Winter break was not too long ago and right after was the month all high school students endlessly loathe. Yes that's right, JANUARY! There's almost no excuse for joy during this month and on top of that, we are forced to take exams. FuN! Let’s not think about that and focus on the good time, the break which for most was relaxing and the only time where an assignment wasn’t hanging over their heads. So how did students at John Fraser spend it?

 

Maple Jade Mortenson

 

R: How was your winter break overall?

 

M: My break overall was amazing. Me, my family, and a couple of our family friends went on a trip to the coast of Mexico. It was gorgeous and very relaxing. 

 

R: In your opinion, what was the highlight of your break?

 

M: My highlight from the break was swimming with tropical fish. This was my first time being in a tropical climate so I took advantage of my snorkelling gear and swam with the fish. 

 

R: How do you feel about going back to school?

 

M: Quite frankly, I am not looking forward to going back to school. The last few weeks are always the most stressful and I am worried. But seeing my friends will be a nice change. 

 

R: How will you be preparing for your exams?

 

M: I will be preparing for exams by testing myself with flash cards and online quizzes and asking a lot of questions. I find these strategies help me a lot more than taking notes from a textbook. 

 

R: Are there any exam prep tips/tricks you want to share?

 

M: My tips for studying for exams are to take breaks when needed and have a schedule for your studying. Taking breaks is a great way to regain focus and relieve stress. Having a schedule encourages you to keep on task.

 

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Devika Jain

 

R: How was your winter break overall?

 

D: It was pretty good and relaxing

 

R: In your opinion, what was the highlight of your break?

 

D: Watching Christmas movies with my family on Christmas Eve.

 

R: How do you feel about going back to school?

 

D: The same as everyone else. I feel excited to see my friends but not excited for exams.

 

R: How will you be preparing for your exams?

 

D: I’m revising my notes, redoing old assignments and tests. Additionally I’m using ChatGPT to take practice exams.

 

R: Are there any exam prep tips/tricks you want to share?

 

D:I would definitely recommend revising assignments and tests with a timer. Additionally I would recommend you rewrite your notes in the way you understand it, whether it’s by linking it to something else or just breaking it down until it makes sense.

 

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Dana Akel

 

R: How was your winter break overall?

 

D: My winter break was exactly what I needed—calm, relaxing, and fulfilling in its own way. I didn’t travel or do anything extravagant, but I thoroughly enjoyed unwinding at home. I spent a lot of time watching comfort movies and shows—it was so so nice to do so while bundled up in a warm blanket and cozy pyjamas with a steaming cup of tea or hot cacao! Baking was another highlight for me; I baked some very nice sugar cookies with my friends, and it felt rewarding to see (and taste!) the results. The ones I made were very beautiful. I also dedicated time to my hobbies, which was really satisfying. For instance, I worked on knitting quite a bit, and it was nice to have the freedom to focus on something purely because I enjoy it. Overall, it was a slower-paced break, but it gave me the chance to recharge, indulge in small joys, and do the things that make me happy. Only complaint I have is that it should have been longer 🥲.

 

R: In your opinion, what was the highlight of your break?

 

D: Honestly, the best part of my winter break was the time I spent with my family and friends. I got to have a lovely sleepover with my cousins and it was really fun. We watched Gilmore Girls (I watched it for the first time and it’s very boring in my opinion), made a hear me out cake, ate ramen and drank fake champagne, built a fort, and played (shamefully) DTI. I also enjoyed having a board game night with my family. We played a board game called Jackaroo and I got absolutely destroyed by everyone in my family both times we played. My father even went out of his way several times to kill my piece which was quite horrible of him (just because I killed his a couple of times!). New Year's Eve was especially interesting. I spent the evening with friends playing parlour games and catching (with a ton of yummy food ofc) before we watched the New York countdown and went home immediately after (it’s funny how fast we packed up).

 

R: How do you feel about going back to school?

 

D:…so glad to be back of course. For exams too?! Lucky me who wants to be happy forever 😭.

 

R: How will you be preparing for your exams?

 

D: By reviewing everything I’ve ever learned and organising my time well (I’ve been saying that for a while I should probably come up with a new plan). Practise questions also come in really handy so make sure you do those! I’ll make sure to over-romanticise school and exams so that I can get through it without a mental breakdown. I can get back after every day and finish everything that I have on my checklist while drinking iced coffee and staring out my window contemplating my life decisions (not really). It’s okay though because being educated is cool and makes it more likely for you to prosper of course (of course). 

 

R: Are there any exam prep tips/tricks you want to share?

 

D: Make it seem like some sort of dream or show where you know the protagonist (AKA you) makes it to their dream uni/college or job and manages to be happy for the entirety of their lives while working as a supercool doctor president lawyer astronaut and killing it 😎.  But it all starts with you studying obsessively but in a cool way looking real smart while presenting stuff to the imaginary class you teach. Honestly it really helps me learn when I explain what I learnt to my family or friends—it makes the information stick. SO you should do that!! Make a pretty 

 

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Elizabeth Han

 

R: How was your winter break overall?

 

E: Overall, I would say I had a pretty fun and fulfilling winter break, and got a few things done!! 

 

R: In your opinion, what was the highlight of your break?

 

E: One highlight of my winter break was spending more time with my dad. Since he's typically always busy travelling for work, and I have school, we don't usually get to spend a lot of time together. However, the winter break was a good opportunity to spend more time with him, as we both had no commitments and could spend more time together during the two weeks. An honorable mention is reading a book that got me out of my book slump!! (Shoutout to Better Than The Movies!!)

 

R: How do you feel about going back to school?

 

E: I was NOT looking forward to going back to school at all (sobs)!! Since the break started, my sleep schedule has been pretty messed up, with me sleeping at 2 in the morning, and waking up at 12 in the afternoon!! I was also not looking forward to getting up early to go to school. Plus, another thing I was not looking forward to was the culminating season, which always happens after the winter break.

 

R: How will you be preparing for your exams?

 

E: Coffee (LOTS AND LOTS OF COFFEE), snacks, all-nighters, my study playlist, notes from class, and the occasional cramming (although this one doesn't work sometimes!). 

R: Are there any exam prep tips/tricks you want to share?

 

E: Do not keep things to the last minute (trust me, I learnt that the hard way ). Keeping things to the last possible minute, especially for a subject like math or science (ew), is a terrible idea and usually doesn't end well. Another tip, if you can get a group of friends who are in the same group as you, and want to study with you in a study group, go for it!! I personally find it really fun to study with friends who will motivate me and encourage me to work towards the same end goal! And lastly, ask questions in class!!! Literally, ask your teachers anything!! If you're unsure of a certain topic, or need them to repeat a point, ASK THEM (it's literally their job)!!! This is really good because sometimes, you might not understand a certain topic right away (and that's okay!!), and may need to ask questions to finally understand the topic!! So yeah, DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK TEACHERS QUESTIONS!!! It's better to ask them questions before the exam, rather than be stuck and not know how to answer the question!!

 

 

Seems like my interviewees really enjoyed their winter breaks (and for some it was their last at John Fraser) and even if your semester 1 exams are over these tips are sure to be useful so keep them in mind. With all that said I hope your winter break was everything you wanted and have a happy second semester John Fraser!