Burnout and such

[MysteryCat]

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What do you do/ have you done to avoid it? We ALL are in the midst of a really quite long and somewhat treacherous education, whether in undergrad, scrambling for hours on top of school, or in vet school just trying to stay ahead. I have not been super worried about getting "burnt out" in the past, but so many people (vets and techs mostly) have warned me about overloading myself. So, how did you find a balance, and get enough done without petering out before you finished school?

 

[ThePiedPiper]

I think the important thing to do is listen to yourself. For example, I can do a ~30 hour work week in addition to a full-time courseload at undergrad and still get good grades, but that's also dependent on the schedule of that work week and on whether or not it's an exam week. I have found that I can handle 20 hours scheduled at any point and at any time during the quarter but that if I'm going to be working more than that, I require more flexibility. Weekends, especially, are a time I like to have at least one day free because they're the days I'm not spending 6+ hours at school. 😛 That being said, I know someone who managed to maintain good academic standing, enough for scholarships, in addition to extra-curriculars and working a full-time job. I admire her immensely, because there's no way I'd be able to do that myself, so it's highly dependent upon the individual in question, what they can handle and what they can't.

My biggest suggestion is to listen to yourself. When I first started working, I was happy to be making money and getting involved, but I quickly realised that I was pushing more important matters to the back of my mind so that I didn't have to deal with them. I'd tell myself I could do my assignment later or I'd finish that reading on day x or y. A part of that was due to the fact I didn't know how to balance my schedule at the time and a part of that was due to the fact I simply prioritized work. But it was when I started getting overwhelmed and noticed that I was continuously putting off assignments that I started realising I couldn't keep it up. I wasn't burning out, but I was sacrificing my grades and that counted enough as burn-out to me. I shifted around my schedule until I could handle both assignments and work in the same day, and that's what ended up working for me as far as what I needed to do to handle both and stay on track.

But I honestly think it's a matter of experimentation, because what's one person's limit is not necessarily the limit that applies to everyone. 🙂

 

[Frozenshades]

Pre-vets and vet students get so involved in school and what we do, it's important to not let yourself get swept away by your various obligations. I think everyone has had those times where you get too caught up in work and don't take any time for yourself. It's important to not get trapped in the mentality that you have so much to do and should always be working, and feeling guilty when you're doing otherwise. Taking care of yourself is important and making time for relaxation and to refresh your mind is a must, even if you have to force yourself to take a break and forget about school/work for a bit.

 

[EngrSC]

What do you do/ have you done to avoid it? We ALL are in the midst of a really quite long and somewhat treacherous education, whether in undergrad, scrambling for hours on top of school, or in vet school just trying to stay ahead. I have not been super worried about getting "burnt out" in the past, but so many people (vets and techs mostly) have warned me about overloading myself. So, how did you find a balance, and get enough done without petering out before you finished school?

I often wonder if I will burn out before I even get to vet school because I work 60-65 hours/week between my real job and the vet hospital, I'm on the board of a non-profit, and I go to school (6 units at a time or I would die!). So far this is what has worked for me -

#1 - I do not schedule anything on Sundays (my one day off). I will only study if I have an exam that coming week. Otherwise it is my day of instant gratification - I do whatever makes me happy at that moment 😛

#2 - I get at least 7 hours of sleep/night but I aim for 8-9.

#3a - Exercise at least a couple times/week!

#3b - Nutrition! I start my day with a solid breakfast and pack lunch and snacks for the day. If I feel good physically (healthy diet and exercise) I am way way WAY more productive! Nutrition is a huge deal to me.

#4 - I'm kind of a schedule freak (except Sundays) so when I'm working on one thing I focus on that and not anything else. This helps me tremendously with stress management 👍

I'm curious to see what other people say 🙂

 

[JoAnna423]

I often wonder if I will burn out before I even get to vet school because I work 60-65 hours/week between my real job and the vet hospital, I'm on the board of a non-profit, and I go to school (6 units at a time or I would die!). So far this is what has worked for me -

#1 - I do not schedule anything on Sundays (my one day off). I will only study if I have an exam that coming week. Otherwise it is my day of instant gratification - I do whatever makes me happy at that moment 😛

#2 - I get at least 7 hours of sleep/night but I aim for 8-9.

#3a - Exercise at least a couple times/week!

#3b - Nutrition! I start my day with a solid breakfast and pack lunch and snacks for the day. If I feel good physically (healthy diet and exercise) I am way way WAY more productive! Nutrition is a huge deal to me.

