5 Things Students Should do Before February Break

5 things you can do to be a better student before February break

At this point in the year students start to get a little fatigued and need more breaks to be successful; they also require more time to complete complex assignments. Students may just be tired from all the work they’ve already done this year, or they may need to reevaluate their study strategy and come up with some new ideas. Many students have a February break, which gives them a little lull before they get into the craziness that intrudes upon their schedule during the spring standardized testing season. Students are encouraged to look at these tips to become a better student before February break – winter break is the perfect time to evaluate your progress and book a San Diego private tutor from TutorNerds.

1.  Cut out unnecessary work

A lot of students do tons of work considered ‘busy’ work; things that don’t help them learn and don’t help them do well on exams. Sometimes this work is required, and students receive points for it, so they have to get it done but other times students do it for no real reason at all. Students are encouraged to sit down with their teacher or parent and figure out if there are any unnecessary things they’re doing that can be cut out of their study routine. In fact, doing extra busy work can take away from a student’s success because it fatigues their brain and they don’t have energy left for when they need to do real work.

2.  Spend a few minutes on organization

Many students view organizing as a form of busy work, but it’s one of the best things they can spend their time on. Students sit down to complete their homework without knowing how long it might take them, how hard the subject matter will be, or which assignment is due first, second, or last. Every day after school students should take 10 to 15 minutes to figure out what they need to finish that day, what’s due in the next three days and what’s due within the next month. They can then begin to prioritize their schedule and make sure they don’t miss any important deadlines.

3.  Finally tackle that one tough subject

Many students put off working on that really difficult topic. Either they save that homework assignment for when their brain is fatigued, or they procrastinate and don’t learn the subject matter at all. By the end of the year, they’re still struggling with science or math or English depending on their personal circumstances. February break is a great opportunity for students to sit down with a tutor or their study group and start really learning these concepts. They may find that they had a mental block, but once they learn the material, it’s not as hard as they thought (READ: 5 Ways to Get On Track With Your SAT Study This February).

4.  Set realistic goals

By February students should also start setting realistic goals now that they know how they’ve been doing for the past several months. Should they be taking an AP class or are they not ready yet? Do they need the help of a tutor to organize and deal with challenging topics? Can they manage extracurricular activities such as sports or a part-time job while they’re applying to college? Students will know what they’re capable of at this point and should set realistic goals they can reach and feel good about.

5.  Leave time for your brain to rest and recover

Once students start prepping for spring academic activities, they’ll pretty much be going full speed ahead until they finish school in June. Students will need a strategy to get through that time, and part of that strategy is leaving time for the brain to recover from the things it’s being asked to do. Even when students are studying for midterms or finals or when they’re preparing to take their SAT they need to make sure they have some time for their brain just to relax. Whatever it is that students enjoy doing they need to have a little bit of time each week to recover from everything so they are recharged and ready to face the academic tasks of the next week.

End the school year strong with the help of private San Diego tutoring from our experienced tutors. From test prep to college admissions, TutorNerds is here to help you succeed.

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