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In this blogpost, we’ll look at a well-curated list of summer reads for grades 5 and 6, helping them build on their literary skills and taking them on reading adventures!

1. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has a timeless message from a less complex era, and it continues to resonate.”

Leonard Everett Fisher of The Horn Book Magazine wrote in 2000

2. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

“The Secret Garden is one of the greatest books ever written for children”.

Jeffrey Masson

3. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

“Since the first publication of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland 150 years ago, Lewis Carroll’s work has spawned a whole industry, from films and theme park rides to products such as a “cute and sassy” Alice costume (“petticoat and stockings not included”). The blank-faced little girl made famous by John Tenniel’s original illustrations has become a cultural inkblot we can interpret in any way we like.”

In 2015, Robert Douglas-Fairhurst in The Guardian.

4. The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit

A simple story about the lives of three children living near the railway tracks cannot be told in a better way than this. It has the power to move even the hardest heart. Edith Nesbit has surely brought the liveliness through words as if it were a real story.

The Guardian, dated May 13, 2012

5. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

“Designed to forever kindle a dream of high romance and distant horizons, Treasure Island is the realization of an ideal, that which is promised in its provocative and beckoning map; a vision not only of white skeletons but also green palm trees and sapphire seas.”

G. K. Chesterton

6. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

Kipling does manage to create an intense world that sucks you in with his descriptions of the jungle and the creatures that live there. I felt myself hearing the strange noises, feeling the ground slither with snakes and sweating in the heat of the penetrating environment of the jungle’s overpowering force.

The Guardian, dated June 10, 2015

7. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

“A book that we all greatly loved and admired and read aloud or alone, over and over and over: The Wind in the Willows. This book is, in a way, two separate books put into one. There are, on the one hand, those chapters concerned with the adventures of Toad; and on the other hand, there are those chapters that explore human emotions – the emotions of fear, nostalgia, awe, wanderlust.”

In The Enchanted Places, Christopher Robin Milne wrote of The Wind in the Willows

8. Illegal by Eoin Colfer

‘A powerful, compelling work, evocatively illustrated … It would take a hard heart not to be moved by this book.’

Financial Times

9. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

“Alcott’s writing was elegant yet poignant and haunting at moments, and perfect for the era it was set in, whilst the sister’s personalities were intricately described throughout the whole book. It gave you a sense of what it was like to be a normal family in the 1800s and subtly showed the feelings of each character.”

The Guardian, dated April 13, 2013

10. Dial a Ghost by Eva Ibbotson

“Once again, Ibbotson (Which Witch; Island of the Aunts) dishes up an irresistible brew of magical high jinks and adventure in this tongue-in-cheek post-WWII ghost story set in Britain and starring two families of displaced spooks.”

Review by Publishersweekly.com

We’ve designed a printable version of our Top 10 reading list to help you track your progress and reflect on the book(s) as you read.

You can download it using the button below. Feel free to print and share with your friends too.

Happy Reading!

<< Download the printable version of our reading list >>

<< Download the complete IGCSE Reading List here >>

The exams have finally ended! Phew. You can embrace this period for a while before the realization hits you that school is actually the easier part of life. Choosing a career and giving it your 100% is the real task. And to top it all, there are many career myths or misconceptions that halt your journey to a stop. As a current student, or an intern, you might be having many questions related to the development of your career. Questions like ‘What will I do with my degree?’ or ‘How do I know if I’m making the right choice?’. As someone who has just begun working, there are still doubts about where you’re headed. These questions might even give you some anxiety when you have no foresight into the future. However, there are many myths developed over decades that give rise to this uncertainty. This blog post aims to debunk some of them, at the same time clearing the many doubts that you might have around your future career goals.

Myth No. 1: Everyone already has it all planned out

"Image: A visual representation capturing the uncertainty of finding a career, portraying a character having a puzzled expression, highlighting the common feeling of ambiguity in career exploration."

This isn’t true most of the time. Many students change their major subject a few times before they graduate with a degree of their choice. One cannot know for sure what they want to do for the rest of their lives without having experiences or understanding themselves. You think your friends and peers have it all figured out? The truth is they may have gone through or may be going through the same decision-making process you are. They are also assessing what they actually want to do. Just because you have decided to be a lawyer, does not really mean that you’d be one for the rest of your life. And that brings us to the second point:

Myth No. 2: Once you’ve chosen a career, you stick to it for life.

