I know, I know. The thought of spending your precious Christmas holidays locked away in your bedroom, pouring over textbooks and notes is about as appealing as a lump of coal in your stocking. But hear me out!

First of all, let's address the elephant in the room - revision is NOT fun. But let's face it, neither is the feeling of sitting exams underprepared. And trust us, the latter is a lot less fun than the former. Rather than that feeling of dread hanging over you while you try to escape revision, it’s often best to commit to doing some work every day. As they say, little and often is much better than doing a lot, then nothing at all. 

Now, I know what you're thinking - "But it's Christmas! I want to relax and enjoy myself, not stress out about school!" And I completely understand. But let's be real - how many of us actually get to fully relax and enjoy the holidays without any stress or responsibilities? Not many. So why not swap into something productive and get a jump start on your revision? If you have no exams to study for, it’s a great idea to read ahead in the textbooks to get a head start on next term. Parents are much more likely to let you off doing the dishes if you are studying! Plus, think about all the free time you'll have once the holidays are over and you're back to the grind of school. You'll be able to kick back and relax (for real this time) knowing that you've already done the hard work grasping the topics.

Why should you bother?

Taking a break from your revision for an extended period of time can actually make it harder for you to get back into the swing of things when the new term starts, so here is 4 excellent reasons for committing to at least some revision over the holidays:

Stay on top of your studies: 

If you take a break from your revision, you may find that you have forgotten some of the material you covered earlier in the term. By continuing to revise over the holidays, you can maintain your understanding of the material and avoid falling behind when you return to school.

Avoid last-minute cramming: 

If you leave all of your revision until the last minute, you may find that you don't have enough time to cover everything you need to know. By revising a little bit each day over the holidays, you can spread out your workload and avoid feeling overwhelmed when exams roll around.

Keep your mind sharp: 

Studies have shown that taking breaks from learning can actually have a negative impact on your ability to retain information. By continuing to revise over the holidays, you can keep your mind sharp and better prepared for the challenges of the new term.

Get a head start on the new term: 

If you're able to get a head start on the material you'll be covering in the new term, you'll be better prepared for the challenges ahead. This can help you feel more confident and motivated as you begin the new term.

Revising with Company

Revision doesn’t have to be all that dull. If you live near some school friends, or even if you don’t, you can arrange a study session at home or in an online video call. Revising with company helps you get out of your own head and self-doubts. You can ask each other questions, catch up during a quick break and you can keep each other focussed by calling out that friend who is just scrolling through TikTok!

But let's say you're still not convinced. That's where we come in! Our online tutors are here to help you keep up with your revision over the holidays and make it as painless as possible. 

Their experience will guide you through the material and any questions you might have to make sure you fully understand everything before your exams, or even before you study the topic in school. Plus, our online platform means you can access help from anywhere, anytime. No need to leave the comfort of your own home (or couch, let's be real). 

You may be interested in our new group classes, where we have started listing cheaper sessions with professional tutors to help you revise more efficiently. 

Studying for Mocks

Studying for exams that are in January can seem like a cruel joke, but unfortunately, that fact won’t make them go away. If you are unlucky enough to sit mock (or real!) exams in January, these tips will help you get the most out of your time over the holidays. You can also check out the 12 steps to Christmas revision for more detailed advice on how to stay in the learning zone and get the necessary work done!

Otherwise, here are some quick revision hacks you can use over the Christmas holidays:

Make a study schedule: 

Set aside specific times each day to study and stick to it as closely as possible. This will help you stay on track and ensure that you get enough revision time.

Take breaks: 

It's important to take breaks while studying to give your brain a chance to rest. Consider setting a timer to take a break every 45-60 minutes. During your break, do something active like going for a walk or doing some stretching to help refresh your mind.

Use mind maps: 

Mind maps are a great way to visually organize information and make connections between different concepts. They can also help you remember information better.

Teach someone else: 

Teaching someone else what you have learned can be a powerful revision tool. It forces you to think about the material in a different way and can help you identify any gaps in your understanding.

Use flashcards: 

Flashcards are a simple, yet effective, way to revise. Write a concept on one side and the definition or explanation on the other. Quiz yourself or have someone else quiz you to test your understanding.

Change your study environment: 

Sometimes a change of scenery can help to keep things interesting and make studying more enjoyable. Consider studying in a different room or going to a quiet place like a library to revise.

Use mnemonic devices: 

Mnemonic devices are memory aids that use rhymes, acronyms, or other tricks to help you remember information. For example, the acronym "ROY G. BIV" can help you remember the colours of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet).

Make Revising FUN!

It’s Christmas, you want to be having fun and spending time with the family. No duh! So wouldn’t the ideal solution be to create some games or activities that the whole family can take part in while you test your knowledge and study for school? Who said you can’t have your cake and eat it too? Especially at Christmas!

Perform a Science Experiment

There are loads of science experiments that are safe to do with adult supervision using household items. Our previous blog explains how to do 5 science experiments you can do at home: 

Glitter Germs

Carbon Sugar Snake

Steel Wool Sparklers

Capillary Action Rainbow

Fizzy Drink Volcano

Not only are they fun and great entertainment, but you can learn a lot from doing these experiments if you try to analyse why you see the result you see! 

To add an extra layer of revision to the experiments, try to take some measurements and repeat them after adjusting the number of ingredients. Come up with your own theory of how you think it happened and then do some research to confirm your hypothesis. 

Create a Family Revision Quiz

Here's a simple process you can follow to create a Christmas quiz and use it as a revision tool during the holidays with your family or friends:

Choose the topic: 

Decide what subject you want to revise and create a list of questions related to that topic. You could also include some Christmas-themed trivia questions if you want to add some holiday fun to the quiz. Get a parent or older sibling to create the questions if you want a proper test! They can use sample exam questions from BBC Bitesize or Quizlet or take the entire quiz from online resources like this.

Create the quiz: 

Use a program or app like Kahoot or Typeform to create the quiz, or write the questions and answers on a piece of paper or in a Word document. You could also use your own flashcards if you have them made, or swap quizzes between friends!

Take the quiz:

Gather your friends and family together so they can all take part. Test your knowledge and memory in the subject and see if your parents can remember anything front heir school days! You may find you know more than most people!

Get feedback: 

Swapping answer sheets with the person next to you, tally up each other's marks and declare a winner! This is the time to do your best impression of a teacher. Look for whether you have answered the question properly for the marks and make notes on how to improve.

Review and revise: 

Take your notes and study them to make sure you will get full marks next time. Revising the subject will make you understand it better and it will be easier to remember for the next quiz.

Create a new quiz or take the quiz again!: 

Repetition is the key to success. You can test your knowledge the next day again with your friends and family or create a new quiz around another topic or subject! 

Using a quiz as a revision tool can be a fun and engaging way to review material and make sure you are retaining what you have learned.

Create a Revision Gameshow!

One of the best ways to show you know a topic is to be able to teach it. You can gather some of your most studious friends and family and create your very own Christmas game show full of questions that will help you revise and remember the topics. As the host, when someone gets a question wrong, you can make sure and explain why! 

You can follow a simple points format, testing all the participants one at a time with you deciding if the person gets the point or you can create a board like the gameshow: Jeopardy. It has a range of easy to difficult questions based on several topics, with the harder ones earning more points. The person who raises their hand first after you start to read a question gets to answer first, but if they answer before you finish speaking and are wrong, they get minus points!

So don't let the thought of revision ruin your holidays. Take control and make the most of your time off by getting a head start on your studies. And if you need a little extra help along the way, we've got you covered. Happy holidays and happy revision!