Tis the season to…take a break.

Festive greetings from Professor Hugh Brady, Vice-Chancellor and President and the University Management Team.

The holiday season is almost upon us. Although the University closes for Christmas on 21 December, you can still access some of our facilities over the break. Take a look at the services and support available over the holidays.

Merry Bristmas!

Bristol SU Living Room

If you’re staying in Bristol during the holidays, there’s still plenty going on including seasonal activities at the newly launched Bristol SU Living Room taking place from 17 – 20 December. You can also hear more about events taking place in the local area while the University is closed and meet other students who might be staying in Bristol during this time.

Don’t forget to join the UoB Staying in Bristol at Christmas Facebook page. All students are welcome to join and you can find out more about other events such as the Christmas lunch with all the trimmings and a Boxing Day Tour around the historic listed Goldney Gardens and Grotto.

Relax and unwind

The holiday season is the perfect time to take a breather and unwind ahead of the New Year. You don’t need us to tell you about all the benefits of sport and activity; it’s well known how positive an effect it can have on your mental and physical wellbeing. For those staying in Bristol, the indoor sports centre will still be open part of the time together with the Students’ Health Service. You can find out about opening hours here.

Academic support

Ease the pressure of the January exam period by getting clued up on all the academic support and tools available to you on the Study Support pages. Brush up on your revision techniques and exam preparation with these online tutorials; Revision planning, Revision techniques, Exam papers & questions and Exams & Wellbeing. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with your studies, maybe take some time to reflect on what you think could help you when we reopen. Start a portfolio with Personal Development Planning (PDP) and jot down which areas you feel you could use some guidance on.

See all the Academic Support on offer for you through our Study Support pages.

Many of our services are still open while you’re away from your studies; even during the University closure dates we have study areas open and some of our services running. You can see the opening hours here.

Stay connected

We know that the festive season isn’t easy for everyone so if you want to talk to someone, you will be able to access support via our Residential Life Support Centre, open to all students for urgent issues, whether you live in Uni residences or not. There are also self-help tools to provide support, including Big White Wall.

While students are not officially back until 14 January, the University reopens on 3 January and we’ll be here for you if you have any questions.  You can contact your Personal Tutor, speak to our Information Point and use the libraries and study areas.

From all of us at the University of Bristol, we wish you a restful break. Happy Holidays!

#TisTheSeason 🌟

 

Tis the season to…be helpful.

If you need to know where to get advice or how to get around campus, drop in to our new Information Point at Senate House and someone from our friendly team will be on hand to point you in the right direction.

Second year English student Olivia Garner has been working at the Information Point since September this year.

Olivia stands in front of the Information Point desk with an iPad in her hands

While Olivia is used to providing information on everything from finance to academic support, this month she’s getting into the festive spirit. So if you want to know who stocks the best mince pies, need advice on how to trim your tree or the best way to wrap a present, the team at the Information Point might 😉 be able to help!*

*Being totally honest, they’re not 100% sure what trimming a tree even means –  better to stick to Bristol questions that they can answer🎄😆

Team of people stood behind Information Point desk
Some of the Information Point team

The Information Point is open in Senate House, Tyndall Avenue, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm during term time.

Although the University closes for Christmas on 21 December, you can still access some of our facilities over the break. Take a look at the services and support available over the holidays.

 

 

Tis the season to…come together.

Festive greetings from the Global Lounge Team.

We’re a global community here at the University of Bristol. If you’d like to meet new friends, learn about different cultures and hear out about studying abroad, then keep a look out for events and activities organised by the Global Lounge Team.

Why not come along to their Festive Mingle events next week? You can find out about events taking place in the local area while the University is closed over the holidays and meet other students who might be staying in Bristol. There will also be free tea and coffee, snacks and plenty of festive cheer. It’s a great opportunity to learn about how the holidays are celebrated in many different cultures and share your own traditions with others. The Festive Mingle events are taking place in the Bristol SU Living Room (Senate House, 4th floor) between Monday 17 Dec – Thursday 20 Dec from 12 pm – 2 pm.

Don’t forget, there’s also a Facebook group which you can join to connect with other students and discover what to do in Bristol over the Christmas break. If you’d like to know more about which University buildings are open over the Christmas break and when, take a look here.

#TisTheSeason

Happy Holidays!

 

Tis the season to…get a little more.

