For some, the Easter holidays are a well-deserved break full of chocolate and relaxation. For others, they can serve as a looming reminder that exam season is tumbling towards us, making it almost impossible to unwind. Luckily, a little preparation can cut your workload and stress levels down massively.
If you’ve found yourself struggling to prepare for exams and enjoy the holidays all at once, try out these methods to make the most of your time off:
- Discover how you learn and remember. The more effective your revision, the less of it you’ll have to do! This will leave more time for the things you enjoy! Some common effective revision methods include teaching someone else, testing yourself, visualisation (like making posters or diagrams), and breaking down large pieces of information into smaller, more manageable chunks in your own words. Test out some methods and see what works best for you.
- Use spaced repetition, a memorisation technique which involves reviewing information at increasing intervals, so eventually you only have to review it once a month or even less. For this, you could just focus on the information you struggle to remember.
- Focus on what you find most difficult. Most of us prefer the topics we’re already good at. However, revising what we find tricky will usually improve our grades far more. We can only learn by challenging ourselves – if it’s confusing at first, it’s a great chance to grow.
- Try not to leave things to the last minute. Procrastination is a difficult opponent. To beat it, try the 5-minute rule. Set a timer for just 5 minutes and start your task. Once the timer stops, you’re allowed to stop if you want to. Often, you’ll continue past the 5 minutes because you’ve overcome the mental barrier of starting. If not, at least you’ve got 5 minutes of work done!
- Take care of yourself and have a break! Remember, they are called the Easter holidays for a reason; you’re meant to enjoy yourself! If you can relax a little and return to school with a clearer mind, you’ll be better equipped to handle the challenges of the next term. So, soak in some spring sunlight, spend time with loved ones, get your body moving, and set aside a little time when you will allow yourself to not even think about exams. For more tips on reducing stress, check out the NHS’s 10 stress-busting recommendations.
Happy Easter from everyone here at Hello Future. I hope everyone has a great break – you’ve earned it!