Winter break a balance between fun and catch-up with studies

Chilly weather, festive lights, Christmas trees and camping in the desert... Winter is here and school holidays are coming up next week.

It’s when most families get the opportunity to spend some quality time together before they get back to business as usual after the New Year. While some students are going to use the period to fully relax and recharge themselves, others want to ensure they don’t forget what they’ve learned in the first semester.

Krista Fidelia, a Grade 10 student at Al Diyafah High School, said there needs to be a balance between leisure and studies.

“Almost all students, including myself, can’t wait for the winter break and finally enjoy the days without homework. However, as much as having fun is important, we, as students, need to set aside time for catching up with our

schoolwork. This way, when we get back to school, we won’t feel clueless and may even get ahead in our studies,” she said.

A student at DPS Sharjah, Hritika Tripathi, also believes pupils need to strike a balance during the holidays. She said time management can help students get the best of both worlds. “Winter holidays should be utilised wisely. It’s time for relaxation but, at the same time,

it shouldn’t be an excuse for us to forget everything we learned in school. The break gives us a chance to brush up our knowledge. I always complete my winter homework early, so I can have time to do extracurricular activities that I normally pass up on during school days,” Tripathi said.

Trisha Sayani, a Grade 5 student at Gems Our Own English High School, said pupils need to keep

both their minds and bodies healthy over the holidays, which means engaging in recreational activities and studying.

However, she said students shouldn’t “overdo” it and tire themselves out reviewing their lessons. Sayani said: “I think that doing both is very important because school holidays are given as a break to rejuvenate and rediscover oneself, but along with it comes an op- portunity to improve in terms of studies. While recreation keeps the body active, studying keeps the brain active.”

Another student at Gems Our Own English High School, Hurairah Faatimah Muzammil, said winter holidays can help pupils perform better in school.

“The winter break is a time to destress and gear up for the upcoming months. However, with a tight schedule awaiting us and a planner filled with exams and schoolwork, we have to prioritise and plan the holidays wisely,” she said.

“Besides finishing up our homework, we should work towards achieving a well-defined study pattern. This prepares us for the exams so we can prevent the last-minute stress and get good scores. We need to make most of the break, yet have fun. After all, ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’.”

Private schools across the UAE are off for the winter holidays starting December 16 and classes will resume on January 6, 2019.

I always complete my winter homework early, so I can have time to do the extracurricular activities that I normally skip during school days.”

Hritika Tripathi, student

With a tight schedule awaiting us and a planner filled with exams and schoolwork, we have to prioritise and plan the holidays wisely.”

Hurairah Muzammil, student

(The winter break is) an opportunity to improve our studies. While recreation keeps the body active, studying keeps the brain active.”

Trisha Sayani, student