The holiday season can make it especially hard to stay focused and motivated at school. Juggling work, family commitments, and festive preparations often feels overwhelming, and the excitement of upcoming celebrations can easily make schoolwork an afterthought.
Before you decompress and celebrate, let’s end the semester with success. Here are some tips and tricks to stay motivated during the latter half of the fall semester:
Set Goals
Determine what you want to accomplish before, during, and after holiday breaks by setting realistic goals. Use the SMART structure to ensure goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based. Breaking down your goals into actionable steps can help you conceptualize your objectives in smaller, more manageable pieces, setting you up for success.
Create a Routine
The holiday season can be unpredictable, so create and stick to a routine that will help you stay on track and reach your SMART goals. Maintaining your routine helps prevent distractions, especially during busy periods.
If you struggle with time management, now is a good time to build these skills. Design a flexible but consistent schedule that allows you to complete coursework and balance other obligations, choosing study times that suit your habits best.
Use tools like calendars or online task trackers to hold yourself accountable. Writing tasks in planners can increase your likelihood of remembering to complete them, while online tools can help monitor your progress digitally.
Stay Organized
The same time-management tools can help with organization. Free systems like Asana offer calendar reminders that can be transformed into checklists and boards, or organized by levels of completion, priority, and other characteristics. You can create multiple calendars— like a school and personal holiday calendar.
You can also use the tools offered in your AoH Schoology account. Turn on all class calendars, add reminders, and color-code courses for easier online navigation. Color-coding is useful to sort physical materials, like class notes or flashcards.
Having a clean and clear study space is essential to prevent losing these items, and helps you stay in the headspace you need to finish coursework without distractions.
Utilize AoH Resources
The Student Support Team is here to provide resources and services you need to be successful. Whether that’s finding childcare or federal assistance, they’re here to help navigate systemic barriers so you can focus on school.
They’re also a listening ear. Balancing school and the holiday season can be stressful. Our Student Support Specialists are here to help counsel you through your emotions and develop the strategies listed above to direct you on the right path.
Take Breaks and Ask for Extensions
Understanding your limits is the best way to prevent burnout during such a busy time of the year. Give yourself grace and don’t push yourself too hard. While school is important, your health is our number one priority.
Always communicate with your teachers so they are aware of your situation. If needed, request an extension for your classwork.
Use Your Time Wisely
Utilize your holiday breaks in a way that’s best for you. For some, that might mean completing your coursework and studying extra before the holidays so you can spend the time off reconnecting with loved ones. For others, using the time off may provide extra time to provide quality work if the pre-holiday jitters induce too much stress. No matter when you plan to do your coursework, ensure that you put forth your best effort to end the semester strong.
Conclusion
From GED/NEDP to workforce programs, the holiday season can be difficult for adult learners adjusting their lives to return to school. New learners, especially, could be at risk, as they are unfamiliar with juggling work, school, and other obligations simultaneously. To prevent learners from falling behind, we hope these tips and support from the AoH community will keep them on the path they deserve towards economic mobility.