With the winter break approaching many students are gearing up for holiday celebrations with their families and friends. However, a break from daily grind of school or work can also be an important time to catch up on course work or prepare for final exams and tests that occur after the winter break.
As OUAC applications are due January 15th, students can also use this upcoming winter break to make sure they have the courses they need for their application or to quickly get a midterm or even a final report card in a course with OVS.
However, making time for assignments and studying during the holidays isn’t easy, so here are some tips to help keep you on track with your studies this holiday season.
1. Organize Notes Ahead of Time
Whether you’re at home or travelling, it’s important to have notes that are organized and easy to access at any time. Studying can become difficult if it’s a lengthy process to dig out and sort through your notes every time you plan to do some work. Instead, it would be a good idea to make study sheets that are only a few pages in length for each topic or subject you need to review for, by cutting your notes down to just a few relevant pages this will help reduce the materials you need to keep with you.
If you’re someone who prefers to have electronic notes, you can create a folder on your phone, tablet or computer. The folder should be organized by subject, then into individual topics within that subject. By keeping everything clearly labelled, you can easily find your notes whenever you have a few minutes to get some studying done in between holiday activities.
If you’re more of a hard copy person, you can organize your physical notes into a single binder. Using tabs and sticky notes so that you can easily find everything you need.
With OVS, you can download practice tests and exams to include in your notes to help you prepare.
2. Write Down Dates and Times for Holiday Plans
The holiday season can be incredibly busy, between holiday parties, family gatherings, and other events, there is a lot going on. By creating a list of everywhere you need to be and when, it can make it easier to find gaps in your schedule where there will be opportunities to fit in some studying.
3. Make a List of Assignments and Tests
The first step to creating any good study schedule, regardless of the time of year, it to figure out exactly what you need to get done. Create a comprehensive live of all assignments you need to complete and tests you need to study for, making sure to write down due dates clearly.
By knowing what you need to get done and when, it can be easier to organize your time. Studying for a test is a lot easier to do in shorter bursts or while travelling, meanwhile working on assignments can require more time and focus. It’s important to schedule your time accordingly.
In your OVS portal, you can easily access the Gradebook, which will show you all the assignments you need to complete for your course. This will give you an idea for what work you still need to complete.
4. Create a Loose Schedule
With how busy the holidays are, it can be difficult to find time to study. It’s also common for plans to change or things to come up unexpectedly. While it’s important to set time aside time to study and complete work, it can be hard to keep to a strict schedule. Instead, plan for changes and disruptions by keeping some open spaces in your schedule to be safe. Plus, if everything is written down, it can make it easier to rearrange you schedule as needed.
5. Create a Reward System
During the holidays, motivating yourself to study is no easy feat. You’re much more likely to want to spend time with your family and friends or relaxing instead of doing course work.
Unfortunately, sometimes work still needs to get done even during the holidays.
To keep yourself motivated to do your work, pick a reward of some kind. It can be anything that brings you joy. Watching your favourite holiday movie, spending time playing videogames, going out for a nature walk, or enjoying a delicious treat. Choose whatever it is that motivates you, then reward yourself with that item or activity. Set a goal based on your reward.
You complete 1 hour of studying for a test, then you can play 1 hour of video games.
You complete an assignment that you need to get done, then you can gather with family or friends, good snacks, and watch a movie.
By giving yourself small rewards, either with a treat or an activity, it can help motivate you to get your work done.
6. Ask for Help from Family and Friends
Feel free to ask for help when it comes to getting your school work done over the holidays. Whether you need someone to remind you to take breaks, someone to quiz you while you’re studying, or even to move around a planned event or hangout so that you can work on an assignment, never be afraid to ask for assistance.
A big part of the holidays is about spending time with loved ones. So if you need help getting your work done so that you have more spare time to spend with the people your care about, ask those around you to help, because chances are they will want to help make it so you can enjoy the holidays too.
By getting organized, creating schedules, developing motivational reward systems, and asking family and friends for help, you can not only make sure your get your school work done but also find plenty of time to enjoy the holiday season as well.