Christmas, New Years and summer holidays are a wonderful time of the year. However, all the festive fun on offer can mess with study schedules. The key is to balance your celebration time by staying mindful of your study commitments and qualification goals.
We’ve coached thousands of online learning students through the silly season. Here’s what we’ve found works best to keep you on track:
Keep the end goal in sight. Missed deadlines and rushed assignments aren’t worth the stress. You deserve the career advancement and opportunities that your diploma is going to provide, so keep focused on your ‘why’.
End of year gets busy and December can fly by before you know it. Plan ahead by booking in coaching calls in advance, at the beginning of the silly season. You can even book weekly check-ins throughout this season – whatever you need to keep on track and motivated to study smart.
Distractions are everywhere at the best of times, but the approaching holidays often have extra things to throw at you and take your mind off your study. Try to counteract these distractions with these techniques:
During the silly season, it’s important to pace yourself. You do not have to attend every function you’re invited to. Learn to say no thanks, go home, knock out a few hours of study and get an early night instead. Saying no to non-value-adding activities gives you more time to focus on what you care about. It also saves you the stress of submitting assignments through a wave of sleep deprivation.
Let’s be honest, the silly season is exactly that. Traffic gets heavier, queues get longer and days go faster! Be proactive and adjust your habits to compensate.
Here are a few ideas:
If you know you are going to find this season distracting or challenging, then commit to show up for another person. On the surface, this seems counterintuitive. But committing to a group elevates the importance of study and makes you less likely to procrastinate.
You can be a study buddy in-person or virtually. Reach out to someone you know who’s studying or agree to do virtual study session with others from your online study forum. The idea is you agree to a time, have a quick chat about what you want to get done before the next study buddy session, then get to it. Alternatively, you can have a ‘study date’ where you meet up in a cafe with your laptops and work on your separate studies or projects for an hour.
Taking breaks is good for productivity, so reward your work and effort with planned fun. There will be special parties and Christmas drinks you want to attend. Scheduling is the key. Put these A-list events into your calendar – along with your study and assignment schedules – and check first before committing to attend another event. Make sure you plan down time, too. Whether that’s a walk in the park, a swim or timeout watching a favourite movie, taking time out to relax will keep you balanced.
With these study smart tips, you can be sure to nail the silly season and keep your qualification and graduation goals on track.
