It’s beginning to feel a lot like Chri…. Oh, I guess not when your pile of books to read is higher then your pile of presents, and your advent calendar is doing little more then reminding you how many days you don’t have left to study!
Worry not, we have some great revision tips for you to stay on top of your work during the holidays, while still making time to enjoy Christmas and all the festivities!
1. Little and often
Cramming is never a good idea, but neither is ‘over-studying’. The human brain cannot cope with a huge chunk of information at once so it’s important to break information down into manageable chunks. It’s all very well promising yourself that you’ll spend Monday studying so you can spend Tuesday shopping, but really when have you ever done an entire day’s study? It’s impossible! Break it down, maybe 2-3 hours each day of the holiday. This way you’ll focus well during the allocated time, but also won’t burn out.
2. Time for a drink!
No not that kind of drink! Ensure you have water on your desk when you’re working. You are more productive when you’re hydrated, so keep sipping away. Also, although everyone loves to stock up on sweets and crisps before a heavy study session, this kind of junk food really won’t help you out. Foods with high amounts of sugar in them may give you energy, but it’s very short-lasting and soon you’ll be feeling sleepier than ever. Stick to natural sugars and eat healthy energy foods such as nuts, granola or fruit.
3. Turn off your computer
If you’re making notes from books, you don’t need your computer on. If you’re revising your notes, you don’t need your computer on. If you’re doing research, you don’t need your computer on – well, in most cases anyway – seeing a pattern here? If you’re using a computer then you’ll soon be tempted to check your emails, visit Facebook or do some panic Christmas shopping, so avoid the computer where possible and revert to using pen and paper. If you do need the computer to work, then turn off the internet *pauses for gasps of horror*, trust us – it really will make a huge difference to your productivity levels.
4. Set achievable deadlines
It can seem very overwhelming when all of your tutors pick the same date for coursework deadlines. How do you know what to start first? The trick is to pretend the deadlines are different. Set (manageable) deadlines for each individual project, and then complete them one at a time. This will help you spread the work out, and ensure your brain is concentrating on one thing at a time, rather than trying to remember everything you’ve ever been taught!
5. Reward yourself
Although you will all be following point 2 and snacking purely on fruit and nuts (you will, won’t you!) you are allowed a treat from time to time. Take advantage of Christmas, and the nations’ love for miniature chocolate, by creating a stockpile of sweet rewards. Whether it’s chocolate coins, Christmas tree decorations or mini Toblerone … whatever will give you that special little happy each time you finish a chapter, a set of notes or a section of your coursework. Good luck!
