Writings

A Student's Guide to Summer Break in the UK: Resits, Travel, and the Summer Hustle

This article is also available in [Burmese]

Summer. It’s supposed to be a time of blissful, hot, dry weather. In the UK, it’s mostly like that. Not always, of course. Some days you get a cool breeze, other days the rain is relentless. But still, summer is the best time to be here. It's a season of picnics, of travel, of friends going home to their families. For me, however, home is a place with no clear path back.

So, what do students like us actually do during the long summer break in Oxford?

Part 1: The Unseen Workload - Navigating Summer Resits

Just because the main exams are over doesn't mean the work is done. For various reasons—failing an exam, not submitting an assignment—the university gives students a second chance called a "Resit." This might mean re-taking an exam or, more commonly, digitally re-submitting an essay. You can fail an assignment for many reasons: not including proper citations or references, not doing enough research, or simply not understanding the material. This means that for some, summer begins with more work.

The Deeper Reasons for Failure

Why do students fail? It's not always because they are lazy. The reasons are often complex and rooted in a student's background.

Educational Disadvantage: There's a huge difference between a student who came from a top-tier private school with years of support and a student like me, who had a disrupted education, switched between the Burmese and international systems, and had to figure things out alone. When I first held my Module Handbook, it felt like I was reading an alien language. "What is this? What is the question? What am I supposed to do?"
Financial Pressure: Constant stress about money has a direct impact on your ability to study. Many problems can be solved with money—buying nutritious food, a better laptop, or materials for a project. If you can't afford these things, you are forced to spend your precious time and energy finding workarounds, which takes away from your studies.
The Part-Time Work Trap: International students can work up to 20 hours per week during term time. But balancing 20 hours of work with a demanding university course is incredibly difficult. To make ends meet, some students are forced to work more than 20 hours, often taking illegal cash-in-hand jobs. This inevitably leads to them falling behind in their studies and failing exams.

Your Strategic Plan for Passing a Resit

If you have to do a resit, don't panic. Be strategic.

Get Help: Approach your seniors, your classmates, and especially your tutors. Ask questions. Don't be shy.
Re-evaluate Your Priorities: Be honest with yourself. Why did you come here? To study? To work? To make money? If you focus too much on work, your studies will suffer. If you party too much, your studies will suffer. Keep your main goal as your main goal.

Part 2: The Summer Journey - To Go Home, To Travel, or To Stay?

For most international students, summer is a joyful time of reunions and travel. For students from Myanmar, it's more complicated.

The Reality for Most International Students

My friends from other countries pack their luggage and head home to their families. Others use the break to travel. Europe is incredibly accessible from the UK.

A round-trip flight from London to Barcelona can start from ~£100.
London to Amsterdam: from ~£150.
London to New York: from ~£700.

The Burmese Student's Dilemma

For us, the situation is different. A flight from London to Yangon, even on the cheapest airline booked well in advance, starts at ~£650—that's nearly a month's entire living budget for me. But more importantly, it is not a country that is safe to return to.

So what do we do? Some friends have found a creative solution: the families fly from Myanmar to a third country in Southeast Asia, and the student flies from the UK to meet them there for a week or a month. It's a complicated and expensive reunion, but it's something.

As for me, I had thoughts of a bicycle camping trip, but my bike isn't great and I want to save money. So, for now, I'll just keep exploring the streets of Oxford. I haven't introduced my bike to all of them yet.

Part 3: The Summer Hustle - The Balance Between Working and Resting

During the official summer vacation period, students are legally allowed to work full-time. Many take this opportunity. Some get a second job; others increase their hours at their current one.

The need for money is real. Unlike in Yangon, there are no cheap street food stalls. Unlike in Thailand, there is no 7-Eleven on every corner. Ordering from an app like Grab costs a minimum of £10-£20. The ready-made meals from supermarkets are cold and unappetizing, and there isn't always a microwave available. So, you work.

However, it's crucial to find a balance. The academic year is exhausting. If you don't use the summer to rest and recharge, you will start the next year with no energy reserves.

Part 4: Preparing for Next Year - My Personal Summer Checklist

Summer isn't just for work or rest; it's also for preparation. Here's what's on my to-do list:

Summer Assignments: My course has given us a "Summer Task" focused on 3D modeling to keep our skills sharp.
Buy a New Laptop: My current one is struggling. As an architecture student, I need something powerful. I'm a Mac lover, so that's what I'm looking at, but I need to make sure it can handle complex rendering.
Learn New Software: I need to improve my skills in 3D software and other apps like Photoshop, which is also useful for this page.
Prepare my CV and Portfolio: The next step is to start thinking about work placements, so I need to get my professional documents in order.

Conclusion: Final Thoughts on a UK Summer

The summer is genuinely the best season of the year here. Even when it's hot, it's not the same oppressive heat as in Myanmar. The sun is strong but gentle. The whole city feels calmer, more peaceful.

My advice to you is to enjoy your summer. If you have nothing to do, find a volunteer opportunity or join a sports club. Try to own these precious moments of peace. Forget about school for a little while. Work as much as you need to, but not more. You don’t need to push yourself too hard. You need some rest too.