Term 2 Do-Over: How To Get It Together Over The Holidays

You could spend your Saturday lying motionless on the couch, or you could spend it reading the next chapter of that textbook that’s been hanging around since the semester started.

Of course, everyone needs a break, and with the holidays imminent (or already happening, depending on your state), you’re about to get your first one since the year began.

But holidays go fast. So, if you get all of the draining bits out of the way, you can actually experience some relief before you have to get back into gear.

Remember, school is important, but so is your mental health.

Here are six steps to help you get it together over the holidays.

1. Clean Your Room.

Yeah, I know. This isn’t the first thing you want to hear. Just clean it up a little bit. Make sure your desk is 100 per cent clear; same goes for your floor. Make your bed and open the window. If you feel up to it, rearrange your furniture and throw out things you don’t need/ want. It will refresh you and make you feel like you’ve sorted your life out. This will also get you motivated, because look at you, you went through and cleared your desk and gave yourself fresh air. What a champ!

2. Do Your Homework.

Get as much as possible done on the first weekend if you can. That way, you won’t have to worry about it for the next two weeks and rush it the night before school starts. If you do all of your homework in a few days, it won’t seem like much of a burden (compared to the 3am coffee-and-trying-not-to-cry binge that usually comes on a Sunday night).

Oh, would you look at that: homework is done! What now?

3. Sort It All Out.

Sort out everything that’s impacting you right now; anything that’s built up and ready to do some serious damage. Do it in categories: school, family, friends, work, hobbies (we never have time to fit in what we want to do) and money. Write out what the problems are and how you can fix them. It might just involve catching up with a friend you feel you’re becoming distant with, or calling relatives you haven’t seen in a while. Prioritise these issues and work through them slowly. Doing this helps you strip away everything in your life that can hurt you, and reveals to yourself where you are at this point in your life. It can even help you think about where you want to be.

4. Night, Night.

Sleep! Seriously, catch up on sleep. If you go to bed at 9pm, you can get up at 7am. (If you go to bed at 11, get up at 9am: you need your hours but you don’t want to mess up your routine.) Take naps during the day if you must! If I haven’t been clear, this is your excuse to sleep. If you stay up binge-watching the new episodes of Daredevil (which I understand, but still) you’re going to short-circuit on the first day back to school. You don’t need to start the term off shaking from a breakfast of a coffee that’s half caffeine and half energy drink.

5. Have Fun.

It’s the holidays, so enjoy them. Play video games, read a book, watch TV (no late-night watching, though) and catch some fresh air. You’ve earned it. One term is down; just a few more to go. If you work during the holidays, give yourself a few free days if you can.

6. Finally, Make Your ‘Term Two’ Plan Of Attack.

You did your homework ages ago (right?), so you’re probably now officially in holiday mode. The best way to spring back into action as the holidays wind down is to slowly get back into the routine of things. Make some flashcards or read the next chapter of whatever. It’s just to get your mind going, so no need to go too big.

Sadly, the holidays seem to end faster than what it takes to read this article. Getting everything stressful out of the way early is great, because now school won’t hit you like a ton of bricks. Enjoy the holidays as best as you can, despite the natural worries of everyday life. Now… up comes Term Two. I’m sure you’ve got this one.

Bianca Welsh-Jayne is one of Student Edge’s student contributors. Learn more about the contributors program.

Photo: NBC.