To help you enjoy the break and take some time to look after yourself we’ve got Academic Support all wrapped up for you.

 

 

Before the break we have extra Academic Support on offer through our Faculty Study Skills workshops. These are running until 19 December – check out what’s still available.

Many of our services are still open while you’re away from your studies; even during the University closure dates we have study areas open and some of our services running. You can see the opening hours for these services online.

While students are not officially back until 14 January, the University reopens on 3 January and we’ll be here for you if you have any questions.  You can contact your Personal Tutor, speak to our Student Information Service and use the libraries and study areas.

While you’re away, if you’re feeling overwhelmed with your studies, maybe take some time to reflect on what you think could help you when we reopen. Start a portfolio with Personal Development Planning (PDP) and jot down which areas you feel you could use some guidance on.

See what Academic Support is on offer for you through our Study Support pages.

Happy Holidays!

 

Tis the season to…stay active.

Season’s Greetings from our Sport, Exercise and Health community. You don’t need us to tell you about all the benefits of sport and activity; it’s well known how positive an effect it can have on your mental and physical wellbeing. Although it may be tempting to abandon your usual routine over the holidays, there will also be lots of opportunities to stay active at this time of year. Choose things you enjoy and make it fun! Maybe a long walk with old friends exploring somewhere new? Check out your local exercise options – a short membership somewhere or many parks now have exercise equipment you can use. What could you do as family? Ice skating, anyone?!

For those staying in Bristol, here are the opening hours for the swimming pool, Coombe Dingle and our newly refurbished Indoor Sports Centre.

Why not look into how you can get more involved next term? You could join one of our many sports clubs and societies, start a membership and meet like-minded people, or think about sports leadership and volunteering.   

Here at Bristol, sport and activity are more than just a one-off session; it’s about belonging to a community of students, passionate about living life well.

#TisTheSeason

 

 

 

 

 

Tis the season to…be mindful.

If you haven’t met your new neighbours yet, why not take the festive season as an opportunity to say hello and maybe share a mince pie or two? They could keep an eye on your empty house over the holidays and perhaps bring your bins back in for you once you’ve gone. It’s great to build relationships with the community around you; find out what’s happening in your local area and get involved. You’ll meet new people and feel part of your neighbourhood.

Try to also remember your neighbours if you’re planning a festive celebration and the impact it might have on them. The guide to community living provides some good advice.

During this season we tend to generate a lot of extra stuff. Bristol Waste offer some useful ideas for recycling, reusing, re-gifting and donating to help us be mindful of our impact on resources and landfill.

Be mindful of safety – look after yourself, your belongings and each other. Security Services promote useful tips on personal safety. And if you are going to be away, make sure everyone takes responsibility for switching things off and locking up.

This time of year particularly can be difficult for some people, so help out where you can. Check out SU Volunteering for opportunities to make someone else’s festive season a little brighter.

#TisTheSeason

Joni Lloyd, Community Liaison Manager

 

 

If you’re staying in Bristol, don’t forget to join the University Staying in Bristol Facebook Group listing events and activities taking place over the festive season.

You can also find out about our opening hours during the holidays including study spaces, the Students’ Health Service and the sports facilities. If you want to talk to someone over the festive season, you will be able to access support via our Residential Life Support Centre, open to all students for urgent issues, whether you live in Uni residences or not. There are also self-help tools to provide support, including Big White Wall.

 

Tis the season to…stay connected

As the term comes to a close, some will be preparing to return home to friends and family, while others will be staying put for ‘Bristmas’ in the city.

Whatever you have planned for the festive period, be sure to make the most of your break by enjoying time with others and finding time to unwind.

Stay connected

Those spending the break in Bristol are invited to join in with a variety of festivities.

The newly launched Bristol SU Living Room on the fourth floor of Senate House is running lots of seasonal activities, including Christmas crafts, old school games and traditional nibbles to ease you into the holiday season. Look out for the daily Festive Mingle events from 17 – 20 December too.

This is a great opportunity to find out about events taking place in the local area while the University is closed and meet other students who might be staying in Bristol during this time.

All students staying in Bristol over Christmas are welcome to enjoy Christmas lunch with all the trimmings and take a Boxing Day Tour around the historic listed Goldney Gardens and Grotto. Join the UoB Staying in Bristol at Christmas Facebook page to stay in touch and keep posted on other festive events taking place during the holiday.

