Working to your full potential during the winter season

With summer now a distant memory, and the days becoming noticeably shorter, no one can deny that winter is fast approaching. The darker, colder evenings can be demotivating for students, who may have found it difficult enough to begin their homework even during the most tranquil summer weather. Humans of course do not hibernate, but during the coldest and wettest months (admittedly some time away) a lot of us will feel the urge to engage in some kind of act resembling ; a long period of dormancy. Many will feel the urge to stay indoors with the heating on (if you can afford it), sustained on warm food and drink, and engaged in comforting activities that certainly do not include schoolwork!

Regardless of the weather, irrespective of how cold and depressing your study area seems, your work will still have to be done. The academic curriculum does not accommodate the seasons, and asks for just as much during the winter terms as the summer. It would not be well for you to negate all your efforts undertaken during more temperate times, by slacking off during these cold months. It is admittedly more difficult to stay motivated during the autumn and winter, but the following tips should help you get focussed, and continue to produce your best work

1. Make sure you are warm enough

This may seem rather obvious, but if you are in a cold environment you certainly wont be able to be productive. Your body`s primary concern shall be keeping you warm, and will have little energy left to spare for cognitive tasks. Numerous studies, including a recent one by the Environmental Protection Agency, have shown that students studying in cold classrooms had poorer test results than those enjoying temperatures maintained at around 21 C. A study conducted by Cornell University concluded that the optimum temperature range for study was between 21 C and 25 C. Try to ensure you have a warm area to work - in these parsimonious times may find you have to put on an extra layer of clothing instead of turning up the heating, but this will work just as well, ensuring your body has more energy to expend on learning.

2. Don`t put off work

Another piece of sage advice is to attempt to begin your work earlier rather than later. This is generally a good idea in all spheres of life, but when it comes to academic work in the winter season, it is especially important to at least make a start on your work when there is still some daylight. Of course the sun sets earlier in the winter, and dark evenings (or even afternoons) are often not conducive to knuckling down to work. If you can get in the habit of beginning your homework earlier, you will find progress far easier.

3. Do a little exercise before working

The winter season is not one that encourages exercise. Low temperatures, wind rain and limited sunlight - these are hardly things that encourage going for a jog or playing a game of tennis. A sedentary lifestyle is not conducive to academic success, and there are numerous studies that attest to the cognitive boosting power of exercise. Indeed, a brief workout of just twenty minutes prior to study has been shown to aid learning and concentration.

4. Make sure you get enough sleep

Again this is an obvious piece of advice, but if you want to learn, produce your best work, and develop to your full academic potential, it`s simply vital that you are getting enough sleep. The winter season can lead to a disruption in people`s sleep cycle, especially after the implementation of Daylight Saving Time (sun 30th October at 2:00am) when the clocks go back an hour. Studies have shown poor sleep harms academic achievement in a number of ways, such as impairing memory, worsening sequential thinking, reducing creativity, and decreasing the ability to concentrate.