#4 - I'm kind of a schedule freak (except Sundays) so when I'm working on one thing I focus on that and not anything else. This helps me tremendously with stress management 👍

I'm curious to see what other people say 🙂

I totally agree about exercise and nutrition...and it does not mean that you spend 2 hours a day at the gym but getting about 45 minutes of intense work in (at home, or the gym) literally changes my entire mood. I feel like I have 10 x more energy since I started working out and I think more students need to aim for 45-min to an hour at least every other day. When I get to vet school I plan on not allowing myself to slip up, to consider my work out just as important as studying for that quiz or attending that club meeting.

 

[pirateyoho]

Like some of the other posters, I'm a full-time student in addition to working ~30 hours a week. I find that I only get extremely burnt out if I let myself get behind. If I have a lighter week school-wise, I try to still study a bit everyday rather than "take the week off," so to speak. That way, when weeks packed full of exams and assignments come around, I'm less likely to get stressed. Surprisingly, studying consistently doesn't burn you out as much as I thought it might, because you're having to study only a little bit everyday. I'm also more likely to have some daily allotment of free time this way, because I'm not stuck studying for hours upon hours to try to catch up.

 

[hygebeorht]

I agree that by taking care of the vessel (the body) you take care of the rest (mentation, emotion, etc.). I don't compromise on sleep. If I have some huge exam the next day, I study until it's bedtime, and then I close the books and hope that the grader enjoys mediocrity. It's better for me to have a sharper mind because I am well-rested than to have put eyes on every tiny bit of material.

I detest working out because most of the time it feels uncomfortable, I get sweaty, and I have no athletic skill so I don't even get to feel the pleasure of mastery. Nevertheless, the benefits of exercise feel great! I do tend to drop that ball when I get stressed, which is unwise, but it takes willpower for me to start exercising. It only makes sense that I don't work out when I have no willpower.

A good diet is important as well, and for me that means lots of veggies and not much sugars or carbs. I have very sensitive skin that responds poorly to spikes in blood glucose, dehydration, and exhaustion. If I'm eating sugary crap, if I stay up too late, if I don't drink enough water or I drink too much caffeine/alcohol, I will 100% break out in pimples within a day. The way I look affects my mood, so I try to eat well for many reasons.

For me, I feel most burnt out when my willpower is chronically depleted. When I've been forcing myself to work, study, and make good choices for weeks and months on end, eventually my willpower-er just plain gets tuckered out. That's when I call in the reserves - friends and family who can act as "external willpower-ers." Usually I can get work done if only I get started, and starting is always hardest. If I have a friend who doesn't mind being a bit of a bully, I'm grateful to have them open word docs and put my name at the top of the page, or drag me to the gym, or quiz me on things I must learn. The trick is that you must be willing to perform such services for your willpower buddy when they need it. It sucks to always feel like the locomotive in the relationship, like you're pulling the dead weight of people who can't get their acts together.

This thread comes at an opportune time. I'm beginning to feel a severe lack of care about my current classwork, and it's becoming harder for me to force myself to do ANYTHING. I should take my own advice and do the following:

1. ALWAYS get enough sleep. Sleep time is sacrosanct.
2. Work out at least 2x week. Even 10 min is better than no min.
3. Eat healthy foods and make sure to have snacks available so energy needs are always met.
4. Go find me some external willpower-ers to help me until my own willpower rests up and is back in fightin' shape.

It's either that, or amphetamines.

(I kid, I kid, crank is not the answer)

 

[primatevetjess]

Burn out is almost unavoidable at times during veterinary school. But you can definitely make it better and less frequent. What has worked best for me is to remember that I am not completely defined by vet school and those obligations. In this regard, I have two recommendations that have helped me stay (mostly) sane.

1. Do not stop doing the things that you enjoy that are not school related. I always make time for hiking, pot lucks with friends, an occasional movie, etc. Could I use that time for studying? Sure! But I will be much happier and a more effective student if I take time away from it doing something completely unrelated to school.

2. Try to find something that will surround you with people who are not doing what you are. Yes, most of my friends at vet school are vet students. And when we get together, even in a laid back social environment, what do you think we talk about? Vet school. So I started roller skating, and then joined the Sacramento roller derby team. It was crazy hard work, and I absolutely adored it (the reasons I don't currently play roller derby is another thread altogether), and the best part? NO VET SCHOOL TALK! I was surrounded by people that were not vet students and knew nothing about it. They all knew I was a vet student, but since I was the only one, we talked about other stuff. Family, significant others, movies, music, etc. It was time that was 100% mine without having to think about school at all. I know finding something completely unrelated may not be easy, but it was an enormous help to my mental wellness!

