Summer studying is all about balance
Steph Nash
School’s out for the summer! And for many, it’s time to take advantage of the brilliant weather.
But for some, it’s a time of increased academic pressures from both parents and teachers – a period where many senior students begin to buckle down and prepare for the school year to come.
Should students be studying in preparation for the year ahead? Or should they be relaxing, and enjoying the most of their much anticipated summer break?
The debate between work and play over the summer holidays is always a touchy topic, producing a variety of answers from students and parents alike. It becomes even more relevant for year 11 students, who are prescribed texts for their HSC exams before school is out for the year.
So just how much study over the school holidays is too much? And is it really necessary to be burying your head in the books while others are out enjoying the sunshine?
Juliet Moore, an educational psychologist from Neutral Bay, explains that studying over the holidays is important to refine basic skills. However, she stresses that a work/play balance must be adopted to protect the psychological welfare of the student.
“Students definitely require taking a rest after major examinations,” she said.
“Just like athletes, who rest their body after a game or event, the mind also needs to have time to rejuvenate from stress and the mental fatigue of study. If rest is not taken, it can often lead to burnout and/or depression.”
For year 11 students specifically, Ms Moore recommends that the summer holiday becomes more of a reflective time. The final year of high school is a crucial year, with infinite pressures related to examinations, university entry and work placement. Moore says that it’s important for these students to think about their future, and take the time to decide where their academic strengths and weaknesses lie.
“For students that are transitioning into their final HSC year, it is advisable that they take the time to think about why they would like to do well and what they hope to gain from the hard work that they intend to put in,” she said.
“Often students procrastinate because they do not have their goals deeply seated in their mind and thus, tend to choose immediate pleasures instead. Once a student has committed to themselves and to their study, they are more likely to make and achieve their short (weekly), medium (school term) and long-term (HSC examinations) goals.”
Moore says students with high aspirations and long-term fixed goal objectives tend to do better if they approach studying in a well-rounded way.
“Students who really want to achieve to their best ability are self-disciplined but also effectively balance study, work and social life. They try to get a head start by reading relevant novels and textbooks over the summer holidays.”
For particularly worried students and parents, Moore says the key is not to panic. She recommends that anxious students strive towards a daily routine that is as normal and healthy as possible. This includes getting a regular eight hours of sleep per night, and performing small increments of study progressively.
“If a student is a worrier or gets anxious easily with regard to study, a mix of exercise, a good sleep routine, healthy food and being proactive with study (by working on undertaking activities that are not urgent but important), will make the student feel like they are progressing and in control. [This] should in turn ease their stress.”