"Image: A humorous meme with text that reads, 'This is not what I signed up for in my career,' featuring a person with a surprised or dismayed expression, capturing the unexpected challenges or situations in professional life."

You’ve spent a good portion of your academic life prepping for Chemical Engineering. But only recently have you discovered that you’re inclined towards biology. Years of hard work and time are already invested in your career! You’re anxious about putting that all behind and spending a couple of more years studying again but in a different field this time. It is reported that an average person goes through at least 6 careers in their lives before retirement. Shocking, isn’t it? But also very true. Choosing a career option now does not guarantee or limit you to that same position 10 years from now, or even 5 years. So, if you’re unsure or unhappy with your career plan, you can reassess what you wish to do and get yourself back on your desired track! It will require patience and alot of deliberating before making the big switch.

Myth No. 3: You might hate it now, but you’ll grow to love it

"Image: A meme featuring a woman at her desk with a caption that humorously says, 'I love my job,' juxtaposed with a facial expression suggesting the opposite, capturing the relatable sentiment of pretending to enjoy one's job."

Starting on a job that you dread from day one is the glaring red signal that tells you to re-direct your path. You think you’ll grow to like it. A year has passed and you still find it daunting to leave the house and face the colleagues and the tasks which you already hate. To tell you the truth, it’s not going to get better. If this is you, you need to consider handing in your papers and giving yourself a break to reassess.

As mentioned before, this is not the end of the world! Changing a career, or just the firm that you’re working in does not undermine your abilities or make you look like a failure. In fact, it has become ‘trendy’ to change your job every couple of years. Some might even feel outdated not to do so! While being trendy isn’t a reason to switch roles or careers, it would be wise to take stock of your professional growth and direction. Give yourself a second chance (or a third or fourth, nobody’s judging and nobody’s keeping tabs).

Myth No. 4: You must choose a career based on your passion

"Image: A meme conveying the idea that career choices don't have to be solely based on passion, with a caption playfully suggesting, 'You don't have to love your job to be good at it,' challenging the notion that passion must dictate career choices."

Passion-driven careers do not guarantee the perfect job role for you. What you need to understand is that it’s not just the passion for that job, say as a singer or a litigator that should keep you hooked onto the job role. What if you love to sing, and are pretty darn good at it, but you’re also an introvert and cannot face the stage without a mini panic attack? Or let’s say, you’re pretty good at manipulating decisions but you hate reading! You need to reflect on your skills, personality traits, threshold, capacity, along with your interest. This will make sure that you’ve chosen the correct career option for yourself. So before making a definite decision, you must consider the perfect balance between skills, interests, and output.

Myth No. 5: Hard work will ensure a climb up the ladder

"Image: Depicting a ladder as a visual metaphor for career progression, with a strong emphasis on hard work, symbolizing the correlation between diligence and upward mobility in one's professional journey."

This could be hard for some of you to digest, but working hard does not necessarily mean that you’re on the path towards success. Spending hours on desk or on site to appease your employer may not be the best way to impress them. Focus on your skills and not the amount of time you spend on a task. There is someone else that might get the job done much faster and also more efficiently; take inspiration from that person. If you’re working towards an appraisal, then deliver beyond your job description. Look for opportunities that show your skill sets above your profile and required day-to-day tasks. If you think you need to study further, or take a course to hone your skills, then take that course to get ahead. Hard work is important but what’s better? Smart work.

As Mark Twain has said, “The trouble with the world is not that people know too little; it’s that they know so many things that just aren’t so.” When we’re not sure about something, we must keep exploring or researching to find our answers. When you have doubts or anxieties related to your career options, you can always reach out to our Career Guidance experts at Young Scholarz who can provide the right counselling you need to move forward.

If you’ve chosen a gap year after high school, this post is a must-read for insight. If you’re still deciding, explore our blog post on what a gap year entails, including pros and cons. A variety of opportunities are available for students after school and each leads to great experiences and life lessons. Many of these activities are not only fun to take up, but they also make an impressive impact on your resume.

Internship

Gaining hands-on experience in the field you’re interested in is as important as learning the theory. Many famous MNCs including Google and Amazon offer online internships as well which is convenient if you’re traveling. Explore local companies or start-ups, applying for internships to gain valuable experience in a field of your interest. Being an intern will give you a chance to connect with professionals in the field and those last for a lifetime. It will also give you a chance to know whether you want to pursue a career in the field you are interning in.

