Don't let the winter holiday freeze your brain: Top tips on getting the most out of the festive season
It's the start of the Christmas holidays and many students will be looking forward to staying up late, switching the alarm clock off and having a lie in.
But is doing nothing a good idea or will it just make it harder when term starts again.
Here’s Devon based Lisa Boorman, leader of Queen’s Online School, top tips on how to get the most out of the festive break.
1) Plan your time.
The Student Room, the UK’s largest online community for school, college and university students, has heaps of advice on how to have a break, enjoy some downtime and get some work done.
Students should be realistic. It’s Christmas, they’ll want to catch up with family and friends so it’s a good idea to allocate time between the festivities and New Year to get homework or revision done. Try not to leave it until the day before term starts.
Get organised. Buying a study planner means prioritising work and is good practice for the lead up to exams.
Be prepared. Before sitting down to study it’s a good idea for students to have all their notes and textbooks to hand. Flashcards and revision cards, mind maps and quizzes are great ways to help retain important information.
2) Get plenty of sleep
The importance of sleep shouldn’t be underestimated, with a healthy sleep pattern being linked to better memory, concentration, alertness, immune system and decision making.
The Sleep Charity recommends that young people get an average of 8-10 hours’ sleep a night. During holidays, sleep patterns tend to shift, with young people staying up and waking up later than usual. Common sleep mistakes include watching TV or playing video games late at night, being on a mobile phone, and drinking caffeinated/energy drinks just before sleep.
3 Busy doing nothing
Researchers have discovered two of the most effective ways to boost memory: ‘testing’ and ‘spacing’. The ‘testing’ effect describes the act of having to come up with an answer to a question, whereas ‘spacing’ involves doing a little bit of work often, instead of a big chunk all at once.
Ms Boorman said, “Just by spending a few minutes on schoolwork here and there through the festive holiday can help students to ensure that they don’t forget what they once knew. This can be anything from quizzes, multiple choice questions or even past papers.
“This work will really pay-off for mock exams in the new year when they need to recall large amounts of information for exams.”
3) Smartphone amnesty
Young people check their smartphones around 100 times a day. Teens who are too reliant on their mobile phone report being more anxious, have higher levels of ‘Fear of Missing Out’ (FOMO), poorer concentration and end up getting lower grades than they deserve. It’s hard to get out of a bad habit, so try to make a conscious effort to get into good routines around your smartphone this Christmas. More time spent outside and with friends in person will lead to a happier and healthier you.
4) Final thought
“Just a few changes around sleep, revisiting school work and controlling mobile phone use, (instead of it controlling you) can make all the difference when young people return to school, college or university in the New Year,” said Ms Boorman.
