Staying motivated when studying for the Leaving Certificate can be really hard during any holiday periods.  Whether it is Christmas, New Year or the summer holidays, best intentions can sometimes get waylaid by the festivities as we try to make the most of our down time and holidays.

6 Tips for Success

So we have put together 6 tips to help our Leaving Certificate students to focus and to succeed in their study plans over the holidays.

1. Review Study Patterns

With children off school, family visiting and planned holidays the chances are that your daily schedule and timetable will have to change.  So you should review your current study patterns and make sure that your existing study and work plan fits in with any new schedules.

During the Christmas break you may find that it is easier to dedicate one full day to study and assignment work, rather than assigning a couple of hours a day – so that you can fit this work around special events or planned days out.

2. Staying Motivated

Think about taking it out of the house – why not check out the opening hours of your local library and try working there for a day?  Sometimes it helps to motivate and focus when you are taken out of your familiar (and too comfortable) surroundings, with distractions on tap.

3. Review Your Goals

What made you decide to study this particular course?  Review your goals and remind yourself of them.  What are you hoping to achieve when you complete the programme?  What is the potential upside?

4. Schedule Study

Schedule it and draw up a check list!  Prioritise your study and once you have met a mile stone – e.g. submitted an assignment or finished a chapter of recommended reading – check it off your list.  When you see the tasks deleted it will help you to stay motivated and see what you have already achieved.

5. Reward Yourself

Plan in some rewards for completing milestones or items on your check list.  Some good ideas are planning  to meet a friend, or catch up with your favourite series on Netflix (just don’t watch a full box set!)

6. Revision Courses

Why not think about enrolling in a home study course for Leaving Certificate? With a personal, expert tutor to guide you through the syllabus from home you can be confident that you will be able to do your best on exam day. Don’t forget that we are offering a €100 discount too with the voucher code XMAS6 off the course fees!