Travel

Exploring new places should be on your agenda. But do not fail to add enough adventurous activities that are essential to have a wholesome experience. Take up activities like trekking, camping, learning water sports along with the usual sightseeing. Try to discover offbeat places to stay at instead of popular hotel chains. This will help you meet new people and make useful social connections. Apart from that, spending time in nature will help you know yourself better as well. Traveling also helps students learn to cope in an unfamiliar environment. If you’d like to travel for your gap year but don’t think you can afford it, try looking for volunteer programs. Also, other similar work options to help you fund your expenses throughout the year. This will also add an edge to your CV and help you get a good job when you graduate.

Learn a Foreign Language

It is a well-known fact that being able to converse in more than one language is always a good thing. Make a list of the languages that are most spoken in the nation you reside in or in the country you want to go to in the future and start by learning them. Many languages have their certifications which denote a person’s proficiency in them. All you need to do is take a class, register for the exam, and obtain the required credentials. If you’ve learned a foreign language in high school, use your gap year to master it. Companies seek multilingual skills. It’s been proven that there are cognitive benefits to having a bilingual or a trilingual brain as well.

Volunteer

Even within a 5-mile radius from where you live, there will be associations and organizations that need volunteers to aid a mission for positive social change. It is essential to find out what you are passionate about to volunteer. If you are fascinated by animals, visit animal shelters and register for volunteer positions. If you’re good with children, you can always work for associations that provide education to unfortunate children and become a volunteer teacher. There are many possibilities in this matter and there are many opportunities that will allow you to volunteer at abroad locations as well. The trick is to do thorough research and find out what suits you best. This journey will lead you to become a more compassionate and empathetic citizen of the world and will also train you for academic as well as professional situations.

Develop good daily habits and learn life skills

With so much on your plate from focussing on academics to keeping up with extracurriculars, it is understandable that time is limited. Learning skills such as cooking, budgeting, having a daily routine, or even practices such as mindfulness and healthcare, seem challenging. In the technological era, which moves at such a fast pace; people often forget how important these things are to sustain a healthy life. So while you have time to take a breather, it is necessary to train yourself to function efficiently. Join a gym or a yoga class and experience what it is like to commit to a goal and achieve it. Secondly, experiment with different cuisines and cook at least one meal a day for yourself. Adding mindfulness activities to the mix will prove beneficial in the long run. While not CV additions, these activities build inner strength, fueling success in the professional world.

Take your hobbies to the next level

Access to the internet provides a platform to showcase skills, fostering personal growth and skill enhancement. Start a social media page on which you post snippets of you working on your hobby and what you create. Enjoy performing arts? Explore local open mics for beginners to showcase your talent and gain valuable experience in the scene. Dancing, cooking, painting, or bullet journaling—hobbies uniquely bring relaxation and rejuvenation, enhancing your overall well-being and satisfaction. This will not only give you a confidence boost but will also help you be aware of where you can improve.

All in all, if you manage to take up two or three of the points mentioned above, you will get the best out of your gap year. These personal growth activities positively impact the admissions committee during university interviews, showcasing your character and commitment. If you’re still looking for cognitively enhancing activities to do over the summer, stay tuned to Young Scholarz’s social media platforms. Our website will also have information on innovative summer workshops and programs!

After you are done with high school, a wave of excitement and uncertainty is bound to follow. You have spent years preparing for a career and researching. This is the time to make decisions and handle dilemmas calmly with as much research as possible. There is a vast array of opportunities available and streams to choose from. However, there is one question that might arise too – what is a gap year, and should you consider taking it? In this blog post, we help you gain some insight. We provide you with a list of merits and demerits when it comes to taking a gap year after high school.

What is a gap year?

A gap year entails a semester or year of experiential learning, typically taken after high school and before career or postsecondary education. It is meant to deepen one’s practical, professional, and personal awareness. For high school students or graduates considering a gap year, the options are plentiful and can be structured programs or self-guided. A wide range of options can be explored during a gap year. These are experiences with a focus on ecology, animal welfare and conservation, language studies, coding, cultural immersion, and a variety of other topics. A gap year looks different for everyone. It’s a full year or a semester of learning experiences that might include travel, volunteering, paid work, an internship, or a combination of these things. It’s typically taken after high school graduation before starting college.

image showing a hand holding a rock that says gap year!!!

Why should you take a gap year?

