During this time of year, it can be very easy to get caught up in the excitement of the holidays; between gatherings with friends, winter extracurricular activities, community service projects, and more- it is one of the busiest times of the year. But it is also important to stay focused on school work and studying, despite this anticipation of winter break.

To find out strategies used to stay motivated and productive, I interviewed a variety of students on how they stay on task and focused during a time of year with so many distractions.

Junior Kelly McCormick says that “getting enough sleep, drinking a lot of water and staying on task is important before the holidays.” She also says that by staying on task and working hard, “you can then use your holiday break to relax and not have any homework to do and use the time to spend time with your family.”

Some students, such as Junior Elizabeth Clark, use self motivation and the spirit of Christmas to get them through the school week. “I give myself little motives in the morning like “today i have (insert positive aspect of the day)” and it’s always something good, even if it’s as simple as I’m getting coffee in the morning. Just something good to get me out of bed and to school.” Clark also says that getting in the Christmas spirit can be a great tool for staying productive and motivated.

Taking a little bit of a different approach, Junior Lindsey Wyner says that she stays productive by recognizing the importance of working hard regardless of the time of year. She says that it is important to “push yourself… because no one is going to do it for you.”

Other Study Strategies for the end of 2018

• Get enough sleep so you can focus during school
• Organize yourself using a planner or a tool like Google Keep
• Use study tools such as Quizlet
• Consistently check Google Classroom and turn in assignments on time
• For AP classes, find online multiple choice practice before tests in class: https://www.highschooltestprep.com/
• Create a countdown to Winter Break
• Try a new strategy of note taking, such as color-coded

Winter break is less than two weeks away, but until then try to stay focused and productive to finish off the year strong!