Whether you’re still at school or have moved on to university, the summer is a really valuable time if you want to add that little extra to your grades for the next year. If you do it right, you can use your couple of months off to not only make the autumn term an easier ride, but actually improve your marks.
Reading, reading, reading
Universities are usually very forthcoming with telling you what books you’re going to need to read on your modules, so use your free time to get some of them in the bag. I did an English degree, and for each module we were generally expected to read one book plus a load of secondary material each week. This can mean two or three novels a week; I couldn’t have done it had I not got through some of the more hefty ones (Dickens, I’m looking at you) over the summer. If you’re completing your GCSEs or A Levels, no teacher will ever be afraid to tell you what you should read before the next term; I’m sure they’d be thrilled to have you so keen. Having the plots down will make next term so much easier, because it means you can spend more time working on essays or your understanding of the texts.
What went wrong last year?
The summer is also a really valuable time to reflect on the previous year. Look at what went well, and try and work out what it was that made it go so well. Moreover, look at what didn’t go so well. Is there something you can improve on, maybe in your revision style, your note-taking, or just the way you think about a certain topic? Maybe there are some fundamentals that you could spend the summer revising and making sure you thoroughly understand, to give yourself a good grounding for the next term?
Research around your topics
This doesn’t necessarily have to be reading: it could be watching an appropriate documentary, or visiting a relevant historical monument. Maybe you know you’re going to study World War Two in history next term? Why not use the time to visit, for example, the Cabinet War Rooms in London? Or perhaps you’re going to study the Gothic genre in English… what better excuse to watch countless interpretations of the classic vampire movie?
Yes, you are allowed to chill out
It’s not called a “holiday” for no reason. While it’s valuable to get some preparatory work done over the summer, it’s also crucial that you give your body and mind some time to recover. You work yourself hard throughout the year, and without allowing yourself a little time to chill out, the bubble of stress that builds up throughout the year never gets a chance to disperse. Exams and stress can mess with your eating, sleeping and exercise habits, so it’s so important that you give yourself a chance to get over it. Allowing yourself time to relax and get your mind and body back in order after exam season will do you the world of good.
How did you use the summer to boost your grades? Let us know your advice in the comments below.
Photo: Bridget H / Flickr
English Literature at Exeter. Online Features Editor, Exeposé. Enjoys a decent mojito, and plays netball, badly.
Also a little obsessed with Virginia Woolf.
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