Keep in mind that a gap year isn’t taking a year off. It’s a year on. It’s a year of doing, learning, thinking, planning, and taking advantage of the moment. Don’t think of a gap year as an alternative to starting college. Think of it instead as an experience that can prepare you for college. You build a sense of self-awareness and independence—valuable skills for progressing in any major. Beyond college, a gap year can help you stand out in your résumé. Apart from that, more and more students are taking five years or longer to finish college, perhaps because they are initially enrolling in programs that aren’t a perfect fit. A gap year can help give you the time and experience to choose the college and program that’s best suited for you, which makes it time well spent!

image of a high school student traveling the world during her gap year

Overall, you get enough time to prepare for a solid career ahead by taking a gap year. This experience can also give you an edge over peers in your field when looking for internships and jobs. If you’re considering a career with a long and expensive educational path, check if it’s a good fit. Furthermore, when you join college after a year of learning new skills and gaining experience, you will be able to put them to use in your day-to-day college life. It will be like having a headstart on the college experience.

Why should you avoid taking a gap year?

You might not make it back to school. This is one of the biggest reasons why people say students shouldn’t take a gap year. It can be hard to jump back into academia after you’ve had a taste of living on your own. You can adapt to the lifestyle you initiate, and motivating yourself to return can become challenging. Some people find they like the slower-paced lifestyle they adopt during their gap year. Whereas some people enjoy making a living and don’t want to give that up to go back to school. To avoid this con, make a resolute plan for your gap year and stick to it.

Another common disadvantage many students who opt for a gap year face is the social stigma that comes with it. Not everyone understands that taking a gap year can be beneficial and sometimes it’s difficult to convince your guardians who would much rather choose the conventional path.

Image of a girl going to college and avoiding a gap year

Another thing that may stand in your way is finance. While you can make money during a gap year, this year could also be very financially stressful depending on what you plan to do with your time. If you anticipate money being a stressor, plan far in advance for how you will overcome this con. Moreover, you don’t want to miss opportunities with friends and your social circle. While you take your gap year, most of your friends will probably be heading off to college, so you’ll no longer be on the same academic calendar. You could miss out on the bonding of starting college together, traveling during spring break, and eventually graduating together. Keep in mind though, that you’ll likely make many new friends during your gap year, and the opportunities awaiting you during a gap year are endless.

Final Thoughts

Like all things in life, taking a gap year is a risk you might take which could turn out to be the best decision you make or it could cause a few backlogs in your life. Based on the points mentioned above, we hope you can make an informed decision. If you choose not to take a gap year and indulge yourself in the university experience, Young Scholarz can guide you. We have Career Counselling and University application support for writing SoPs and selecting your courses in the first year. If you decide to take a gap year, there are many things you will have to figure out. For example, what can you explore during this time, how to manage finances, what internships you can take up and so much more. Look out for another informative blog from us next week on how to navigate a gap year.

We’re not telling you to change your profession. We’re not even telling you to get the highest-paying job – this blog post isn’t about that. What we’re doing here is helping you reach a conclusion and decide on the right degree. This could lead to the right job that you would potentially be satisfied with. Be it a programmer or a highly sought-after nurse, many jobs are quickly gaining recognition for their high demand. We have compiled a few careers in 2024 that would give some insight into these occupations and make things just a tad bit easier for you to conclude.

1. Artificial Intelligence

We depend on AI for every single task of our lives. From having a digital assistant check our schedules for us to remind us about a movie that we’ve just paid for in the theatre! According to the Emerging Jobs Report by LinkedIn, the hiring growth for AI jobs has increased by 74% in the past four years. Being a part of many other industries, AI forms the skeleton of various fields and increases employability as well as demand.

In case you’re still dabbling, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has predicted a 31.4% increase in jobs, by 2030, for data scientists and mathematical science professionals, which are both crucial to AI. With the inclusion of subfields such as computer vision, it has incorporated machine learning, which teaches machines to improve and hone skills on their own! Machine learning jobs to have an equally promising growth in the next couple of years.

AI has a favorable future as it helps aid in various fields with its life-changing technology, ranging from medical uses like diagnosing diseases to transportation in the form of self-driving vehicles. Not only does it pay well, but it’s also future-oriented due to its cutting-edge, forward-thinking advancements.

2. Product Management

From delivery to post-sales management, the role of a product manager is one of those small pieces of a puzzle that aren’t often noticed, but just as important. Often called the mini-CEOs, product managers are responsible for the launch and updating of product features.

