Keep Momentum Through Winter Break Without Burning Out

The semester is over.  Holidays will soon be behind us.  Winter break is here.

Spring semester is just around the corner.  Winter break isn’t that long.  How do you keep from losing momentum or starting the spring semester already burnt out?

Here are a few strategies to help prevent falling behind while starting the new semester restored.

Take a break

Fall semester ends with exhaustion.  Take a break.  From the end of the semester through the new year, don’t worry about trying to get ahead, just take a breather.

Spend some time with family.  Make gifts, go to the movies, or binge-watch a series.  Just have some fun.

Engage in self-care

Make sure to take time for self-care.  

What is self-care?  It is doing those things that make you feel alive.  Any activity that makes you say “I should do this more often, I feel great!” is a self-care activity.  

For me, that includes going for long walks, writing, reading a good book, and going to the park with my little girl.  My husband prefers woodworking and spending time in the garden.  

Whatever your thing is, prioritize it.  Get back to feeling good.

Review foundation course information

After you are rested and feeling good, it is time to ease into the next semester.  A great way to ease into a study routine is to review course information you have already learned that will need going forward.

Every course of study has foundation courses the rest of the curriculum builds on.  Go through your books for those courses and do a few minutes of practice a day to keep from getting rusty.  

We are talking 15 minutes of review a day max.  Just enough to stay sharp.

Read next semester’s textbooks

Many courses have the textbook already chosen before registration.  If the new textbooks are available, get them early and read them before the course starts.

I know that seems like a lot of work, but it will make next semester much easier.  During the semester, you only need to skim chapters (or your notes) before class to be prepared.

Remember, the more a concept is repeated, the more likely it is to be internalized.  If everything is in long term memory come test time, exams will be really easy.

A little a day goes a long way.

Clear your brain

After a particularly hard semester, it can be difficult to process new information from next semester’s textbooks.  Get around this by taking the time to clear your brain so the new information gets processed by the subconscious.

How?

Do something fun after every study or reading session.

Just spent an hour hitting the books?  Take a quick nap and then spend the rest of the day doing something fun.  

Don’t invest too much time every day trying to fully understand all the new information.  This pre-reading is just a first blush.

Don’t take anything too seriously

None of this is an obligation.  If you are working 10 hour days, then come home and rest instead of trying to spend time studying.  Don’t worry about it.

These suggestions are about keeping the momentum going without burning out.  If you have to work full-time hours or have other obligations on your time, those keep the momentum going without hitting the books. 

The number one priority during break should be to build up strength for the next semester so you don’t burn out.  Everything else is a bonus.

Wrapping it all up

It is winter break!  Have some fun and stay safe.