You will break down without having a balance for life. You can have fun this holiday and still ace January exams. You don't have to sacrifice one for the other because you may still have to choose again next year, depriving yourself of the regeneration process holidays bring to your stressed mind.

Refer to PT 1 and PT 2 in addition to this part to have the full kit of a fun-filled holiday and successful examination.

7. Avoid Academic Amnesia

Nothing ruins your exam season faster than academic amnesia.

Have you ever found yourself staring blankly at your exam paper, knowing you read that topic, but your brain ghosts you?

Exactly! That frustrating moment is what we call Academic Amnesia.

It’s more common than you think, but you can avoid it.

It usually happens when you read while stressed, distracted, and tired. It also happens when you cram instead of studying consistently. 

Don’t go cold turkey on academics for 2 weeks, then expect magic when school resumes. Your brain will snub you as payback. Skim notes, read summaries, and quiz yourself. The goal is to keep your brain warmed up, not overworked.

8. Mix Relaxation With Productive Content

Pair your relaxation activities with light learning. While scrolling TikTok or Instagram, also throw in academic YouTube channels, podcasts, or past question apps. Balance your feed. 

In simple terms, laugh, learn, and scroll with sense.

Yes, the reel about learning may not make you excited or cause dopamine release, but it is essential. Those chunks of 30 seconds reel can surely help your life in exams.

9. Have Fun, But Stay Smart

Yes, attend that party. Yes, eat that suya. Yes, finish all the food in your house and your neighbour’s house as well. But no, don’t forget your goals. Your GPA will not care how many fireworks you watched on December 31st. Balance is the key.

10. New Year, New You (But Start Now)

You probably read this and said, “Yes, I’d start tomorrow, or I’d start in January when I’ve planned my year very well.” Why wait till January 1st to start better habits? If for anything else, this break is a soft landing into a better version of yourself. Start small: waking earlier, limiting screen time, or finishing one topic a day.

On January 1st, you may miss one day and end up crashing down the hill into procrastination. Nobody wishes for that, but still, when you start now, you’re more likely to continue and get better at it by January 1st.

Final Thoughts:

This Christmas, don’t cancel enjoyment. Just add wisdom to it. 

They must have told you, “Christmas comes by every year, but the opportunity to have good degrees doesn’t, so forfeit this year’s Christmas. Next time you celebrate.” Yes, exams won’t wait, but neither should your joy. You can be both a holiday lover and a serious student. New level challenges don’t finish (something else may come up next time that they mentioned).

Let this be your little reminder: You’re not lazy, you’re learning how to balance. And trust me, you’re doing better than you think.

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