Universities are centres for learning. Centres for any student to learn, express their intellectual potential and expand their knowledge, whilst surrounded by equally ambitious and energised individuals thirsty for sharing ideas.
However life has thrown challenges in the way of self-improvement in the form of late nights out, parties, the chance to build fantastic groups of friends, and of course – midway through your busiest academic period – you have to contend with Christmas.
Every year, thousands of students across the land are faced with the dull prospect of having to study over the festive holiday. Surely nothing in the universe is less appealing! The time when you can leave university behind for a few weeks and share one of the most joyful celebrations on the calendar with your closest family – and you’ve got the annoying baggage of university homework to contend with,too.
Here is advice on coping with the demands of university studying during Christmas, to stay on top of your work and still enjoy the festive cheer.
You don’t want to waste your entire Christmas holiday looking at books. Studies have shown that staring endlessly at pages can have negative effects on your ability to recall information. Be brutal with your calendar, set aside hours to concentrate on your work, and enjoy the rest of the time with your family.
There will be laughter, music and games throughout the festive period. You need to find a quiet place in which to concentrate on your important university assignments. You could get some noise cancelling headphones if you can’t get away from the cheer.
Studying is a pain, the trick is to do it right. When you’re in a good mood you will find it easier to tackle a challenging subject. Take all the time you need to learn a topic, and don’t beat yourself up if you are having difficulty with the subject matter. Also, take the time to learn what study methods suit you best – whether it is watching educational videos, listening to audio versions of lectures or reading and highlighting relevant information in a book.
Make sure you have all the textbooks, notes and flashcards you need for your study session. Leave your mobile phone off, on silent or in another room; the fewer distractions, the better you’ll study. If you are using a computer, don’t get distracted by social media or games – at least not during your allocated study time!
You will certainly have been warned at some stage against procrastination; but you may not have been told why. When leaving things to the last minute, you end up cramming too much information into a short space of time. Also, you cause yourself to be stressed, which is detrimental to remembering information. As if that weren’t bad enough, procrastination prevents you from studying in shorter bursts over a longer period, which is a much better use of your time!
Christmas is a time for family and celebration, but remember there will be other Christmases. As long as you prepare well and stick to a good regime, you’ll make the most of your holiday by staying on top of your work, and also enjoy the Christmas cheer.