I have in the past taken an apparently vacant taxiway without being asked and then stopped past the hold-short line waiting for instructions.
Probably the best thing to do, though being in the rhythm of the airport is good too. It is unlikely that you would ever be criticized for vacating the runway safely at the first opportunity - unless... you have been given a specific instruction to clear, or, for those airports which you could clear to either side, you clear to the wrong side, the then ask to cross the active runway again. Never backtrack on a runway without permission from the tower, but if they ask/offer, it's obviously okay, get it done without delay.
in the UK, orbits anywhere inside an ATZ are a big no no, unless the airfield has full ATC and then, only when instructed or approved by the tower controller and also only on the downwind leg turning away from the airfield.
Again, knowing the rules. The only reason I was content to orbit as I described, was that I was certain that I was the only airplane in the circuit, and had excellent visibility. In hindsight, had I thought that three orbits would have been needed, I should have just flown another circuit. A very small reason that I chose to orbit, rather than announce on the radio, another circuit, is that I, and my plane, are very well known at that airport, and if the people listening on the radio heard that I had chosen to overshoot because of an airplane which had not cleared, it reflects poorly on that pilot. A longer interval between my base and final calls would be less apparent on the radio. In hind sight, during my aforementioned Caravan flying in Ottawa a few weeks back, I was once asked to orbit for spacing as I intercepted the localizer, though I was miles back from the airport.
There was a fatal accident some years ago at Southend when a student was instructed to orbit on final and spun in...................
Hmmm, that's somewhat a different consideration. I expect that anyone released to solo flying should be able to orbit safely, there could be many reasons to orbit, certainly including checking your position relative to features on the ground [when lost] during a cross country. Yes, I can imagine that accident occurring, but being asked to, or choosing to, orbit, should not be a cause for a stall spin. But... another good reason to not delay traffic behind you! Can you imagine being the pilot who caused that fatal orbit to be required?!