Unlike other subjective job positions like a software engineer, a product manager’s job is not stated as constant with defined boundaries. This is particularly due to a variety of responsibilities from the industry sector, and businesses, to the product line itself. Each product manager may not have the same responsibilities, but the commonality is the primary function – drive in the introduction, development, and marketing of the products, along with the responsibility for the same.

The intensity of responsibility varies from small scale to large scale, where the product manager has to build from scratch in the former, devising the entire business workflow afresh. With great power comes great responsibility, and also greater pay. If wearing multiple hats in the field excites you, then you could consider a career in this direction.

3. Nursing/Healthcare

For years, there’s been a significant decline in the number of skilled nurses. And the pandemic has made it even worse. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only affected the patients who survived or succumbed to it but has also put a toll on the physical and mental health of the front-line workers.

Due to this, around one-third are thinking about leaving the profession. This shortage is what causes an increased demand for skilled healthcare workers. By 2027, the demand will increase to at least 500,000 more registered nurses.

To apply for this job, a bachelor of science degree or an associate’s degree in nursing is essential. You’d also need to pass a licensing exam to be a Registered Nurse (RN). If traveling is one of your hobbies, you can even become a travel nurse with lush pay (6 figures) and signing bonuses.

4. Information Technology

We all know the success and popularity of this field, one that continues to grow. What’s changed recently is the increase in remote work and smartphone development, exacerbating the demand for software and app developers.

Previously, this field required a bachelor of science degree, but in this new age of crash courses and time-sensitive courses, companies have begun to recruit people who have learned to code online.

So, if you’re leaning towards a career in technology, and have taken up STEM subjects, then consider taking coding classes. The Occupational Outlook Handbook predicts that the software development field will grow by 22% by the end of the decade. This converts to roughly 300,000 new jobs with an estimated 6-figure salary. If you’re introverted, this job may just be the perfect choice for you.

5. Robotics Engineer

We all know what a robot is, but what does it mean? Fun fact: robot comes from the Czech word ‘robota’ which means ‘forced labour’. They’re machines that are designed to carry out tasks that human beings cannot accomplish, particularly those that are lethal to human beings, for example exploring mines, defusing bombs, etc. It is an interdisciplinary branch between electrical and mechanical engineering, so if these topics tease your mind, this is an option to consider.

Living in an age manipulated by artificial intelligence and governed by information technology, robotics takes precedence. Companies in most, if not all sectors, will use robots to simplify certain work processes. Being a robotics specialist translates to designing hardware as well as software for robotics solutions. And this is something that most industries will require shortly – increasing the demand for robotics engineers.

We’d love to hear from you what your thoughts are on these careers and if you intend to take up any. Our career counselor is here if you need guidance.

Wondering how to spend your summer? Listed below are a few sought-after awards that will help you grow as a student and an individual. Needless to say, they will also make a good impression on the admissions committee of top universities. Read more about each award on the respective organisation’s website and remember to check for their deadlines. Here’s to a fruitful and fun summer!

CREST AWARDS

The CREST Awards runs a number of distinct and structured competitions that students can participate in to demonstrate their STEM credentials. CREST gives young people aged 5–19 the chance to choose their own subject and methodology when completing their hands-on investigation. A consistent and high standard of assessment and moderation is achieved for the scheme via our network of industry experts from the STEM and education sectors. It has been running since 1986 and sees tens of thousands of young people taking part each year. They also provide activities and project ideas for a range of ages, group size and abilities. From off-the-shelf, one-hour long challenges through to large-scale, student-led projects of over 70 hours work or more, CREST can be done by anyone. This is a great opportunity for high-school students and for those who have already done a significant project (like a Lumiere paper!). To apply for a Gold Crest Awards, read more here.

Stem Next Essay Competition

Contrary to the name, this essay competition has no subject prerequisites and is not purely STEM based. Students of various interests are more than welcome to take part! This is a fantastic opportunity for you to learn transferable skills that you can utilise in your future studies and careers, e.g. research, critical analysis, communication. There are six potential essay categories to choose and within each category there are a diverse range of potential essay questions, with something to suit every interest. This is a solo project that requires independent research and writing. However, it is encouraged that participants get feedback from their peers or teachers before the final submission. The essay should be between 1000 to a maximum of 3000 words in length. In addition, at least one external industry professional must be interviewed as part of the research for the essay. List of the available professionals will be provided. In addition, the essays will be eligible for CREST Awards. There are six categories available for students to choose from. You can register here.

