Studying and holiday preparations

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Organise your Catch-Up: Don't try to review every lecture since September. Focus only on the content you know, or the specific readings you need for your first big deadline. Strategic studying is key!

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Revision Technique: Instead of just rereading notes, test yourself! Use flashcards, quiz a flatmate/family or friend, or try to teach a concept out loud. Active revision sticks much better than passive reading.

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Schedule Your Rest Time: The holidays are for relaxing, too! Please remember to schedule in genuine downtime, a night off, time with family, or just a few hours dedicated to a hobby. Your brain needs it.

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Stay Connected: Commuters, don't let the campus emptying out, isolate you! Plan a low-key hangout with your uni friends and keep those group chats active over the break.

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Put all of your deadlines in your phone - colour code them, and in the weeks running up to them, schedule in 1-2 hour revision sessions for certain topics in that module's colour, with extra sessions dedicated to topics you feel less confident in. Also schedule sessions where you can 'teach' your topic to a family member.

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Take regular breaks - I would recommend having 3-4 days over Xmas Eve-27th December that are wholly work-free and are set aside for you. I would also recommend taking a break of 15-30 minutes between every revision session you do in one day, to give your mind time to consolidate what you've been working on.

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Draw an elephant. This one sounds a little silly, but when I was overwhelmed with several deadlines coming up in the first few months of the new year, I'd draw a large-ish A5 elephant in my diary by hand, split it into sections, and label each section with a deadline. When that deadline has passed and you've submitted your work/done the exam, then colour that part in. I found this helpful because it breaks down what seems like a mammoth amount of work into smaller sections, and shows you visually how much progress you're making towards a fully coloured elephant.