 

[that redhead]

I agree with what JJ has to say. I think it's important to not let vet school define you, whether you're there now or planning to be. Find time to do something non-school related- working out, cooking, reading, loafing, hanging out with friends, whatever. You do not need 100% in every single class, it isn't worth the soul-crushing it will take to get there.

I also second quality sleep, good food and movement of some kind to keep you going on a daily basis; burning out is so much easier when you're exhausted all around.

Part of it is just putting one foot in front of the other, though. I'm feeling so ready for our summer break right now that even just being here (not necessarily in school) is driving me nuts and I'm ready to just be DONE. Not much I can do to combat that except keep busy and keep going.

 

[MysteryCat]

Hey, thanks for the great ideas! I am pre-vet, working at a SA clinic ~25 hours per week with school full time and a toddler boy at my feet every other second. However next quarter I'll be cutting back to ONLY working weekends and observing and volunteering and my CC/ER practice at night. I also just bought new running shoes (which of course tooootally means that they'll be used, right? 😉) But really, I'm hoping that I'll have more time for my family and hobbies by cutting back on work, and scheduling and planning more reasonably. I'd like to do more, because I love learning everything that I can (vet med, anyways) but I am trying to rein myself in a bit. -_-

 

[MysteryCat]

Sorry for the double post!

 

[DVMDream]

Burnout... I am feeling it now... I have covered about 19 lectures of the over 100 that I have to go through for this next exam.....

Yes, I find that it is important to do things that you like, sleep well (if you can), and have a hobby or stress-relieving activity of some sort.

Also... keep up with school work to the best of your ability... or you will be kicking yourself (like I am, right now.)

 

[skittles12]

Burnout... I am feeling it now... I have covered about 19 lectures of the over 100 that I have to go through for this next exam.....

Yes, I find that it is important to do things that you like, sleep well (if you can), and have a hobby or stress-relieving activity of some sort.

Also... keep up with school work to the best of your ability... or you will be kicking yourself (like I am, right now.)

Ugh, I can relate...2 tests per week, every week, and lectures until 5 every day have given me a serious case of burnout. But only 2 weeks until spring break!

For me it's really important to make time for non-vet related things. This past weekend I rode my horse for 2 hours. Should I have been studying for my test today? Probably, but the mental boost from riding was much more beneficial. I have to take at least an hour break when I get home, whether it's to watch TV, cook dinner, or read a cheesy fantasy book. 🙂

 

[DVMDream]

Ugh, I can relate...2 tests per week, every week, and lectures until 5 every day have given me a serious case of burnout. But only 2 weeks until spring break!

For me it's really important to make time for non-vet related things. This past weekend I rode my horse for 2 hours. Should I have been studying for my test today? Probably, but the mental boost from riding was much more beneficial. I have to take at least an hour break when I get home, whether it's to watch TV, cook dinner, or read a cheesy fantasy book. 🙂

I do this too! I take an hour (sometimes longer... 😳) when I first get home from school (which is usually around 6:30PM when we have class until 5PM) and I get some dinner, take a shower, get into some comfy clothes, maybe turn on the TV or goof off on the internet, then I try to, at the very least, just re-read lectures for that day.

 

[cowgirla]

Ponies, home cooked food, and alcohol.
Yup, that about covers my burn-out prevention. Lately I've been going to the gym a few times a week too which feels like a chore to get there, but generally helps me take my mind off school. I take at minimum of a few hours on the weekend to myself, and if there aren't multiple exams coming up, I'll take a whole day off. I am NOT one of those people who can study 24/7 without wanting to shoot myself, so I give myself plenty of "me" time.

 

[kernel]

What do you do/ have you done to avoid it? We ALL are in the midst of a really quite long and somewhat treacherous education, whether in undergrad, scrambling for hours on top of school, or in vet school just trying to stay ahead. I have not been super worried about getting "burnt out" in the past, but so many people (vets and techs mostly) have warned me about overloading myself. So, how did you find a balance, and get enough done without petering out before you finished school?

I skip class when I need to, do taekwondo, and go out to drink and dance on the weekends.

 

[orcagirl]

I skip class when I need to, do taekwondo, and go out to drink and dance on the weekends.

