The holidays are finally here, and students everywhere are looking forward to a well-deserved break from school! Here’s Tutor Doctor’s ultimate guide to a stress-free winter vacation.
1. Plan out your responsibilities first.
Most students will be tasked with some form of homework over the holiday break. In many cases, students may be responsible for a large project or assignment that is due upon their return to school. In either scenario, students should make sure to “take inventory” of all their holiday responsibilities ahead of time.
As many parents know all too well, procrastination is a problem for many students. During winter break, students have even less daily structure than they normally do – as a result, procrastination often becomes a very real problem. We hear the same story every year: students wait until the last minute to start on a huge project, and subsequently go into “panic mode.” Unfortunately, this often tends to increase stress levels for the entire household.
The best solution? Don’t let it get this far! Students should prioritize making an agenda for all their holiday responsibilities. Here are some tips for creating an effective planner!
- The Best Way to Balance Study and Fun Over the Holidays
- School Organization Tips for the New Year
- Why Students Dread Studying (And How Parents Can Make It Fun)
- Tutor Doctor’s Tips to Get Organized at School
2. Remain active.
Our daily responsibilities help us maintain a regular schedule. When students are suddenly faced with no school, they often find themselves with an excess of spare time. For many students, this can result in a number of unintended effects:
- Excessive screen time spent on phones, tablets, laptops, or TV
- Sedentary behavior and engaging in little physical activity
- Feelings of boredom, uneasiness, or becoming “antsy”
- Getting the “winter blues”
All of these situations can be avoided by remaining healthy, active, and engaged during the winter break. Tutor Doctor has some helpful guides to get started:
- Balancing Your Child’s Screen Time During the Holidays
- Fun Indoor Learning Activities for Kids to Try This Winter
- Fun Winter Break Activities for Kids
3. Maintain a regular sleep schedule.
The simplest thing students can do to ease the transition back into school is to maintain their regular sleeping schedule. Of course, we understand that both sleeping in and staying up late is something many students look forward to during their time off from school – and there’s nothing wrong with that (in moderation)!
For students who find themselves with a more “erratic” schedule during the holidays, our best recommendation is to start easing back into your “regular” sleeping pattern about a week before the return to school. Here are Tutor Doctor’s tips for keeping a healthy sleep schedule!
- 3 Tips to Help Students Get A Good Night’s Sleep
- How to Help Your Student Focus Better in the Classroom
Click here for more tips on how students can make the most of their winter break!
