How do you guys destress and relax?

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You're likely spreading yourself too thin across too many activities. Perhaps cut back some non-essential extracurriculars. You're but a wee freshman and, even if you end up doing only a few activities, you're still excelling. You need to make time for yourself, otherwise your grades and health may well suffer.

Personally, I unwind with good music, martial arts, stupid YouTube videos and, most critically, spending time with the girl I love. I rationed my time reasonably throughout undergrad and I still have 9 very high quality activities on my application.

Best of luck, friend.
 
You are doing all of that as a freshman? I like the enthusiasm but there is no reason to stretch yourself so thin. I echo @J Senpai in that I spread out my activities all throughout undergrad and ended up with a nice collection of activities at the end. Give yourself some free time to play sports, cook, read, play instruments, play xbox, work out, socialize, whatever... college is long and you will have plenty of time to get everything done. The most important thing you can do as a freshman is get a great gpa that you won't have to fight tooth-and-nail to bring up later. Edit: The second most important thing is to not get arrested.
 
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luxetvoluptas said:
It's only October and I already feel so overwhelmed as a freshman. I'm working 30 hours a week, taking 17 credit hours (calc class is killing me), volunteering and shadowing, grinding at a research lab, and running my own (admittedly small) side business. I haven't really made any friends here, I don't even know anyone's names. We're friendly, but we're not friends. I don't have any free time and I barely have enough time to sleep. I feel like I'm going to explode at the end of the week.

How the hell do you guys manage to get it all done and get some semblance of a life?
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You should probably learn this now. You can't have everything. This process is long and hard. Sacrifices are a part of this whether you like it or not. That having been said...

168 hours in a week. 50 of which are spent sleeping. You are in class/working for 47 hours. Assuming that you study 1.5 hours/day, that leaves 60 hours. You lose 2 hours/day to driving, walking and gaps between things. So, now we are talking about about 46 hours. Assuming that you are doing 3-4 hours of volunteering/shadowing each and ~10 hours in the lab, that leaves ~30 hours/week for everything else. Eating, showering, friends, family, TV, etc. The first and very real question is, why are you doing all of those things?
 
luxetvoluptas said:
T5E7qo2NQPFzF1nfNejJ_UpvOWd7X.jpg
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:eyebrow:
 
luxetvoluptas said:
It's only October and I already feel so overwhelmed as a freshman. I'm working 30 hours a week, taking 17 credit hours (calc class is killing me), volunteering and shadowing, grinding at a research lab, and running my own (admittedly small) side business. I haven't really made any friends here, I don't even know anyone's names. We're friendly, but we're not friends. I don't have any free time and I barely have enough time to sleep. I feel like I'm going to explode at the end of the week.

How the hell do you guys manage to get it all done and get some semblance of a life?
Click to expand...
why are you taking on so many things as a freshman? if you'd cut down on some things, which could be done later on in undergrad, then you'd have time to sleep.
 
luxetvoluptas said:
Sounds good. Sign me up for hookers, blackjack, and black tar

Don't plan on getting arrested anytime soon, haha. I was absolutely awful in high school so I guess I'm really trying to overcompensate that. I don't know where to cut back even tbh. Can't drop a class without a W on my transcript, adcoms look favorably on work experience and besides that I could use the shekels, research is important to a lot of schools, and volunteering/shadowing is mandatory.
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How many people plan on getting arrested? 😛

Don't drop any classes, get good grades, cut down hours at work if you can afford to do so, and worry about volunteering and shadowing later. I think shadowing is more relevant the closer you get to applying, anyways. Also I'm curious to how you are doing research as a freshman? It seems that every research lab at my school requires you to get through the basic science courses before you can even start washing glassware.
 
Why don't you cut back work hours? Like in half at least, unless you absolutely need the money. If you have zero free time though, what do you need "the shekels" for?
 
luxetvoluptas said:
Alrigh so let's see my week breakdown

5 hours sleep/night = 35 hours
class = 17 hours
work (retail) + side business = 40 hours
studying 3 hrs/day = 21 hours
commuting = 14 hours
volunteering/shadowing = 8 hours
lab = 15 hours
misc = 18 hours

Work: I could use the money, I actually enjoy my job most of the time and I think having to interact with people regularly helps with my social anxiety. I'm sure adcoms don't frown upon an applicant with work experience either. Side business is more of a hobby that pays.

