I am starting my MRes this September and have heard that it is very full on. My guidebook for PhD (I have funding for both) states I can have 6 weeks holiday per year during my PhD, but it has no guidance for the MRes. I know that Masters students work through the Summer completing their dissertations, but what about the other traditional holidays (Christmas and Easter vacation periods) - is it the same as in undergraduate?
Thank you very much!

My advice to you is take all the holiday you can, when you can. Don't feel guilty about taking the odd day here and there, or leaving in the middle of the day. You will make it all up and then some when your funding finishes and you still have a thesis to write! I wish I followed this advice haha

But in answer to your question, I would expect you would get the same holidays as a PhD student as an MRes student, not the same as an undergrad.

Your university will likely close over Christmas and Easter. You will find there will be very few students (and hardly any academics) in during this time. There is normally a good 10 consecutive days including closure days, bank holidays and weekends over Christmas, and 5 over Easter. My university is like a ghost town on the odd occasion when I have popped in for a few minutes during these holidays.

That's helpful - thanks.
I still feel like I need something more concrete though - like to know what is allowed and what is not! I have no motivation problems about working - it is more a structure thing - that I need to know my boundaries! Do you think it is worth me asking my supervisor about the expectations in terms of when I take time off?

Yes I'm sure there is something at your university somewhere. In my university the handbook was meant for all postgrad researchers - MRes students as well as PhDs. I know what you mean about needing structure too.

It is definitely worth asking your supervisor though, because even if it says you are allowed 6 weeks off, some don't want you to take it and think you should be working all of the time. I'm lucky and my supervisors know the value of taking a break.

Mine said to me it's best to take longer chunks of time off, rather than a few days or a week here or there because it's easier to manage experiments this way, but that very much depends on your type of research obviously.

Thanks for that. I'm going to try get some more concrete info. It is interesting because as a mature student I have already developed my own ways of working, and know what I need and what suits me best. I hope that I will not be forced into something that does not suit me.

I think you'll be fine. Most academics are pretty laid back and don't care what you do or how you do it as long as you get the work done. There are few horror stories out there but I think they are in the minority.

That is good to know! Cheers.

I agree with TreeOfLife. Speaking as an MRes student, my supervisors are pretty laid back people, and my breaks/holidays are whenever I want them, really, as long as I tell them well in advance. Sick days happen, obviously, and those are fine too as long as they don't happen often. Mainly, supervisors in general don't mind as long as you're getting the work done and no experiments/ research/ whatever is suffering because of your days off.

Hope that helps!