Stay happy over the break while still studying efficiently!

The winter break is coming up! If, like me, you’re lucky enough to be able to go back home for the end of the year, you must be looking forward to spending some quality time with your family (and maybe catching them up about all your adventures at LSE). But the holidays are not all about fun and cheer: there are January exams coming up, and you might forget about them, but they certainly won’t forget about you. 

However, there are ways you can study efficiently during the winter break while still making time to enjoy your family, and the holidays if you are celebrating! Let me tell you how I like to do it.

Be realistic with your expectations

Revising is so hard on the brain, and if you overdo it, you might be exhausted before exam season even starts - and it’s even more true during the holiday season, when you’re being pulled in so many different directions.

💫 Knowing your limits 💫 is key! If you’re at home, you know you’re going to want to spend time with the people you love everyday, so don’t plan your revising sessions to be ten hours long!

My own technique: I usually schedule my revisions to run only in the morning or only in the afternoon. That helps me be super efficient in my work while not overdoing it and still getting to have a little bit of fun everyday!

Holiday-ify your studying sessions

If you want to spend the most time with your family over the break, revision sessions can feel brutal, and sometimes lonely: you, your notes and your books, alone in a room. But it doesn’t have to be too depressing, especially during the holiday season.

💫 Romanticising your study sessions 💫 might seem like a bit of a daft advice, but don’t knock it till you try it: it might help you keep your spirits up while you focus.

My own technique: a cheeky hot beverage (I’m all about tea personally, but a hot chocolate might be even more in the holidays vibes) is always a good idea. I also like to bake Christmas treats with my family, and bring some of what I’ve baked to my revision sessions. Always good is spending quality time with your people also helps you fuel your hard-working brain.

Try to avoid distractions

It’s best to clearly separate family time from revision time, lest you get distracted and end up never studying!

💫 Being clear in the separation between study time and celebration time 💫 is the best way to stay focused during your revision sessions. If you can, let your family know in advance when you will be studying.

My own technique: I’m lucky to have my own room at home, and surrounding myself with notes and books is the best way to let everyone know not to disturb me. I have also worked on my FOMO over the years: if your family plans something and it falls during your studying time, don’t feel bad - there’ll be plenty of other opportunities. And let’s be realistic: if I start abandoning revision sessions to do something fun instead, I might never stop!

Schedule. Your. Break. Days!

Perhaps the most important lesson I’ve taken away from years of studying over the winter break. If you’re celebrating the holidays, you simply can’t expect to  study over big celebration days, and that’s okay.

💫 Organising your revision schedule 💫 in advance is key! Otherwise, you might feel bad about not studying on a certain day. With a schedule, you know exactly where you’re standing, and you can enjoy the holidays to their fullest - because you already knew you were never studying on those days in the first place.

My own technique: my birthday also falls over the holiday season, so I have mastered the art of building a revision schedule on the first day: what classes go on what days, and what aspect of these classes I’m going to look over on each of these days. It’s very satisfying to look at my schedule and see those break days - I can look forward to celebrations for two reasons 🤭

But, when building that schedule, also remember my first advice and don’t fill your days up too much.

❄️❄️❄️

I hope these few tips will help you stay sane during revision time and enjoy the holidays to the fullest!