Studying over the Christmas break

Study is the last thing any student wants to think about over the Christmas Break. Students are probably looking forward to a nice relaxing time away from school and study. However doing some over the break can be very beneficial and it will help reduce stress and take the pressure off once you are back to school – giving you a head start. You will have the chance to get a good bit of work done without the pressures of schoolwork if you stay focused and keep organised.

Here’s how:

Make a Study Plan:

Having a study plan will also keep you motivated.

It may also be a good idea to make a timetable of how long you will spend on each thing you need to get done. Having a timetable will give your days a routine.

Make your plan a realistic and reachable one. Make sure to allocate equal time to your subjects and, if needed, more time to ones you find difficult. Start your day of with the subjects you find the hardest when your brain is still fresh, and conclude with those you find enjoyable and studying them comes to you naturally and effortlessly.

Often students often get tired and find it hard to concentrate towards the end of the day so make sure to avoid this situation by giving yourself a proper break in-between and coming back energized and recharged to conquer the rest of your study.

Also, make sure to avoid just skimming over the material from your favourite subject because you think you know it well already. You may know it now but believe us, dedicating appropriate amount of time to it during you Christmas revision will reward you during exam time as it will be fresh in your head.

For the timetable you can print off a template which will save you a fair bit of time or you can create your own and use it as a relaxing activity either create one by hand or make a virtual one using websites such as Canva.

Start Early:

Getting up reasonably early to get your study done can be very advantageous. Your brain will be more alert and it will be easier to concentrate, you will be more likely to be more productive as there will probably be less distractions in the morning. If you get your studying done in the morning then you will have the afternoon and evening to relax.

If you study at the same time each day and in the same place your brain will stay focused and it also means you will stay organised. Try to get up at the time you usually would for school during the week, then reward yourself by having a sleep-in at the weekends.

Don't simply roll out of bed and start studying, wake up a few minutes earlier and make yourself a adequate healthy breakfast that will carry you through the morning, studying on an empty stomach is a no-go as you will lose any concentration you have and simply result in you wasting time.

Eliminate all Distractions:

Try to avoid getting distracted, it can be difficult especially if your siblings do not have exams this year and are enjoying their Christmas Break. If this is the case your local library is always a good quite place to go where you will be able to concentrate and get a good chunk of task list done. When you get home it will be easier to relax as you know you got a good bit of your work done.

Try to avoid going on the internet and social networking sites as it can be very time consuming and difficult to get back to studying. It may be an idea to turn off your phone. The less distractions there is the better you will study.

You can use distractions as a reward - for example if I study today for 5 hours then I can play my favourite video game for 2 hours in the evening or meet friends in the afternoon for a coffee.

This will motivate you as you will have something to look forward to and will boost your mood for the next day of tackling study.

Prioritise the Work:

When making your study plan make sure you do it so the most important work gets done first.

For example if you have an essay or assigned question due for when you go back, or if a teacher has given advice on what to go over during the holidays you should tackle those first. It is also a good idea to mix it up: if there are subjects that you do not like, study those one day and the next day make sure to study subjects that you enjoy.

Prepare for the Mock exams:

This Christmas break is possibly the last break you will get before the mock exams, depending on when they start in your school (make sure you check with your individual school to see when they’re scheduled), so it should be used effectively; make use of the time where you are not getting homework every day. It is a chance to really focus on studying.

Try to have goals of certain sections that you want to do well in for the mocks. Over this break you are free to study whatever you want to, there is no teacher telling you to study a certain thing. You have the opportunity to study the sections and subjects you have trouble with and improve in them.

Over this break is a good time to build up mind maps and flash cards. Create them for the subjects that have a lot of theory or that have formulae and diagrams to learn. They can help with problem solving and memorising information. Having these created for when you return to school will save time and you will have more time to learn the information on them.

Practise:

With the mocks coming up after Christmas it is very important to get used to answering exam questions. It can be difficult dedicating time to both study and exam questions and students often are unable to fit both successfully into their timetable.

I would suggest dedicating enough time to study of a chapter until you know the most important aspects in and out and after that you can start on exam papers, as there is zero point in starting exam papers when you can hardly even answer the short questions.

This will lead to a total waste of your time and result in you losing valuable study time. Use notes from our site irevise.com or watch videos and consult your book to aid you in your revision and only then begin to tackle the exam papers.

By completing actual exam questions, you will be able to practise your exam technique, get the timing for each questions and try to do the question within it, and learn how to answer the question that is being asked.

Before you start, make sure you know what the examiner is looking for.

It may be scary at first as you may not know all the answers and you may have the timing wrong. But, practise really does make perfect.

Continue to work on your exam papers after the Christmas break and don't forget to look over the questions you already done as there is no point in simply doing the exam paper questions and then after doing them once, tossing them aside and never looking over them again.

Revising over questions is the most important aspect of study as this is what you are definitely going to encounter in the exam.

Take Days Off:

It isn’t necessary to be studying every day of the holidays, as humans we’re not made to work 24/7. We all need breaks and days off - especially over Christmas, you need to spend some time with your family and friends.

It is also important to get some exercise in, which will help your brain focus. Even taking the dog for a walk is enough to help your brain focus and keep you alert. In order to eliminate stress and optimize your studying you need to find a balance between study and personal life.

Go Back to School Well Rested:

There is no use in working so hard over the Christmas that you are exhausted when you go back to school! As suggested above make sure to make some time for yourself to enjoy this festive period.

Ensure to get sufficient sleep and relax as it may be the last chance you have to take time out before the mocks begin. Again a balance is really important, you need to be refreshed when you return to school.

Although it will be difficult to keep focused and be productive over the holidays, you will feel much better after the holidays if you spent a little time studying over the break. Just follow these tips and try to motivate yourself by thinking about when you are back to school and you are on top of the workload and you are less stressed.

Lastly, if you don't get as much studying done as you hoped, don't fret!!

Simply book a place on our Mocks Crash Course here to tackle the mocks and exams in June successfully.

Merry Christmas!