Relax

The holiday season is the perfect time to take a breather from the busyness of the first term, unwind and nurture your wellbeing ahead of the New Year.

For those staying in Bristol, please find out about our opening hours during the holidays including study spaces, the Students’ Health Service and the sports facilities.

If you want to talk to someone over the festive season, you will be able to access support via our Residential Life Support Centre, open to all students for urgent issues, whether you live in University residences or not.

There are also self-help tools to provide support, including Big White Wall.

Recap

After the festive break comes the January exam period. Ease the pressure by getting clued up on all the academic support and tools available to you on the Study Support pages.

For further academic support, we offer drop-ins, revision workshops, one to one sessions and tutorials.

#TisTheSeason

 

Tis the season to…celebrate community.

Watch some festive greetings from Eva Larkai, Chair of the BME Network and Aisha Rana-Deshmukh, President of Bollywood Dance Society.

How will you be spending your time over the holidays? #TisTheSeason

If you’re staying in Bristol, don’t forget to join the University Staying in Bristol Facebook Group listing events and activities taking place over the festive season.

You can also find out about our opening hours during the holidays including study spaces, the Students’ Health Service and the sports facilities. If you want to talk to someone over the festive season, you will be able to access support via our Residential Life Support Centre, open to all students for urgent issues, whether you live in Uni residences or not. There are also self-help tools to provide support, including Big White Wall.

 

Tis the season to…enjoy your city

If you’re staying in Bristol over the holiday period, why not get out, explore and enjoy your city. There is plenty of festive fun taking place and why not join the Facebook group open to all students staying in the city for the holidays.

Here’s our pick of Bristol’s festive offerings.

Get your skates on

Try out your fancy footwork at the Millennium Square ice rink until 7 January. If ice skating isn’t your thing, there’s plenty to enjoy at the Winter Fair with a Christmas Market, Apres Bar and Big Wheel to choose from.

If you prefer your festivities a little more stationary, wrap up warm and head to the We the Curious big screen for free showings of Love Actually (6 December), Gremlins (13 December), the Polar Express (16 December), Elf (23 December) and Home Alone (3 January).

Skating at Millennium Square

Festive fun

If you’re looking for quirky gifts, or just fancy getting into the festive spirit, Bristol has plenty of Christmas markets to choose from.

St Nick’s market will be open every day until Christmas with outdoor markets from Wednesday 12 December.

St Nick’s Market, Bristol

Let it snow

We might not be in for snow on Christmas Day but there’ll be guaranteed snow at Millennium Promenade from 1 to 7 December and again from 15 to 21 December on Corn Street and Clare Street from 5 to 7 pm.

If you’re missing the real thing, take a look at our snowy snaps from earlier this year.

Sparkling lights

We think our city always looks beautiful, but there’s something special about seeing it decked in lights for the holidays. Start at College Green then wander up Park Street to Clifton for those festive feels.

If you’re staying in Bristol, you can  find out about our opening hours during the holidays including study spaces, the Students’ Health Service and the sports facilities.

We know that the festive season isn’t easy for everyone so if you want to talk to someone, you will be able to access support via our Residential Life Support Centre, open to all students for urgent issues, whether you live in Uni residences or not. There are also self-help tools to provide support, including Big White Wall.

And don’t forget, join the University Stay in Bristol Facebook Group listing events and activities taking place over the festive season.

 

… feel proud.

The festive break is almost upon us so we want to wish you all a very happy holiday season. Students and staff from across campus have come together to bring you some ‘Tis the season to …’ festive joy and useful info. Look out for some familiar faces over the next two weeks.

We’re starting with a message from our SU Sab Officers. 

 

And here’s what they’re looking forward to working on next term!

  • Stanford – Society Awards
  • Nasra – Careers Week
  • Ginny – Varsity
  • Shubham – A full-time International Officer
  • Sally – People’s Vote

Feel proud of all that you’ve achieved this term too #TisTheSeason

For those staying in Bristol, please find out about our opening hours during the holidays including study spaces, the Students’ Health Service and the sports facilities. If you want to talk to someone over the festive season, you will be able to access support via our Residential Life Support Centre, open to all students for urgent issues, whether you live in Uni residences or not. There are also self-help tools to provide support, including Big White Wall.

Join the University Staying in Bristol Facebook Group listing events and activities taking place over the festive season.