Every high school has students who are so caught up in anticipating the upcoming holidays that their academic performances slip. While the excitement is understandable, it’s nevertheless imperative that your student stays focused while the semester is ongoing. Use these tips to help them.

3 Ways to Help Your High School Student Focus Before the Holidays 

1. Organize Their Time 

Using a shared calendar or agenda, keep track of your student’s upcoming assignments and projects. Pace them so they finish everything within a reasonable time frame.

For example, if they have a multifaceted project due after the winter break, agree on which days they should have certain aspects of it done beforehand to ensure it can be turned in punctually, without any last-minute cramming.

If your student is a senior, help them set aside time to work on college applications. Encourage your juniors and sophomores to spend time researching and planning for summer internships, camps, and extra classes too. 

2. Discuss the Upcoming Celebrations 

Use break times from schoolwork to talk about plans for the holidays. Your student can then optimize their free time and prepare for each holiday without sacrificing study time. Feeling ready for all the festivities will likely even help them focus better on their schoolwork.

Service activities are also common this time of year. Encouraging your high school student to participate in them will not only help the community but also give them an outlet for their excitement and something valuable to put in their college applications. 

3. Offer Holiday-Related Rewards 

Agree on a rewards system with your high school student so they can look forward to something special when they complete tasks. For example, if they complete a math assignment by a specified time, take them out to look at the Christmas lights. If they write the final draft of an English paper before a predetermined deadline, bake gingerbread cookies. After they finish a science project, let them go shopping for a gift exchange with their friends.

To ensure your child gets a quality high school education combined with the Christian values that inspired the holidays of the season, send them to Hawaii Baptist Academy in Honolulu, HI. At this private Christian school established in 1949, the staff combines Bible teachings with a private education geared toward preparing students for acceptance to excellent colleges and universities. To find out more about their academic advantages and philosophies, check out their website. Call (808) 595-7585 to inquire about the admission process.