For most students, studying is the last thing on their minds once the holiday season rolls around. Only a few people find the idea of staying at home and burying their heads in textbooks appealing when all their friends and family are out having a blast. Moreover, the fear of missing out makes it all the more difficult to be productive during the holidays. Fortunately, there are ways to balance work and fun. Read on to learn why it’s worth putting in time for your studies while on holiday and the strategies to do so effectively.
Why Studying Shouldn’t Take a Pause On Holidays
The holidays provide precious time to catch up or get ahead of one’s studies. Those several weeks can be used to fill the missing gaps in your knowledge or be prepared for what’s to come in the next term. Moreover, our brains are like our muscles, wherein inactivity can lead to losing strength. As such, it is vital to keep your brain active even on holiday so that the inevitable return to school will not be so difficult or stressful.
There are three main goals when studying over the holidays, namely:
● Revising the learnings from the current or previous term
● Being familiar with the content in the next term
● Enjoying your time off!
With that said, here are our recommended strategies to pull off productive holidays throughout your academic journey.
4 Keys to Stay Productive Even When on Holiday
1. It all starts with a plan
Getting anything done in school or outside of class requires proper planning with feasible goals in mind. Since the holidays will naturally mean events or outings with friends or family, it is best to plan and work your study schedule around such planned happenings. Of course, this doesn’t mean booking most days in your week for fun, but a maximum of 1-2 days is ideal.
When planning for individual days, set reasonable goals on what you wish to achieve by the end of it by breaking them down from a more important goal you want to complete for that week, for instance. This way of compartmentalising objectives ensures you stay motivated to study for longer and not be discouraged on the first day.
Lastly, avoid creating strict time slots usually reserved for exam preparations but set deadlines instead. Despite having a good plan, the distractions that abound during the holidays mean you may get sidetracked every once in a while. Therefore, having some leeway to achieve your study goals is the best way to avoid unexpectedly having your plans (and motivation) fall apart.
2. Study in chunks
Although you should continue your studies on the holidays, the fact remains that they serve to give students a break from school. Thus, your study time shouldn’t take up a massive chunk of the day. However, there may be times when you can only study for an hour or two due to unexpected events and spend the following days making up for it. Don’t worry, as all this is part of the process! What is most important is that you avoid overworking yourself by tackling your studies in small chunks.
This is best achieved by studying in short sessions like in the Pomodoro method, where you study for 20-25 minutes and take a 3-5 minute break after each session, followed by a longer 15-30 minute break after four sessions. In addition, it’s better to get started with your study plan first thing in the morning and get it done as soon as possible so you can kick back for the rest of the day.
3. Work towards your long-term goals
While studying during the holidays can seem tedious, keep in mind that your efforts are getting you one step closer to reaching your long-term goals, such as getting into your college of choice or studying in the field you’re most interested in. That should be much more satisfying than spending all your free time on outings.
If you have yet to decide on a long-term goal, consider it during the holidays, as it gives you direction and focus. Make sure that it is simultaneously challenging yet achievable to avoid the risk of giving up halfway because you feel like it’s ultimately unattainable. Similarly, having a too-easy goal won’t be rewarding and may prevent you from taking your studies seriously. Break down this long-term goal into smaller, more achievable milestones on which you can progress throughout this coming holiday season and beyond.
4. Prioritise your studies over events whenever possible
While it may be tempting to say ‘yes’ to every invitation from friends and family, your studies should ultimately take higher priority. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t hang out with them at all! To ensure you can be productive over the holidays, stick to the one or two-day break per week, only go to the outings you want to go to, and say no to the rest. Explaining to your loved ones the importance of your study plan should suffice for them to understand where your priorities lie.
If you’re set on joining any unexpected outing that may come up, then there is all the more reason to complete the tasks on your study plan early on to free up the rest of your day.
Conclusion
Making effective use of one’s time ranks among the top ways of achieving academic success and well beyond! In time, all the effort you put into preparing will add to the bigger picture of your lifelong goals. Therefore, balance your studies and relaxation over the coming holiday season.
And most importantly, you don’t have to study alone! Colourtrain Academy is always ready to help you get ahead in your math studies so you can make more time for your other subjects. As one of the best tuition centres for maths in Singapore, our personalised curriculum and passionate tutors ensure that you can realise the hidden maths prodigy in you. Contact us today to learn more!
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