By Maddy Chalifoux, SCS Student Advising Leader 2018-19:
Thanksgiving break is almost upon us, and we can now begin looking forward to spending quality time with family and friends, eating delicious food, and taking a week to relax away from the demands of school. However, students often have just as many (if not more!) assignments to complete over break, and plenty of tests to study for in the weeks immediately following the return to school.
All too often, students push off projects, assignments, or studying to the long break thinking, “I’ll study over break- I’ll have plenty of time then.” However, once break comes to a close, we often look back and think, “Geez, I really haven’t accomplished as much as I’d hoped!” Dealing with the distractions that come with being home for the holidays, it’s easy to lose focus on school. The key to preventing this situation is to effectively manage your study time over the holidays.
Since the last few weeks of school in November and December after returning from break are always a whirlwind, we want to make sure we put ourselves in the best position for acing our finals. To do this, we need to continue to stay motivated over Thanksgiving break. In case you need that little extra bit of motivation to stay driven over break, here are a few tips for time management and effective study habits over the holidays:
- Get started early: It’s hard to get yourself to work after taking a whole week off (and eating too much turkey, I might add!), so get started early. Start your work the weekend before Thanksgiving. Treat this weekend like a normal weekend and try to accomplish your regular assignments as if they were due on Monday the 19th. Additionally, try starting your work in the morning every day, so that you can devote the afternoons and evenings to spending time with family and friends.
- Don’t bite off more than you can chew: Set aside a designated amount of time each day to devote to school work. Little by little, you will chip away at your assignments and still have plenty of time remaining every day to spend with family and friends.
- Eliminate distractions: Family is wonderful, but they can sure be distracting at times! Set up a workstation in a quiet place in your house, or even try going to the local public library or coffee shops.
- Use a checklist: Even though you don’t have assignments due throughout the week, keep a checklist for yourself in order to hold yourself accountable. Check off study items on your list each day. This will help you stay on track and feel proud about the work that you are doing!
Most importantly, no matter what your school assignments demand, don’t forget the importance of family and friends, and remember to take some time for yourself to relax and spend time with loved ones. Enjoy your pumpkin pie, but keep these study tips in mind so that you can come back to school on the 26th ready to tackle the last round of midterms before finals!