Volunteering/shadowing: I really enjoy the volunteering experiences (women's shelter, free clinic) I have now and I would feel too guilty to quit or cut back my hours since I've been there for a while now and I feel like staff there expect me to show up. Don't like the shadowing as much since I can't really do anything but it's required.

Research: I'm fascinated by the topic/study and the PI and lab is really cool but honestly, I don't get a lot out of it, really just doing grunt work but that's to be expected since I'm only a freshman. More and more schools want research experience too.

Courseload: Yeah... That's where I feel like I mainly messed up. I could have gone with 14 this semester and been on track but I decided I wanted to get more done my fresh/soph year so I could spend junior/senior year a little more relaxed. It's too late to drop without a W on my transcript and I'm doing well in most of my classes, math being the exception 🙁.
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There is absolutely no reason to shadow 8 hours a week. I shadowed 32 hours over the course of 2 years, which was more than enough.
 
luxetvoluptas said:
Social science research haha, that was all I could get into. I begged and badgered everyone whose research sounded remotely interesting until I got a volunteer position.

It was suggested that I get my shadowing done early by a med student acquaintance of mine so I could know what I was getting into. Would 100 hours of shadowing be enough?
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40 is usually considered adequate.
 
Time mgt is a crucial skill for both pre-meds and medical students. Rule #1 is don't over-extend yourself.

So drop some of the activities.


luxetvoluptas said:
It's only October and I already feel so overwhelmed as a freshman. I'm working 30 hours a week, taking 17 credit hours (calc class is killing me), volunteering and shadowing, grinding at a research lab, and running my own (admittedly small) side business. I haven't really made any friends here, I don't even know anyone's names. We're friendly, but we're not friends. I don't have any free time and I barely have enough time to sleep. I feel like I'm going to explode at the end of the week.

How the hell do you guys manage to get it all done and get some semblance of a life?
Click to expand...
 
mimelim said:
You should probably learn this now. You can't have everything. This process is long and hard. Sacrifices are a part of this whether you like it or not. That having been said...

168 hours in a week. 50 of which are spent sleeping. You are in class/working for 47 hours. Assuming that you study 1.5 hours/day, that leaves 60 hours. You lose 2 hours/day to driving, walking and gaps between things. So, now we are talking about about 46 hours. Assuming that you are doing 3-4 hours of volunteering/shadowing each and ~10 hours in the lab, that leaves ~30 hours/week for everything else. Eating, showering, friends, family, TV, etc. The first and very real question is, why are you doing all of those things?
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1.5 hours/day of studying surely is on the low end for 17 units, no?
 
tenblackalps said:
How many people plan on getting arrested? 😛

Don't drop any classes, get good grades, cut down hours at work if you can afford to do so, and worry about volunteering and shadowing later. I think shadowing is more relevant the closer you get to applying, anyways. Also I'm curious to how you are doing research as a freshman? It seems that every research lab at my school requires you to get through the basic science courses before you can even start washing glassware.
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It is possible to join a lab as a freshman if your hs stuff is good enough to at least start out doing small things
 
Reading, writing, monthly cigar, weekly drinks and dinner, playing tennis, meditation, and entertaining people with hit-or-miss impressions and jokes. Do something that forces you to unplug from the pre-med mindset.
 
Well I too had a lot lot lot going on.

Now I've dropped some things. Still a lot, but manageable.

And at the suggestion of Goro I went to counseling services due to high levels of stress and anxiety (which truly felt as though they came from no where).
Primarily I thought we'd go over relaxation techniques, ways to reduce anxiety. Zen like stuff.
And we have...but I'll say this. They're good at unpacking a lot of other stuff too. Outside analysis is helpful to uncover patterns that are possibly going to impair your ability to be successful.
So I'm walking through that. It's helping.
 
Cyberdyne 101 said:
OP, you definitely need to allocate more time for sleep during the week.

