The upcoming October half term brings with it 2 weeks off school for all UK students and we wish every student a well-deserved rest from their hard work during term time. The wisest of students will see these two weeks as an opportunity for more than just rest and relaxation, they will see an opportunity for change.

As the longest half term break in the academic year, the October half term provides the greatest opportunity for students to review the past weeks and how they want to improve before casting their eyes to the future and envisioning what they want to achieve — in their school, career, and life. To assist with planning this unique opportunity, we have provided our guide on how make the most of your half term.

• Organise a Reward

  • Reward is an essential aspect of motivation. The work you do has to have a tangible and relevant benefit - otherwise why do it? To work without any sense of reward or purpose will leave you demotivated and unfulfilled.

  • The ultimate reward of education is knowledge and the increased opportunities it affords you, however, this abstract notion may lack motivating power for some. Therefore, having a more concrete reward is advisable.

  • As you pursue your October half term activities, set yourself an attainable, specific reward to look forward to. Watching TV or playing video games does not count - it should be something specifically personal to you. This motivates you to work towards it.

• Adopt a Creative Pursuit

  • One of the greatest joys in life lies in creation. Finding an outlet for your creative energy, no matter what it is, will leave you more fulfilled and proud of your creation.

  • This could take the form of trying a new creative hobby that you have always wanted to attempt or spending time on a new creative project.

  • Do not expect instant results. Take it slowly and learn as you go, you may need to go back to the drawing board more than once but rest assured that no learning is ever wasted.

• Complete an Academic Achievement

  • The best schools and universities take students who are dedicated to their studies - beyond just what they are taught in school.

  • This means pursuing your subject/field of interest beyond your school studies and being able to demonstrate this through evidence.

  • This is an excellent way to amass content for your personal statement and CV by providing evidence of your passion for a given career or field of research.

• Strengthen your Skillset

  • Similarly to the point above, in order to attain excellence in your chosen field, you need to demonstrate your independent passion and pursuit of it as well as improving your ability. Your skillset may also be made up of non-academic elements.

  • This can be as simple or as complex as would be helpful. You can read a book, hone your art skills, develop your sporting ability or cement your understanding of trigonometry.

  • You can focus on building your strengths, shoring up your weaknesses or both depending. Unless you have a particular area of concern, we recommend filling any gaps in your subject knowledge first and then identifying any areas you struggle with.

• Reflect on your Goals

  • What do you want to do after school? After university? While you don’t need to plan it all out now, having a general sense of what you want to achieve in your academic and professional career is essential.

  • What could you do while you are in school that would help make your ambitions a reality? The first step always begins with research and experimentation to understand your options.

  • As the time inevitably comes for the return to school, consider how you would like the remainder of your term to go. What would be the ideal outcome for the term and what do you resolve to do differently to make this a reality?

We hope that his has given you some insight into more ways that students can use this valuable time while also enjoying a well-earned rest. From all of us at Libra Education, never stop learning!