Joe’s Jotter: Should You Use Your Hols to Rest or Revise?
As we soon enter our Christmas holidays, we will all enjoy a well-deserved break. However, don’t leave it until the day before school to open the school bag again. Depending on what year you are in, you will know yourself how many hours revision is required over these few weeks. Rest is very important at holiday time to recharge for your next set of challenges, so be sure to enjoy time out with your friends and family.
From an educational point of view, however, have a read of the below list of pointers and try and implement two or three of them in order to maintain some semblance of revision over the holidays. It will make your life much easier having continued some constructive habits over the break.
1. Reward yourself.
Don’t forget to ‘have a life’ as you prepare for any upcoming exam. Reward yourself after a long study session with a trip to the cinema or visit to your friends. Try hard to develop your own balance between work and play. Ultimately, reward yourself with breaks, taking a reasonable one after every good hour’s work. There is nothing wrong with rewards like chocolate, ice-cream, or a packet of gummy bears; as everyone who has done something constructive deserves a little thank you.
The best reward you can give yourself on long revision days are breaks. I am a big believer in a five minute break after every thirty minutes revision.
2. Stay connected.
It is important to keep up communication with your friends and family during revision times. Let them know how you are feeling, especially if you are anxious about a particular subject or upcoming assessment. You will feel so much better about a problem if you ‘chat’ about it to someone. Also, it can be easy to get cut off from the outside world when you are highly focused; so try not to let this happen. Always try and find your balance between work, rest, and play; remembering that everyone’s balance is slightly different.
3. Use your family.
Using members of your family to learn material is an avenue that few utilise properly. Some of your siblings will have completed exams and may be able to pass on some good quality information or advice; so remind them to save their best notes for you. Even if the content of their notes isn’t suitable for your learning style; their methods, notes structure, style and layout could give you some fresh new ideas in preparation of your own.
Get your parents involved and tap into knowledge and practical advice they may have on subjects they enjoyed in school. Get them to examine you on topics. They don’t need to be experts on parts of the course you are struggling with, as they can refer to Information from your book or notes in front of them. All you need is their time and a willingness to ask you loads of questions. Get the conversation going together to promote extra learning.
4. Stick to your plan.
Whatever plan you have for the next three weeks, try to stick to it as best you can. Working in retail every hour over Christmas won’t get you any extra points. As I always say, ‘you can work for the rest of your life’ (this includes college). Try and balance time wisely if you do happen to have a part time job. I am not a major fan of 6th year students working part-time, but that’s just my opinion.
On a given day, if you plan to start revision at 9am, get up before then, have breakfast, get ready and commence at that exact time. The students that do well are those who apply this self-disciplined approach, and it guarantees that you are getting maximum efficiency out of your time. A high level of satisfaction will come when you get your exam results; knowing you gave it your all. Time and tide wait for no man (or woman). Keep things ticking over during holiday time.
5. Try and maintain some routine.
Getting to bed at a reasonable time and getting plenty of sleep will help you to stick to your goals and plans. Do this as best you can, even during holiday periods. We all lose our routine over the hols and that’s ok too. However, try and get back into better habits when the new year turns and your first day back in school approaches. This will allow your body to be somewhat adjusted when you return to those early mornings.
Over your holidays, enjoy yourself while maintaining some form of sensibility: eat plenty of fruit and veg, drink plenty of water and get loads of sleep. Rest and replenish both physically and mentally and get ready for the encounters ahead.
Tune in to next week’s blog where I will publish Part two of ‘How to Revise More Effectively from Home’. Joe
“On bad days, put one leg in front of the other. Move, don’t stand still.”
More details about Joe’s Maths Tuition Classes for 3rd, 5th & 6th Year (Leaving Certificate Higher Students 2024) and his Award Winning ACE Maths Solution Books for all students can be found via the below links:
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