Jamie Goodwin

10 Tips for Your Praxis Holiday Prep

Woman completes Praxis holiday prep on her laptop with Christmas tree behind her

The holidays are a great time to relax. You get time off from school and you can spend quality time with family and friends. However, when you’re preparing for the Praxis over the holidays, it’s not a good time to take a mental vacation. Your holiday break is valuable time to continue your studies and cover the content for the exam. Try these 10 tips for Praxis holiday prep.

1. Make a Study Plan

When making your study plan, choose a time of day where you’ll have little to no distractions. It might be helpful to wake up a little earlier or go to bed a little later. If you’re working over break, use your lunch break or study while using public transportation.

Determine what you’ll study during each session, and make sure that you have the materials that you need to study at each session.

2. Get Organized

Before heading out for the holidays, organize your study materials. Make sure that you have everything that you need and know where they are. Then, you won’t have to waste time looking for the materials when you need them.

3. Enlist Help

Tell your family and friends about your plan. Hopefully, they’ll be supportive and encourage you to study. You may even want to ask them to quiz you over the material. Or teach them one of the principles on the exam.

4. Find a Quiet Space

Where will you study? The location should have few distractions. If you can’t find a good study place at home, consider going to the local library or coffee shop.

5. Take Breaks

If you focus too much on studying, you may find yourself feeling stressed and depressed. On the other hand, you shouldn’t feel guilty about wanting to spend time with your friends and family over the holidays. You need to find a good balance by taking plenty of breaks. Make time to relax and participate in the holiday festivities.

6. Download Study Apps

To study on the go, consider downloading an app to your phone or tablet. Some of the study apps available to you include:

7. Make Flashcards

You can make flashcards using some of these apps, or you can cut up paper or purchase notecards to make your own. Keep the flashcards with you wherever you go. When you have a few spare minutes, pull them out and start quizzing yourself. Or hand your flashcards to a family member of friend and have them quiz you.

8. Take Care of Yourself

In order to keep your brain functioning properly and efficiently, you need to take care of yourself. I know that during the holidays I tend to stay up late, eat lots of goodies, and forgo exercise. However, to have the energy and stamina needed to review and remember the content you’re studying, you need to sleep well, eat well, and exercise regularly. When you’re doing these things, you’ll find that you feel better and study more effectively.

9. Find a Study Partner

Even without your regular study group around, you can still study with a buddy. Check out Facebook or MeetUp to find Praxis holiday prep partners. Plan to meet up with them in a public location, such as the library, where you can work together to review important concepts for the exam.

10. Read

Use your holiday to curl up with a good book. Or you could spend time reading the newspaper or other non-fiction material. Reading is a great way to prepare for the exam. It can help you become a better reader as you improve your reading comprehension and increase your speed.

During your holiday break, don’t take a break from your studies. Use the time for Praxis holiday prep and make sure that you’re ready for the exam!

Author

  • Jamie Goodwin

    Jamie graduated from Brigham Young University- Idaho with a degree in English Education. She spent several years teaching and tutoring students at the elementary, high school, and college level. She currently works as a contract writer and curriculum developer for online education courses. In her free time, she enjoys running and spending time with her boys!

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