How to make the best of the Festive Break

With the festive break upon us, students and learners can take a well-earned and needed break. The festive break however also offers a golden opportunity to gain a competitive advantage in upcoming assessments – particularly for A Level students. Whilst many students will take the next few weeks off, those who take the later period of the break to kickstart their studies are likely to see greater educational benefits and outcomes than those who do not.

Education, like most things in life, puts us in competition with our peers. Grades can be adjusted based on cohort performance, university positions are a highly competitive game, and that is before we even get to the job market. The teenage brain is poorly designed to sustain engagement, self-discipline, and commitment – often pursuing short-term gains over long-term benefits. The teenage brain also seeks excitement risks, often encouraging last-minute revision over long-term study plans. Thus, many students will try to limit revision to the very last-minute, hoping that the adrenaline rush will help.

This is where tutoring comes in. Tutoring allows for an accountability system, and one personalised to engage students. Frustration and stress are common emotions in solo revision, particularly whilst under pressure. This is a mind-killer – literally. Cortisol (the “stress hormone”) forms on the gaps in the brain, the synapses, and begins to slow down the speed of the brain’s signals. Yes – stress literally makes you dumber. Worse, as the stress increases the amygdala in the brain sets off a fear and avoidance response – compounding the problem (TED-ed – “Why you procrastinate even when it feels bad”). Dopamine (the “happy hormone”) meanwhile sits in the same position and does the exacft opposite – speeding up brain signals and making the student “smarter.” Tutors set up sessions to ensure students feel engaged and encouraged to produce this brain booster, testing their knowledge and recall to create those same neural pathways that will be used in exams.

Humans are also habit-forming creatures, so students are often prone to revising the same exact same way once they find it. Once again, this risks leading to tedium and boredom, where our old friend cortisol appears. Worse, this also encourages the brain to latch on to the last bit of information it studied – often blocking out everything that came before. Tutors provide nuance, novelty and variety that continues to engage the brain whilst ensuring the information is stored in well-trodden “pathways” that can be accessed in exams. Tutoring thus essentially hotwires the brain into thinking faster, creating pathways to answers and results, and encouraging students to associate the experience with the super-boost of dopamine rather than the literal anchor of cortisol.

The festive period therefore is a fantastic time to begin tutoring. Tutors can bridge the gap between knowledge and dopamine, creating effective and efficient revision schedules that consistently lead to success. We here at Cardiff & Vale Tutoring are experts in student success, and our tutors are ready to supercharge your revision this festive break.

This blog was written by Dr Daniel Chesse, our History A level, GCSE and Tutor of University Undergraduates.

Keywords: Procrastination, Stress, Boredom, Engagement and Dopamine.

Previous Blogs:

Summer 2024 GCSE Exam Preparation Tips – Cardiff Vale Tutors

Cultivating a Growth Mindset: A Path to Academic Success and Wellbeing for Your Child – Cardiff Vale Tutors

How to Prepare for Exams With Tutoring – Cardiff Vale Tutors