Studying over the winter break is probably everyone’s least favourite thing to do. It’s time consuming, can’t go out and do other activities, it’s a reminder that the assessment period is just around the corner, and it can make the holiday’s a stressful time.  

This is why balancing your studies with relaxation is so important; they should work around you and your schedule rather than encompass your entire break. The more you study, the more you know, and the more you relax, the less stressed you will be. Being able to control this will make managing your time over the holiday much easier and efficient.  

There are several things you can do to balance your time.  

Set realistic goals 

Don’t try and pull all-nighters in order to get things done, or cram everything into one day and burn yourself out. Setting realistic goals is all about managing your time and stress, so there’s no need to push yourself beyond your limits.  

This could be allocating a single task or piece of work to a day and focusing only on getting that done rather than everything else. It might mean only doing small amounts of studying, or pacing it across the week. Having realistic goals is a good way of balancing your studies with what you feel capable of doing.  

Studying strategies  

Alongside your goals and ambitions, is having a studying strategy to get you through the break.  Some strategies include; intensive study sessions, eliminating distractions or changing settings, or scheduling and planning your work.  

Intensive study sessions are usually between 30 to 45 minutes. This could be quizzing yourself, role-playing, peer teaching or debates and discussions. It means that the work you’re doing has little wasted effort and avoids procrastination or distractions – you can study intensively for a short period, take a break, and then study some more, maintaining your attention.  

How you study is important too; some people prefer silence, others like background noise, some like to stay in once place, others find it better to change their location to get in the mindset for work, like a library of a desk instead of sitting on your bed or the sofa. Find what works for you and use it to your advantage, prioritise moments in the day that you know you’re most productive and study then, whether that’s early in the morning, the middle of the day or later into the evening.  

Friends and family 

But it’s important that when you’re not studying, you are relaxing. This is why planning your time and scheduling your studies are important, because it means you can control your calendar. This often makes lots of study seem less overwhelming.  

Make sure to spend time doing things you love with the people you love, the break doesn’t have to be all about studying. Do nice things, go to events, meet  up with your friends, get your favourite hot drink or watch your favourite films, do things because you want to do them and not because you have to. Make time for people and activities in your schedule that are important to you.  

Health 

The care of your mental and physical health is prevalent to being able to relax and enjoy the winter break, you don’t want to push yourself so hard that you burn out.  

You should be keeping a good diet, making sure to eat when you take break and try not to skip meals, whether you’re studying or not. And it’s almost Christmas, why not treat yourself? Get some snacks, some chocolate, find the things you like and indulge.  

Don’t spend all of your time indoors looking at screens. You might not be studying but it doesn’t mean you have to spend all day scrolling on tiktok either. Try and get outside, go to a Christmas market or an ice rink, meet up with people, enjoy your free time and take part in things that make you feel good. (Don’t forget – if you celebrate – to do your Christmas shopping either !).  

So, whether you’re studying for an exam, an assessment, or just keeping up with your course; make sure to allow yourself the time to relax and enjoy the break where you can.