Last House Writing Contest

The Last House Writing Contest celebrates author M.F.K. Fisher, who resided in her ‘Last House’ on ACR’s Bouverie Preserve in Sonoma Valley. To participate in this competition, submit an essay, short story, or poem on topics related to “renewal, rebirth, reemergence, and the many inspirations of life and nature in spring.” Format: Writers are invited to submit an original, unpublished essay, short story, or poem in PDF format, 300–500 words for children and youth, 750 words maximum for adults 18 and older. The Third Annual Last House Writing Contest will once again be offered for children, youth, and adults who do not currently write professionally. Winners are eligible to be published in ACR Publications or receive prizes! Apply here – the deadline is on 31st May.

A Voice for Animals Contest

The A Voice for Animals contest is now open. The competition has sections for 14-15 year old students and sections for 16-18 year old students. Prizes up to a total of $5900^* will be awarded to high school students whose entries best promote the humane treatment of animals. The contest is supported by a partnership between the Animal Welfare Institute and the Humane Education Network with additional support from the Palo Alto Humane Society. Organised by the Humane Education Network, students can submit videos, essays or photos on issues related to animal suffering and protection, to compete for cash prizes. Apply here – the deadline is on 31st May.

Exam season can be stressful, and even when you are halfway through, it may feel dauntingly never-ending. It is normal to experience burnout during this final phase of your educational journey. There are times when you are running high on adrenaline but lack organic energy which keeps you active throughout the day. In such instances, it’s a good idea to be more conscious about your day-to-day activities and thought patterns. In this blog, we’ve listed a few uncomplicated ways to avoid or recover from exhaustion during exams.

Have conversations with your friends and family

Chances are, your peers might be experiencing similar stressful situations and the best thing to do here is to open up and have a hearty conversation with them. As humans, we thrive when surrounded by a supportive community and family, especially at times when we are feeling mentally and emotionally tired. Exchange a few words and laughs over this with your mates and you will realize that you are not alone. This will help provide encouragement and will also offer a feeling of relief.

Remember to get enough off-screen time

Being surrounded by electronic devices throughout the day is so common that we often overlook how draining they are. In times when you are already experiencing fatigue, sticking to screens throughout the day will ultimately make you even more tired. Find activities that are not based on gadgets. Fetch board games, spend time doodling, spend time with your family, or just go out for a walk. One easy way of incorporating no-screen time is to have all of your meals mindfully, without consuming any content. This will provide your brain with a much-needed break.

Maintain a balance between study time and playtime

Sometimes you might feel that the exam season means no time for fun or hobbies at all. On the contrary, it is essential to draw a balance between studying and doing things you genuinely enjoy. Throughout the day make sure you’re standing up every hour at an absolute minimum. Take a walk around the house, have a hot drink, do some exercise, message your friends, anything at all! Continuous revision for long periods of time will be nowhere near as effective and will leave you feeling tired and drained.

Don’t think about the paper that is already done

This can be one of the worst things to do for people who worry and can often cause you to sit and analyze every single question. Asking your peers what they put for a question, or how they found the paper, is only going to make you second guess all your answers when in reality you can’t do anything about it now. Instead, come out of the exam, congratulate your friends for getting through it, and then all make a pact to move on with the day! It is better to focus on the exam that is yet to come and prepare well for it rather than worrying about the paper that has already been attempted and submitted.

Make a small but effective morning routine

There is no better time to study than the peaceful hours of early morning. However, waking up and directly starting strong can lead to an energy crash in the middle of the day. The best option is to build a calming morning routine that prepares you for a day of revision. You can start with a warm beverage, a session of stretching or taking a stroll around the block. Start off with a relatively simpler topic and progress gradually.

Time Management is key

When you keep up with your study in a timely manner, you’re less likely to feel burnout. The key is to pace yourself every step of the way. Try taking a 15-minute break every hour so you can clear your head and rest. If your exam is a month out, using a calendar can help keep track of priorities and deadlines to avoid cramming in the end. A great way to avoid last-minute stress and an eventual frazzled state of mind is through planning effectively. Make sure you have a revision timetable in place and give yourself plenty of time to focus on topics you might be weaker at.

Seek help when needed!

