, there are plenty more options to spend some time making a difference this Reading Week. Why not join us to volunteer at Woodoaks Farm and reconnect with where the food we eat comes from, or come along on Thursday 6 November to volunteer with the British Red Cross at the Hackney Destitution Centre.
This Reading Week is a great chance to find out all about our Big Help Outs - a chance to volunteer your time at an event or activity designed to make a positive difference in our local communities. There's a huge range of activities - you can get involved in everything from environmental clean-ups and tree planting, to arts and crafts and donation drives.
Explore London
London is an incredible city to be in year-round, and this Reading Week is the perfect opportunity to discover more of it.
Our Discover London programme offers low-commitment, low-cost events that cover everything from sightseeing to community events. This Reading Week, join us for a walk to Primrose Hill, where we'll take a relaxed stroll through London’s charming streets and green spaces.
If you're in the mood to make the most of the fireworks displays happening across the city, we've got you covered. There's lots happening at Battersea Park across the weekend, a fireworks and drone festival at Alexandra Palace, or you can stay close to Bloomsbury campus and head to Coram's Fields for a pyrotechnic extravganza.
If you're looking for more inspo:
Columbia Road Flower Market
Every Sunday, Columbia Road Flower Market turns a quiet East London street into a colourful explosion of flowers, plants and music. Whether you’re looking to grab a houseplant to brighten up your room, or simply go for a stroll and take in the atmosphere, it’s a fun and affordable way to spend your Sunday.
But it’s not just about the flowers – the surrounding area is packed with independent shops, galleries, bakeries and restaurants.
Museum hop in South Kensington
When it comes to soaking up culture for free, South Kensington is the perfect hotspot! It’s home to three of London’s most iconic museums, and they’re all within a five minute walk of each other. Check out:
- Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A)
- Science Museum
- Natural History Museum
Opening times for our bars, cafes and shops
Cafés:
Gordons Café: 08:00-18:00
Bloomsbury Theatre Café: 08:30-16:00
Print Room Café: 08:00-19:00
Grab 'n Go: 08:00-17:00
George Farha Café: 11:00-15:00
Shops:
Bloomsbury shop: 08:00 - 19:30
The Hanger: 10:00-18:00 weekdays and 11:00-18:00 weekend
Bars:
Huntley: Closed everyday excluding Wednesday (17.00 - 23.30)
Mullys: Closed* everyday excluding Wednesday (19.00 - 23.30)
Phineas: Closed* everyday excluding Wednesday (19.00 - 00.00)
Institute: Mon - Thurs: 12.00 - 23.00, Fri: 12.00 - 00.00
*except for private bookings/events
And check out our What's On Calendar
...for society events, plus other events from the Union and around UCL.
There’s plenty of ways to use your reading weekly wisely, but do ensure you take the time to rest and relax so you’re ready to get back into the swing of term.