Setting a Study Schedule
Take a couple days off. When your break begins, you may feel burned out from school and excited about having time off. Take a couple days off to clear your mind recharge so you can return to your studies with motivation. Go on and sleep in, play video games, and do whatever else you want. Refreshing your mind will help you study better later.
Write out a list of goals. Gather up all the work you need to get done. Write assignments, goals, or concepts out on a piece of paper. Keep this paper on hand to remind yourself of the effort you need to put in as you complete goals.
Prioritize subjects. Consider what subjects are going to be more difficult or work-intensive. If you have to write a book report, for example, get more of this work out of the way in the beginning so you’re not stuck at the end of the break with a stressful amount of work. Make these the first assignments on your list. Begin to formulate the order you’ll tackle these assignments. Alternate the subjects you study, possibly between easy and difficult subjects. Spacing out your efforts improves your memory. If you're struggling with a concept, focus on studying the basics in that subject to help you learn it easier.
Make a study agenda. Get a calendar if you need a visual reminder to study. On the calendar, block out the time you’ll have each day. Decide what subjects you’ll want to study on what days. You don’t have to stick exactly to this, but setting a routine helps keep you from procrastinating. An hour a day for studying is a fair balance between doing work and avoiding burnout. You can add more time later if you feel like it. Try scheduling some fun activities around study time, such as playing video games. This keeps you disciplined by establishing a schedule with rewards. If you can, schedule your study time for when you work best. You can do this by observing your habits during the day. If you’re most efficient during the morning, study then and leave less intensive activities for later.
Look ahead to what comes next. If you know what topic you’ll have to study after the break, now is a good time to look into it. If it is a difficult subject, break provides you an opportunity to read through the topic. Even if you don’t fully understand it, studying it now may make it easier to understand in class later. Read your textbooks or search online for information regarding your subject.
Studying Effectively
Find a quiet spot. Retreat into your bedroom, your kitchen, or another location where you won’t be bothered. Choose a place that has good lighting, a comfortable temperature, and minimal socializing. If you have to leave home in order to get work done, go to a place that’s comfortable, such as a coffee shop.
Study during travel time. The holidays include traveling, which leaves down time. Whether you’re flying home from college or riding with your parents to grandma’s house, you’ll be stuck in a car with minimal distractions. Bring your books or flashcards. Again, set boundaries. Instead of getting caught up in conversation or other distractions, consider bringing along a set of headphones and your own music.
Turn off social media. It’s no good to get away from your siblings screaming during a sports game marathon if you’re distracted. You intend to check your email for a minute but end up browsing social media for hours. Turn off your phone. Shut off your computer. If distractions are a big problem for you, install a phone application such as Offtime or a browser extension such as LeechBlock for Firefox.
Set boundaries with family and friends. Chances are that while you’re at home, friends and relatives will interrupt your study time. It is difficult to refuse spending more time with them, but if you need to study, let them know. For example, you may choose to spend time with family or friends going to a movie but turn down their offer to spend time chatting afterwards. If you want to spend time with family or friends, ask them to do a quick review session with you. Then, reward yourself by doing something fun with them.
Study with friends. If you have friends who are busy with the same assignment as you, it can be beneficial to learn together. Work with them to develop a study schedule. Studying together lets you combine your efforts and makes studying more enjoyable. However, keep in mind that more people often means more distractions. If you know your friend is a procrastinator or has no interest in keeping to a schedule, avoid studying with them.
Get up and move. Standing is healthy and once you’ve spent a little time sitting and working, take a break to refresh yourself. Go outside. Take a walk around the block or head to a library, park, coffee shop, or other area where you might like to study. This will give you some time to clear your head and let settle what you’ve read.
Reward yourself. Rewards serve as an incentive to work. Think of how you would have looked forward to opening a door on an advent calendar every day or being given a cookie for good behavior. Once you’ve finished studying, do something enjoyable such as eating a cookie, watching videos online, or having a glass of your favorite drink to encourage your efforts. You can choose to create time-based rewards (e.g., playing a video game after studying for an hour and a half), checkpoint-based rewards (e.g., chatting with a friend after reading 2 chapters), or a mix of both. If you don’t do the work, don’t reward yourself. If you reward yourself for no work, you’ll have less motivation to study.
Relax. This is still your winter break, after all. Rather than burn yourself out on studying, enjoy yourself. Spend time with family and do fun activities. Giving yourself fun time between studying is beneficial in several ways, including allowing your mind to recover for your next study session and making you happier. It’s important to space out your studying between relaxation. If you ever feel like you’re burning out, slow down your pace for the day.
Get back to your school schedule gradually. As your break winds down, you may still be tempted to continue bad habits such as going to bed late. In the last week of break, start practicing the habits that will permit you to do your best in school. Go to bed at a reasonable hour in order to solidify your study efforts and keep your mind refreshed. For example, if you’ve been sleeping in until 10:30 but need to wake up for school at 7:00, adjust your schedule by waking up 30 minutes earlier each day for the last week of break. For instance, wake up at 10:00 one day, 9:30 the following day, 9:00 the next day, and so on.
Comments
0 comment