By now, you are doubtless looking forward to the Christmas break from uni (if you haven’t been for weeks already!). I mean, what is there not to like about quality time with family and friends from home, endless amounts of festive food, exchanging gifts, and cuddling up to watch Christmas movies?
But, for most students, work doesn’t come to a halt during this busy period. With everything that’s going on in the coming weeks, it can be difficult to stay motivated to keep up with your studies – whether it be revision, essays, or coursework. That’s why we’ve gathered some top tips to help you out along the way…
Make a Study Plan/Schedule
The best place to start when attempting to motivate yourself into studying is to design a realistic schedule. Include events and plans you have made with friends and family and make sure you are able to fit in a good number of study periods. Taking some time to think of all the things you need/would like to get done over the Christmas break is a great place to start. Consider what you need to do to get this done. We recommend breaking down tasks into smaller tasks that can be achieved in a shorter timeframe to prevent you from becoming bogged down under what seems like a huge challenge!
Introduce Bite-size Study Sessions
Your new study schedule is the perfect place to plan bite-size study sessions. These are great for quick refreshes for revision, checking your progress in your essay or getting in a bit of reading! We’ve all been guilty of leaving projects to the last minute and having to work for 12 hours straight to get it finished – and we all know it is no fun. Splitting up your learning and working into manageable bite-size chunks will help you to stay motivated in your studies.
Make sure you have a Distraction-Free Zone
Finding something to distract you from your studies always seems easy – but it is never easier than it is at Christmas. Returning home from university often means fitting in a whole host of plans and festive activities with family and friends. This is great and you should relish these opportunities, but also make sure you set aside some space and time without distractions. This can mean making an area in your home – such as your bedroom – a Christmas-free zone. Get away from the buzz of Christmas activities and planning and try to focus solely on your studies – at least for a while!
Reward Yourself for Completing Tasks
It is common knowledge that rewards are an effective way to motivate people into action. The good news about it being Christmas is that there will be plenty of rewards available for your efforts! Think tasty snacks, festive activities and movie breaks – all up for grabs if you complete the task at hand!
