When you think of the holiday season, images of family, presents and merry-making come to mind. However, for some students the festive season is about more than gift-giving or gorging yourself at a family lunch, it is also about studying. The holidays can provide a great opportunity to tick off a few study goals before the New Year, allowing you to get a head start or complete your course faster. So for all the students that will be juggling festivities and study, we have created some tips to help you make the most of your time during the festive season. Study while you travel With all the end of year parties, family get-togethers and special events popping up during December and January, it can be difficult to find time for study. If you have a full social calendar, consider balancing the fun with the facts by using your commute to your event as an opportunity for a quick study session. Flying interstate? Complete a reading or two while you are in the air. Driving all over the city to break up lunches? Make yourself some flashcards and ask your travel buddies to quiz you as you drive. With a little preparation you can make the most of your travel time and tick off a few study goals while you’re in transit. Ask for awesome study supplies When writing your wish list, ask for some study supplies to help you get motivated during the holidays. Beautiful notebooks, productivity planners or a zen garden make great gifts for students and it gives you the perfect excuse to use your new toys. Let your family and friends know you need to study over the break There is nothing worse than being interrupted every five minutes by well-meaning relatives. However, it’s probably best not to blow up when they offer you a snack for the third time. Instead, let your family and friends know that you are intending to study over the holidays and outline ways they can be supportive of your efforts. Consider finding a quiet study space, preferably with a door that closes, or create a study schedule and stick it on the fridge so they know when it’s okay to interrupt you for the family flash mob, or rope you into the washing up. Use an advent calendar as a study reward system Need some sweet motivation during the holidays to keep your study brain engaged? If you celebrate Christmas, an advent calendar is a cheap and easy way to ‘reward’ yourself every day after completing your study tasks. You can also turn this idea on its head by creating your own rewards with your favourite sweets, beers or nail polishes. Just make sure you wrap everything in the same wrapping paper and mix them up so to maintain the surprise when you open your reward at the end of the day. Give yourself the gift of time Even though you might be studying over the holidays it’s important to take some time for yourself too. No one wants to work throughout the entire break, so make sure you schedule time off from your studies to enjoy the holiday period with your friends and family. Agencies
