10 Christmas Study Tips for Students

By on December 14th, 2017

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Although ‘tis the season to be jolly, those January exams and fast-approaching coursework deadlines will soon be here! So, whether you’re staying at your student accommodation or heading home for Christmas, you’ll need to find a way to balance your revision with making quality time for yourself, family, friends and/or flatmates.

To help you, here’s a list of our top 10 Christmas study tips for students

1. Stay organised

The best way to avoid getting stressed out is to get yourself organised. Invest in a small whiteboard or wall planner for your room and write down your deadlines and priorities. Keep an eye on your university emails and check into Blackboard Learn or your student portal regularly so that you don’t miss any important announcements.

2. Keep your brain happy

Eat ‘brain food’, drink plenty of water and exercise to stay well-nourished and active during the Christmas period. And no, sleep is most definitely not overrated. You need plenty of sleep to function properly throughout the day. So, ditch the late nights and wise-up if you want to achieve those amazing university grades!

3. Have breaks and de-stress

The average person’s attention span is actually really short, so make sure to take regular breaks during study sessions for optimal productivity. Take up a new hobby alongside your studies that you can do to help relieve stress. Some suggestions include; yoga, knitting, painting, reading or going to the gym.

4. Dedicate time to studying

Figure out what time of day works best for you – perhaps it’s early in the morning or later in the evening when you feel most productive? Block that time out for revision and avoid the temptation to do anything else during that time. If you can stick to a routine and manage your time effectively, you won’t have to worry about leaving anything last minute!

5. Don’t get distracted, manage your time effectively

With so much going on this time of year, you’ll probably want to be in a million places at once! And yes… you do deserve to give yourself a break, just as long as you don’t get too carried away. University doesn’t last forever, stay focused now and you’ll thank yourself later. Prioritise and set yourself goals. Of course, you should make time to do fun activities (it is Christmas after all) but following a revision timetable is a good idea too.

6. Start now, not tomorrow and self-motivate!

Plan out the structure of your essay or answer 1/100 of your practise questions – you have to start somewhere, so start today. Keep a positive outlook and visualise yourself submitting your work or passing your exam. Find what motivates you and hold on to it!

7. Have a digital detox

Take a little break from social media by turning off notifications or even removing the apps from your phone completely to help you stay focused on what’s important – don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be forever! Just make sure to tell your friends and family and let them know the best way to reach you in case they need to contact you. You might be surprised at how productive you can be without the distraction of memes and cute dogs! See here for more.

8. Ask for advice if you get stuck

If you’re able to keep in touch with your university classmates over the Christmas period, offer and seek support from one another. You could also find someone else to study with or ask a friend to help test your knowledge on a subject.

9. Get ahead while you can

Find out what your course leader has planned for Semester 2 and start reading up in advance! Stock up on new stationary so you can start fresh in the new year feeling organised and ready to go!

10. Make studying fun… and don’t panic!

Make studying fun and interesting – you could even turn it into a game for yourself or create a playlist with music to help you study and stay focused! Check out this one on Spotify.

Also, make sure you reward yourself each time you complete a big study session, task or essay submission to let yourself know you’re doing a great job!

If you’re well prepared there’s no need to panic. Have a well-rested, balanced and enjoyable Christmas break!

Downing Student Life

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