Flickr user Liz West
Students look forward to the rest and relaxation that winter break gives. After all, finals are stressful and the promise of hot cocoa, family time, and Netflix marathons are tantalizingly close.
No doubt that winter break is the ideal time to step back from school and take a breather. So why in the world would you want to use some of that precious break time for college prep? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of “break?”
Here are some compelling reasons as to why you should use a little bit of mid winter break for college prep!
Spread Out the Work, Lower the Stress
Procrastinators know how stressful waiting until the last minute can be, and college prep is one area you really don’t want to procrastinate in. Instead, use what extra time you’ve got to get ahead of schedule. Break is perfect for that. During the regular school semester, you’ve got homework, tests, and extracurricular activities to worry about, and college prep can fall by the wayside. During break, however, you can focus more of your attention on it.
You don’t have to spend all of your break time on college prep, however, nor should you. It’s called break for a reason. But dedicating even an hour a day (or a few half-hour sessions sprinkled throughout the day) can be a big help. Get to work on writing those essays, gathering letters of recommendation, filling out forms, or even submitting applications! If you spread out the work over a longer period of time, you won’t be nearly as stressed if you leave it for the last minute.
End of the Year / New Year Scholarships
Many scholarships have their deadlines in December, and break is the perfect time to capitalize on those opportunities. Additionally, some scholarships open up in January, which means you can get a real head start on collecting that coveted financial aid early.
Use College Raptor to discover personalized college matches, cost estimates, acceptance odds, and potential financial aid for schools around the US—for FREE!
