As the winter chill sets in and the festive season approaches, you’ll likely be gearing up for a well-deserved break. If you’re staying on campus, it’s a good idea to plan ahead and explore what’s on offer for you, plus some ideas for how to enjoy the festive period.
Staying in halls
If you’re a Halls resident, you can stay in your accommodation for the Christmas break. If you will be staying in Halls between 23 December and 1 January please be sure to email your Hall reception team just to let them know – you can find their email addresses on the Halls Life pages.
Your Halls Residential Advisers (RAs) will on hand each night throughout the festive period. If you need any help or advice, no matter the time of day, please feel free to reach out and contact them using the contact numbers provided on this page under ‘contact details for specific teams’.
There’s more information on staying in Halls over the break on the Halls’ Team webpages.
Halls Festive event
On Wednesday 20 December, you can join our Halls Life team for their Halls for the Holidays Mixer with fellow Halls residents who are staying over the Christmas break for an evening of festive celebrations.
If you’re staying in Halls over Christmas, you can also find a gift waiting for you under the Christmas tree in your Hall reception this Christmas Day.
Please only take one gift per person. Please note that gifts are limited in numbers and are will be available from under the tree on a first come, first served basis. Melville and Tudor students can pick up a gift from Vine Court.
Support Services
The festive season can bring a mix of emotions, and it’s important to prioritise your mental wellbeing at this time of year.
Wellbeing Holiday drop-in
Over the winter break period, Student Services will be providing a Wellbeing Holiday drop-in support session. Join the Wellbeing Team for a chat and refreshments in the KnowHow Room, Sydney Jones Library, 10am – 2pm on Friday, 29 December.
Tips for spending the Christmas break at university
Remaining at university over the festive period may feel challenging. Student Minds has put together some tips you might find helpful for navigating the coming weeks; ideas include having a plan for each day, incorporating daily exercise and exploring volunteering opportunities so you can spend time with others.
Mental health support
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis including thinking about self-harm or suicide, contact the Urgent Care Line by calling 0800 145 6570.
Students can also access Health Assured, a free, confidential advice line, with help available to talk through any problem, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (including Christmas Day). The helpline is confidential. Qualified counsellors and advisors understand the pressures of student life, and are there to help anyone who needs it. Call the 24/7 helpline for free on 0800 028 3766.
Other listening services include:
- Samaritans: call 116123 (24 hours, 365 days a year)
- Papyrus: call HopelineUK 0800 068 41 41 (9am – 10pm weekdays, 2pm – 10pm at weekends and on bank holidays.
Academic Support
If you’re looking to use the break to prepare for exams and assessments in January or get a head start on the upcoming semester or seeking assistance with coursework, a good place to start are our KnowHow resources.
During the winter break, study spaces will be open and you will be able to access and borrow books from the shelves. All online resources such as databases, e-books and e-journals will continue to be available 24 hours a day via the library website as well as KnowHow Academic Skills online tutorials.
The KnowHow team have also created a series of online tutorials to help you prepare for different types of exams;
- Preparing for in person exams
- Preparing for online exams
- Answering essay style exam questions
- Answering short answer exams
The Library opening hours over the festive period differ from their usual hours – you can check their opening hours on their webpages.
Other campus services and facilities
The Guild (including Starbuck’s, the Guild shop, The Sphinx and Courtyard) and Sport Liverpool are still open with reduced opening hours during the winter break. You can find more information on their webpages – Guild opening hours and Sport Liverpool opening hours.
Support for International students
For any international students staying on campus, we also recommend you watch International Advice and Guidance’s ‘Staying in the UK over the Winter Break’ presentation for further information about the services, activities and support available to international students.