The 12 days of Christmas (revision)
Our tips on how to have a productive Christmas holiday proved really popular last year, so we’ve updated it for 2017 to help you through the festive period and balance […]
Our tips on how to have a productive Christmas holiday proved really popular last year, so we’ve updated it for 2017 to help you through the festive period and balance rest with study time.
For many of you we hope that Christmas represents a time to relax: time off from your usual routine is a great way to recharge the batteries, and hopefully reconnect with yourself ready to go again in the new year.
But for those that get a little fidgety about taking too much time off from their studies, there are of course some little things you can be doing to keep your brain in check, and to ensure your system isn’t too shocked when you get back to work properly in January. Here’s our “12 days of Christmas revision” plan if that’s you.
Days 1-3
Rest is so important – spending quality time with those close to you and being able to switch off – so make sure you do this properly for a couple of days. By day three you might start to get that itch and feel like you need to get back on the study wagon. One simple way to do this is by creating a study timetable.
Find that exam or essay due date and get it in the diary. Then work backwards and plan in dates to start attempting practice papers, practice questions, revision etc. If you can, allot some hours or days for study each week up until that point, working around any weekend engagements, holidays or other important events you may already have planned.
The great thing about a task like this is that it has a definite start and end so you shouldn’t feel the need to keep coming back to it, and you can feel like you’ve really accomplished something when it’s done.
Days 4-6
Time to go shopping. Yes, we realise you’ve probably just spent more than you wanted to on all sorts of things you don’t particularly need in the run up to the festive season, but this might be a surprisingly good time to invest in you.
Search online for a discounted text book or two for your upcoming modules, maybe book yourself in for a series of classes or revision package, just to get yourself organised for your next study goal. And if you’re the sort who loves it – top up on your stationery so you can get your notes and study resources in order as soon as you start working on them.
Days 7-9
Most exam boards will release reports, guidance or notes based on the last round of exams for a specific module or paper, which can be very useful for those taking that exam the next time around. While we wouldn’t recommend delving too deeply into the details (especially for a module you haven’t even looked at yet), reading these can be a good way to get a flavour of what to expect from the module and prepare you for the coming months of hard study.
Download whatever is available and spend some time reading through it all to get your brain back into that way of thinking.
Days 10-12
You’ll probably be back at work by now, and starting to settle into the old routine, while wishing that maybe you’d indulged slightly less over the festive season. So it’s time to dig out that timetable you made last week, place it somewhere prominent and stick to it.
Our most successful students tell us that studying a little and often is the best way to get through it all, so make sure you begin in earnest this week, even if it’s something small.
From all of us at Reed Business School we hope you have a restful break and we look forward to sharing more resources and tips with you in the New Year.