I'd love to keep doing taekwondo, but I've found taking classes is a bit expensive on a vet school budget. That and I'm a little picky when it comes to the environment I like to be in. As far as preventing burnout can't say at the moment because our spring break is way too late in the semester. We only have a month including finals when we come back. Maybe six weeks if you count selectives. For a 16 week semester it's really heavy on the front half.

 

[SocialStigma]

Skip class if necessary for your sanity, take breaks in between studying after every test, hang out with non-vet school friends.

 

[kernel]

I'd love to keep doing taekwondo, but I've found taking classes is a bit expensive on a vet school budget. That and I'm a little picky when it comes to the environment I like to be in. As far as preventing burnout can't say at the moment because our spring break is way too late in the semester. We only have a month including finals when we come back. Maybe six weeks if you count selectives. For a 16 week semester it's really heavy on the front half.

orcagirl, I am the exact same way. I recently resumed classes (this was after a 5+ year break 😱) at a local dojang that I am actually not all that crazy about... I signed up because I couldn't stand not practicing tkd on minute longer (I am obsessed!), the owners are a really friendly bunch, and they offer a great "trial period" deal for new students. Once the trial period is up though, I'm out; I can't afford their regular rate and I'm moving to a new state in a few months anyway... Been doing research on dojangs in that area, and I think the prospects are good.

Do the universities/community colleges in your area have taekwondo clubs or classes? That route is usually very cheap, if not free. I know it's not the same as being part of a dojang, but I took a uni class once and found that I enjoyed the lack of, erm, crazy uncontrollable children haha. It was serious, and they focused a lot on technique and poomses, which I dig 😍.

 

[adams30]

I'm not one to skip classes because you can fall very far behind if you do so, unless however you are really sick or there's a good reason to. I would not recommend it just because.

What I did throughout undergrad was I balanced my semesters with easier classes and harder classes, that was one way I could handle 16-18 hours a semester with everything else. I was still able to be involved in a couple extracurriculars and got some animal/vet experience during that time. Granted some semesters were harder than others but I think balancing them was important.

I work out at least 3 times a week and I use it to help 'wake myself back up' in the evenings when I feel sleepy but yet have lots of homework to do. I find it more effective than taking caffeine/energy drinks and have stopped drinking coffee 2 years ago. I also have a rule that once i'm tired enough to the point where I'm no longer getting any work done at night I go to bed no matter what. I aim for 6-7 hours of sleep a night.

As others said I also eat breakfast daily and aim for good nutrition.

I used my summer and winter breaks to get the majority of my animal and veterinary experience when classes weren't taking up so much time. Be sure to relax on your breaks.

I always take Friday nights off unless I have an exam on Monday and spend that time with friends, with my bf, or just relaxing at home. It's a great way to recharge after a long week. I study on the weekends usually but also try to leave Saturday night open as well.

Everyone is different.

 

[DVMDream]

I'm not one to skip classes because you can fall very far behind if you do so, unless however you are really sick or there's a good reason to. I would not recommend it just because.

This is not true for everyone. I think of education as finding a bunch of different resources and learning from those resources. It should be mostly self-directed and help should be obtained only if there are difficulties. Resources can include: textbooks, class notes (we get printed off notes here), reliable resources on the internet (not wiki), lectures, etc, etc. I see lecture as a resource. Everyone has to determine which resources help them most. Some professors are AMAZING lecturers and therefore, it is worthwhile for me to attend class and some professors are HORRID lecturers and therefore it is a waste of my time to attend class when I could have used that time to look at other resources that would have helped me more. The reason I fall behind is not because I don't attend lecture, it is because I put off studying the material until the last minute (read: holy crap there is an exam I should probably know stuff!). Lectures are great, but only if there is a good professor teaching the lecture.

 

[adams30]

This is not true for everyone. I think of education as finding a bunch of different resources and learning from those resources. It should be mostly self-directed and help should be obtained only if there are difficulties. Resources can include: textbooks, class notes (we get printed off notes here), reliable resources on the internet (not wiki), lectures, etc, etc. I see lecture as a resource. Everyone has to determine which resources help them most. Some professors are AMAZING lecturers and therefore, it is worthwhile for me to attend class and some professors are HORRID lecturers and therefore it is a waste of my time to attend class when I could have used that time to look at other resources that would have helped me more. The reason I fall behind is not because I don't attend lecture, it is because I put off studying the material until the last minute (read: holy crap there is an exam I should probably know stuff!). Lectures are great, but only if there is a good professor teaching the lecture.