Even after taking care of all these things, there might be some topics that are difficult to get through. At such times, you can seek guidance from your seniors and your friends who excel in a certain subject or get 1:1 or group tutoring classes from Young Scholarz. We have an extensive and customized range of exam prep classes going on for all topics in IB and IGCSE English Language and Literature. We also offer confidential 1:1 mental well-being counseling services. We’d also love to hear you share your tips on avoiding exam time burnout.

Studying English Literature develops the ability to think critically about varied topics, from a range of diverse theoretical perspectives. Through books, we learn about various historical events and build an understanding of a wide range of cultures. In our curriculums, English Literature has always held a place of prominence and is arguably one of the most interesting subjects to study. What makes it more compelling is having a variety of sources to read summaries, analyses, and character sketches. Whether from an exam-centric perspective or just general reading, having a sound source to get relevant literature notes is crucial. We took up the big task and researched some reliable websites you can refer to while studying literary texts.

Spark Notes

This is a website that students around the world swear by. Texts ranging from Shakespearean drama to postmodern novels are summarised on this website. What is unique about this site is that you are able to access the original text side by side with the analysis of the lines as the screen splits into two sections. This is useful for a deeper understanding as you get an explanation while simultaneously reading the text closely.

It offers more than 1,100 book summaries and literature guides, as well as poetry guides and a glossary of literary terms. The best part remains that you can read every Shakespeare play, poem, and sonnet paired with a modern English translation of the text.

https://www.sparknotes.com/

BookRags

This one is a student-focused analysis and summary website. In addition to the reviews and chapter summaries, it also offers lesson plans for teachers, biographies of more than 1,500 authors, and a “Homework Help” section. You can use the Homework Help feature to get solutions to specific doubts about literary texts, answered by other members of the community. This also gives you a chance to interact with like-minded readers.

The content of the website is sub-divided into categories such as Literary Movements, Plays, Non-Fiction, Poetry, and Shakespeare. You’ll even find some cinema analysis on this website. One downside however, is that to access the content for many texts, you will have to buy a subscription.

http://www.bookrags.com/

Wiki Summaries

This platform is a wiki, which means that anyone online can change the content of the website and it’s not necessary for them to hold any relevant credentials. Due to this reason, this source is not as reliable as the others mentioned here but can be the knight in shining armour when you just want to obtain a general understanding of the text instead of a deeper one.

Moreover, the language used is fairly simple and one can read through, as well as understand the basic concept easily by using this website. Overall, this website offers an overview of the plotline, but for readers who are looking for a deeper analysis of the underlying themes, the site will not suffice.

https://wikisummaries.org/

Shmoop

Shmoop is a website that is quite similar to SparkNotes. Its target audience is pre-university level students. If you’re taking your ACTs, SATs, or AP tests, a website like Shmoop is a prominent resource.

Although the site primarily focuses on providing summaries of texts, the content on Shmoop is much more than book and chapter summaries. You’ll also find study guides for everything from marine biology to oil drilling. If you use Shmoop, you can be confident the material you’re accessing will be accurate and well-written. All the summaries are written by Ph.D. holders in their respective fields.

https://www.shmoop.com/

GradeSaver

If you want your sources to be completely foolproof, check out GradeSaver. The book summaries in its “ClassicNotes” series are all written by Harvard students. You’ll find book reviews of most titles you’re likely to study in school, including ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, ‘Animal Farm’, ‘The Catcher in the Rye’, ‘The Great Gatsby’, ‘Lord of the Flies’, and ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’.

Best of all, the chapter summaries on GradeSaver are free to read. There are even free quizzes, mock exam titles, and theme guides which will help you prepare for a big exam.

https://www.gradesaver.com/

We hope this well-researched list of sites for literature notes will prove useful when you’re studying for the exams! If you have any other site suggestions that you’ve been using, do share them with us.

Young Scholarz offers online as well as in-person exam prep sessions for IGCSE English Literature set texts (0475/0408). Check out the schedule for these intensive exam-centric classes and you can grasp an understanding of the text along with techniques to attempt essay-type questions asked in the exam.

Image: Group Class Schedule for English Literature 0408 and 0475 for IGCSE students requiring extra tuitions and support. Conducted by an excellent English tutor.

Young Scholarz is excited to announce its latest partnership with Lumiere Education. Lumiere is an organization founded by Harvard and Oxford PhDs with the aim to provide high-school students around the world the access to research opportunities with top global scholars. (more…)

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