As the end of the school year gets closer and the summer holidays beckon, I’m sure all students are looking forward to some well-earned time away from the classroom and the books! However, there are two common issues, which cause many students to struggle to fully relax and unwind during the summer!
Firstly, many students will be eagerly awaiting examination results, usually published later in the summer.
Second, many students find it hard to regain motivation and positivity as the start of the autumn term approaches.
Let’s deal with each of these issues in turn and provide some hints and tips to help you get the most from your summer and enjoy the relaxation that you deserve!
Exam results
When it comes to waiting for exam results, it can feel like waiting for your birthday as a child and wondering what presents were going to be yours! Thinking about those results can consume every waking hour, especially as the big day gets closer!
However, this is entirely counter-productive and, being blunt, is a waste of our precious time on this earth! What is done is done; you cannot go back and take those exams again, nor can you influence in any way whatsoever, what the results will be. Once the exam is sat, you have no more control over your results than you do over the weather two weeks from now! So please forget about it; worrying about what can’t in any way be changed is a pointless waste of time and energy and robs you of the ability to enjoy the here and now.
Reflection
A far healthier way to live over the summer is to take some time as soon as exams are over, at the start of the holiday period, to reflect on your academic year. What went well and why? What didn’t go so well and why? What can you learn from what went well that you can apply to what didn’t go so well? Write this down.
Also work on undertaking an honest evaluation of which geography topics you may have struggled with that you will have to study in the new academic year, and make a list. These reflective exercises will give you the basis for a targeted strategy to work on with your teachers and tutors to support you with those subject areas where you may be struggling.
The summer is also a good time to think about working with a geography tutor for support. Start the conversation now, as this will allow the tutor time to work out the best programme of study to suit your needs. Do feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss how the Global Geography Academy can help you with your geography tutoring.
Motivation
When it comes to motivation to study again come the end of the summer holiday, it can be difficult to generate the required energy and positivity! This is why we recommend undertaking the above reflective tasks at the start of the summer and then switching off; forget about study, forget about the exams you have just sat and make the most of the summer, even if you have to spend time undertaking paid work. This period is your opportunity to rest and recharge the batteries.
At the start of the summer, also commit to setting a date a few weeks before term starts to revisit the reflective work you have just done, and to map out how you will address the geography topics you have struggled with, but then forget about it. Shut the diary, close down the calendar on your phone or computer and enjoy your summer, knowing that you have a plan in place when the time comes.
A few weeks before the summer ends is the time to revisit your plans for the forthcoming academic year. This is also when it’s worth reminding yourself why we study and how great you are and how you will work hard to fulfil your potential. We study because education is a fantastic privilege that opens numerous doors of opportunity in life.
You are amazing!
You also need to remember just how great you are. No matter what you may think, you have coped with absolutely everything that life has thrown at you and your educational journey has been a success, because you are still on that journey and no matter what your grades, no matter what your success or failures, you have already achieved so much and have so much more to offer. Remind yourself of this on a daily basis!
Finally, if the going gets tough when results arrive or when term starts, remember that nobody achieves anything by staying in their comfort zone:
The weightlifter will never win the competition if they lift the same weights day in, day out; they need to experience the pain and discomfort of added weights on the bar.
The marathon runner will not win the race if they run the same distance at the same speed day after day in training; they need to step up the pace, experience the discomfort of faster, longer runs and move out of the cosy comfort zone.
So when the going gets tough, remember that we all grow when we are outside the safety of our comfort zone and we stagnate if we stay within the comfort zone.
Have an amazing summer, focus your time and energy on the things you can change, and forget about the things you cannot change (for example exam results!) and look forward to studying the best subject in the world come the start of term!
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