Here are our Top Tips for Holiday Revision, based on what we teach children in Schools who have a robust & relevant PSHE programme from Year 7 - Year 13. Teenagers thrive on self-motivation. What holds them back is feeling emotionally out of control (fear, anxiety, panic, uncertainty). Once children have learnt how to self-regulate, they establish good mental habits which will work into adulthood too. Print this off and help your child get into a good mental & emotional space.
- Get organised at the start of the Easter holidays. Locate a good place to work (ideally NOT
your bedroom). You need an environment which:
- Feels calm & under your control
- Has no distractions (like wifi)
- Separates work time from
relaxing/chilling time.
- Look after your brain: Its like a muscle, if you were running a
marathon, you would
- Have a regular training plan
- balance workouts with rest/downtime
- Eat healthily & sleep well
- Have FUN, see friends, boost happy
chemicals
- Make a realistic plan (and ask for HELP with HOW to revise or specific subjects if you need it):
- Divide your workload up into do-able
revision sessions
- Decide how many days you have
available
- Make sure you have a decent rest from
work (ideally a block of 5 days)
- Set daily work goals and reward
yourself when you have achieved them. This helps
boost levels of motivation
- Intersperse each study session with
plenty of breaks. Physical/outdoor
activities boost mental activity & energy levels (get running,
walking, biking, any sport or hobby – even if it is short 15 minute bursts)
- Sleep You need around 9
uninterrupted hours per night to perform well
- Leave devices outside your room once you
are ready to go to sleep
- If you want to party/see friends, plan in advance & accept that the next day is not a revision day - Levels of focus/memory are affected by late nights & alcohol
- Give yourself an hour of no screen before bed: Bath, Read, Chat instead
- Food/Drinks You are what you eat/drink.
Give your brain a healthy boost from now to exams
- Avoid screen-based distractions during your working slots
- Use device as a reward when you have
completed revision for the day
- You’re only kidding yourself if you
“revise” for “the whole day”, when in fact your brain has been
multitasking (Work, Revision, music, TV, Facebook, You Tube,
Instagram, Xbox, Minecraft, Snapchat)
- Screen based activities excite,
tire, then dull your brain (like sugar highs/lows). Your
device is far more fun than revision, so you will need to exercise some
self-control.
- Work first, Play later.
- End each day with a positive focus: on what you have accomplished
rather than on what you have not.
Remind yourself that you are developing effective work habits for
life. If you continue to feel worried, have a look at the Headspace App
- Train
your Mind to think about plans for each day & how to accomplish
them. Don’t allow it to get into
the habit of worrying and ruminating on “What ifs?” because drama stokes anxiety/panic
levels and affects your ability to work effectively
Find out more about helping your child become more emotionally resilient by attending our Course at Maudsley Learning in May
