5 Tips to StudySTRONG During the Holiday Season
We're moving into the busiest time of the year. Between studying, work, and your personal life, you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed. But with the right preparation, studying over the holidays can be very productive. Below are 5 quick tips to help you achieve your study goals during the holiday season.
Evaluate your goal timeline in Personal Trainer
Before the holiday season commences, evaluate how much time you’ll have to study, accounting for your travel schedule and holiday events. No seriously—honestly evaluate how much time you think you can devote to studying over the holidays. Prioritize the topics you want to cover, adjust Personal Trainer as necessary, and stick to it!
Here's a quick tour of how Personal Trainer now tracks your progress and shows your goal and study pace:
This new feature in Personal Trainer keeps you on track to meet your study goals.
Communicate with your family and friends
Spending time with friends and family over the next couple of months? Be sure to communicate your study plans. This way, they'll be aware of the times you have blocked off to study. They might even help keep you accountable and motivated!
Don't forget that you can get them involved too! While you're visiting, ask them to help out by quizzing you on flashcards or Q&As. Explain something cool about the human body to a curious niece or nephew. Remember: Adding stories to your study material helps you remember it—any interesting family stories you can tie in?
Focus on studying in short stretches each day
The holidays are jam-packed with fun gatherings and events, so focusing for a couple hours each day instead of planning multiple full-day study sessions may be more productive. (FOMO, much?) Plus, it can be hard to study with people around. So try waking up early to get in some study time before everyone is up, or stay up a little late and study when everyone else is winding down for the night.
Prioritize your time
While developing your study plan, be sure to set aside time for family, holiday events, and relaxing. It is your holiday after all, and you don’t want to burn yourself out by studying all day. Remember: Try not to even think about studying while you're away from your books—this will help you avoid burnout.
Study while you travel
If you are traveling for the holidays and have a day or two off at home before or after you leave, take advantage of that time and let those be your longer study days. Traveling is also a great opportunity for multitasking. If you are flying, taking a train, or riding in a car, take advantage of your travel time by studying flashcards, reviewing a book, or watching a lecture from our video board review.
Mix up your study environment
If you’re staying with family for the holidays, try to get out of the house for some of your study sessions. Visit the local library or a nearby coffee shop, so you can have time to focus. Studying in new places and environments also gives you the added bonus of creating a unique set of subconscious retrieval cues in your brain—making these memories more accessible when you take your exam.
Use your phone's timer
It can be a challenge to make yourself finish a study session with all the holiday chaos, so begin with a plan in mind. Set a timer for the amount of time you want to study, and don’t stop until it goes off. During this time, try mixing up topics to keep your brain active. Start out with a topic that you find more difficult and finish off your session with an easier topic to give your brain a break. Don’t forget to reward yourself when you’re done—holiday cookie, anyone?
You can also use your timer while you exercise during the day. Even just going for a walk around the block or taking some time to stretch will boost your concentration.
In need of high-yield review over the holidays? Check out our variety of learning tools and, of course, don’t forget to make time for your family and friends! Happy Holidays.