As I said, everyone is different.

And yes it can depend on the professor too but for me going to the classes helps me keep up no matter the professor.

 

[squirrelsrule]

Find something that you love and then find time for it at least every other week. For me, that's rehabbing. I was gonna hold off and not rehab until summer, but this semester is really wearing on me and I needed something to keep me going. Nothing like 4 little squirrels to do just that 😀. With them I must take a break 4 times a day to feed them and for me there is nothing more relaxing than caring for wildlife, so it works out great.

 

[adams30]

Find something that you love and then find time for it at least every other week. For me, that's rehabbing. I was gonna hold off and not rehab until summer, but this semester is really wearing on me and I needed something to keep me going. Nothing like 4 little squirrels to do just that 😀. With them I must take a break 4 times a day to feed them and for me there is nothing more relaxing than caring for wildlife, so it works out great.

👍 👍 👍

I volunteer in a wildlife clinic at school and love it! so much fun to care for wildlife.

And as everyone else said in regards to how you study and relax, you just have to find what works for you. It can take a bit of trial and error but it's all a learning experience.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Yeah, I would say maybe start off vet school going to class. And if you start to feel like you just have no time because you spend 8 hrs a day just staring at ppt slides and not absorbing things, try skipping a couple of classes here and there. A lot of people find that their grades don't suffer at all, and maybe do better if they just pace themselves at home to learn the material. If it turns out you're not good at learning on your own, then by all means, keep going to lecture. We all learn differently. Some of us just aren't auditory learners and class is the biggest waste of time.

That's actually my key to not burning out. I go to maybe 2-3 lectures a week, if that. Things like echo, ultrasound, and radiology cases I'll go since it's very visual and you do miss out when you aren't there to see professors pointing little details out. Things like behavior, I'll go since the material isn't dense so I don't need to study anything at all as long as I just sit and listen. Essentially, I only go if I'm convinced that it'll be more efficient to learn by going (rare).

This gives me a boatload of time, so I don't feel helplessly suffocated by the lack of time. Unless there's an exam on Monday, I don't do anything vet school related at all over the weekend. And it also gives me the freedom during the week to spend time in clinics to remember why I'm here in the first place. I pull like 2 all nighters a week, which is miserable while I'm in the thick of it, but that gives me 5 days to rejuvenate so it doesn't bother me.

 

[Indigo10]

I skip almost every single required reading in the text books. There is just no time and I would prefer my sanity then reading a text. My grades are good and if I have lost 1-2 points in a few classes oh well. I gained hours of doing other things that I want to do. In fact, as a rule of thumb, I don't even buy the books. It saves me thousands. I do have a few books that are VERY useful. But buying/ reading them all for every class. NO WAY. I would rather watch TV for an hour then read for an hour.

 

[Trilt]

I'd love to keep doing taekwondo, but I've found taking classes is a bit expensive on a vet school budget. That and I'm a little picky when it comes to the environment I like to be in. As far as preventing burnout can't say at the moment because our spring break is way too late in the semester. We only have a month including finals when we come back. Maybe six weeks if you count selectives. For a 16 week semester it's really heavy on the front half.

If everything's the same as it was last year, there actually is a taekwondo club! They met weekly in the gym on main campus. Also a Bujinkan club (ninjutsu - my parents are both black belts in it) and Krav Maga that I know of. Might be more or less now, depending on how active the clubs are.

 

[dovelover]

Yeah, I would say maybe start off vet school going to class. And if you start to feel like you just have no time because you spend 8 hrs a day just staring at ppt slides and not absorbing things, try skipping a couple of classes here and there. A lot of people find that their grades don't suffer at all, and maybe do better if they just pace themselves at home to learn the material. If it turns out you're not good at learning on your own, then by all means, keep going to lecture. We all learn differently. Some of us just aren't auditory learners and class is the biggest waste of time.

I would warn people to be careful with the whole skipping classes here and there thing though, especially if they're not used to skipping class. In undergrad I started out by skipping a few classes here and there and ended up a semester later usually finding it too hard to get out of bed to go to any class... even at 2 in the afternoon (I should note this was not the result of excessive drinking or anything like that). Even when going to class to answer clicker questions counted towards my grade (got a B in a bio course I should have had an easy A in because of that...). Granted, I am very much a self taught kind of person since lectures don't hold the attention of my primarily kinesthetic, secondarily visual learning style (talking kinda just goes in one ear and out the other), but I did often feel like I was a bit out of touch with what was going on by not ever going to class. I found going to class but not paying attention unless something important caught my attention to be much more valuable, and much less stressful, because I wasn't worried I'd miss important announcements. But I think that's something that varies a lot from person to person. It's my goal to actual go to class in vet school. We'll see... If I miss even once that may be the end of that.

