In order to succeed in HSC PDHPE you need to rest well. You need to rest well not just the night before exams, or during the holidays, but the whole way through the HSC year.
Firstly, to rest well you need sleep. Your brain and your body needs good amounts of sleep in order to function properly. Getting 7-9 hours of sleep a night is crucial for proper learning and physical activity. Sleep allows your brain to store away information and your body to recover and build new cells. This is very important for recall of information. You store new information and therefore need to create new pathways and connections in your brain to be able to properly recall the information and connect it with other information already learnt.
Resting well also included basic slowing down and enjoyment. During your HSC year you need a social life as well as down time mixed in with your study. Whether this be parties, recreation groups or some alone time or meditation it all helps. Stress is a major issue for HSC students, so taking the time to slow down and relax frequently is very important. This should include short periods throughout each week, as well as longer rest periods during holidays. You need to do something that is not study to manage stress and to manage being human!
This is where a study schedule comes in handy. You need to have regular breaks scheduled into your study. Even a 10 minute walk every 45 minutes of study will help you to focus and make your study more productive. You should plan to rest well. Plan to have at least: 1 night off a week, a full weekend off a month, and a full week off about half way through the year (preferably straight after half yearlies).
For your sanity, for better study, for greater retention, for recovery, for life, REST WELL!
