While many of us are looking forward to the Christmas break, bear in mind teenagers all over the country who will be spending the holiday studying for the Junior Certificate. 

 

If your son or daughter will be nose deep in a book over the holidays, take note of the following tips to ensure they not only work effectively, but also get to enjoy the festive season as well.

 

1. Write up a study plan and factor in days off

It’s the Christmas holidays so let your youngster enjoy the break, as well as fitting in study time. Help them write up a study plan that works around the festive season rather than the other way around. This way your son or daughter will be able to enjoy themselves, and actually benefit from the break; there is more to getting good grades than sitting in front of a book.  

 

2. Get them out of the house

It can be hard to concentrate when the house is full of people enjoying the holiday cheer, so encourage them to go to the library to get some work done. This way they can put their books aside when they get home and enjoy the rest of the evening, rather than feeling like they are cooped up all day. If this is not possible where you live, take siblings out of the house for a few hours so they can study in peace and quiet.  

 

 

3. Utilise the internet to their advantage

The internet is chock-a-block with forums, tips, advice and notes on particular subjects, but it can be difficult navigating through the sheer volume of information. Website JC-Learn includes notes, exam answers, study advice, forums and examinations content in relation to the Junior Certificate. Set up by two Irish teenagers from Clonkeen College, Dublin, who each received 11 A's in their 11 higher level subjects in last year’s exam, it has a wealth of information to help your child.

 

 4. Don’t encourage them to copy other people’s study techniques

It is important to bear in mind that there is no right or wrong way to study. While your child’s friend may benefit from studying in two or three hourly blocks, your teen may work more effectively in 40-minute slots. Let them find a technique that suits them and don’t automatically assume they’re going to do bad because they don’t seem to be doing as much as your neighbour. If you force them to study a particular way they’ll end up struggling through, not taking anything useful in.

 

5. Switch off distractions (probably the most important tip of all)

DON’T let your teen bring their phone into the study room with them. As they scroll through Facebook or Twitter, their study time will be sucked up and they’ll feel like they’ve been looking at the same subject for hours without really taking anything in.

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