 

[kernel]

you start to feel like you just have no time because you spend 8 hrs a day just staring at ppt slides and not absorbing things

This is the story of most of my life as an undergraduate, sadly. There are certain classes (taught by certain professors) that just aren't worth going to, IMO. I've found that sometimes, I'm *FAR* more productive if I stay home and do practice problems/homework that if I go zone out in lecture.

 

[Kpowell14]

My biggest thing is sleep!! I think I pulled an all nighter maybe once a year in UG. Otherwise, I would be in bed by 9ish and be asleep by 10-1030. Now that I'm just working like a maniac, the only way I'm energized is if I get somewhere between 7-9 hours of sleep. 😴 😴

 

[MysteryCat]

This is the story of most of my life as an undergraduate, sadly. There are certain classes (taught by certain professors) that just aren't worth going to, IMO. I've found that sometimes, I'm *FAR* more productive if I stay home and do practice problems/homework that if I go zone out in lecture.

I've found this a lot in undergrad as well, but had no idea that so many people found it feasible to skip in vet school. That is surprising to me, but helpful to know!

 

[LetItSnow]

I've found this a lot in undergrad as well, but had no idea that so many people found it feasible to skip in vet school. That is surprising to me, but helpful to know!

Beyond feasible and into the realm of 'necessary'.

I am absolutely not a 'skipper'. I *hate* skipping class, and always have this nagging feeling that I'm missing something. Even when it's lecture-captured and I know there aren't any in-class points being handed out.

But this year, where most of our weeks are lecture straight from 8-5 ... it's really just not doable unless you skip at least occasionally. We all have stuff to do. I find that I tend to skip pretty regularly now, and it is what it is: you try and watch the lecture on lecture capture if you can ... and if not, you just review the notes and do your best. *shrug*

I think Minnerbelle's advice was totally solid. Start off going until you get a feel for things. But if you find that you're sitting in lecture not accomplishing <anything> ... it might be time to consider some strategic skipping.

One of my classmates skips more classes than she attends. But she's really disciplined about listening to lecture capture and studying during that time. So she does better that way than sitting there with glazed eyes falling asleep after 5 hours of lecture (like me).

 

[cowgirla]

I am absolutely not a 'skipper'. I *hate* skipping class, and always have this nagging feeling that I'm missing something. Even when it's lecture-captured and I know there aren't any in-class points being handed out.

Every day I have to convince myself to wake up when my alarm goes off and get ready for class The big thing for me is - even if I do go to class, I have to relisten to all the lecture captures anyway. There have been very few professors so far where I feel comfortable just taking notes in class and keeping up in lecture. I honestly cannot take halfway decent notes without a pause/rewind button.
The only reason I do show up for class most days is to get brownie points with the professors. I feel guilty skipping more than I do but I know what works for me and its not sitting in a boring old lecture hall with 8 million distractions and no pause button lol. It would be a much more efficient use of my time if I could just do things my own way 😛

 

[skittles12]

But this year, where most of our weeks are lecture straight from 8-5 ... it's really just not doable unless you skip at least occasionally. We all have stuff to do. I find that I tend to skip pretty regularly now, and it is what it is: you try and watch the lecture on lecture capture if you can ... and if not, you just review the notes and do your best. *shrug*

👍

This is definitely me. Also, most of our exams are scheduled at 3 pm now, with lectures beforehand. I just can't go to lectures, then switch gears into exam mode. So I usually skip on days that we have exams. Almost all lectures are lecture captured, so I can go back and listen to them if I need to. Also, some of our professors just read off of powerpoints....which I don't find a particularly good use of my time....

 

[Rainheart]

My biggest thing is sleep!! I think I pulled an all nighter maybe once a year in UG. Otherwise, I would be in bed by 9ish and be asleep by 10-1030. Now that I'm just working like a maniac, the only way I'm energized is if I get somewhere between 7-9 hours of sleep. 😴 😴

Omg, this is me exactly. I pulled one all-nighter and never again. I need my sleep!!