And I wish I had more time for video games 🙁
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I bought an Xbox One before signing up for classes. Played the hell out of Arkham Knight over the summer.
Pre-ordered the new Fallout- bummed because I won't be able to play it until Christmas break. What a wonderful two weeks that will be!:soexcited:
 
TheZaLord said:
I bought an Xbox One before signing up for classes. Played the hell out of Arkham Knight over the summer.
Pre-ordered the new Fallout- bummed because I won't be able to play it until Christmas break. What a wonderful two weeks that will be!:soexcited:
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That's a short christmas break. Bless your overworked heart. *pat pat*
 
Holmwood said:
That's a short christmas break. Bless your overworked heart. *pat pat*
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Well my classes will probably have closer to a 3-4 week break.
The school district I work for, however, starts back up right after New Year's.
But that definitely seems shorter than when I was a kid, I must say.
 
Reading, writing, and video games. I actually try to avoid listening to my favorite music when I'm sad, stressed, or anxious because my mood ruins the music. I like listening to them more when I'm having a good day. Is that just me...?
 
Garurumon said:
Reading, writing, and video games. I actually try to avoid listening to my favorite music when I'm sad, stressed, or anxious because my mood ruins the music. I like listening to them more when I'm having a good day. Is that just me...?
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Sort of related, but you know what's weird? Listening to sad music while you're down makes you feel better for some reason.
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0110490

Okay, haha, plos one, boo plos one, I get it. But I can attest anecdotally that this is true.
 
Garurumon said:
Reading, writing, and video games. I actually try to avoid listening to my favorite music when I'm sad, stressed, or anxious because my mood ruins the music. I like listening to them more when I'm having a good day. Is that just me...?
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Same here. It does seem counterintuitive, but I also find myself avoiding certain music, games, and other activities when I'm sad/stressed.
 
Garurumon said:
Interesting, I should try that. I don't like associating favorite music to bad memories, and I can't help that it happens. My brain's weird that way.
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I think it works the same way like venting to your buddy as a coping mechanism.
It depends on the person. Some people feel better trying to find ways to forget about any disappointing/sad moments rather than confront it. If you're that type of person, then the sad music is probably not the way to go.

Cyberdyne 101 said:
Same here. It does seem counterintuitive, but I also find myself avoiding certain music, games, and other activities when I'm sad/stressed.
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Okay, this is interesting. Games? For instance?
 
Holmwood said:
I think it works the same way like venting to your buddy as a coping mechanism.
It depends on the person. Some people feel better trying to find ways to forget about any disappointing/sad moments rather than confront it. If you're that type of person, then the sad music is probably not the way to go.


Okay, this is interesting. Games? For instance?
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For instance, it's hard for me to play games like Skyrim and GTA San Andreas when I'm really down. I rather save them for my better moods. Lol, I realize it's a paradox because those games are indeed excellent mood boosters.
 
My favorite de-stressing activity during undergrad was dancing around my apartment. After a long night of studying, I would pop in my earbuds, blast the kpop, and dance my ass off for at least an hour (sometimes while doing shots of scotch.)
 
Regular exercise and spending time with friends/fam really helps. Completely guilt-free days off (sometimes weekends off) are also my favorite, my focus is usually 100x better after I let myself have a "cheat day."
 
luxetvoluptas said:
It's only October and I already feel so overwhelmed as a freshman. I'm working 30 hours a week, taking 17 credit hours (calc class is killing me), volunteering and shadowing, grinding at a research lab, and running my own (admittedly small) side business. I haven't really made any friends here, I don't even know anyone's names. We're friendly, but we're not friends. I don't have any free time and I barely have enough time to sleep. I feel like I'm going to explode at the end of the week.

How the hell do you guys manage to get it all done and get some semblance of a life?
Click to expand...

I play video games, DJ random techno songs, play pool/darts, try to impress the ladies (and usually fail in the process 😢😢), skateboard, and look up random threads on SDN. I think you should ease up a bit and have fun.
 
I go face 10 patron warriors or secret paladins in a row on Hearthstone ladder with my cat on my lap.
I call it Hearthstone and chill. 😉
 
Doudline said:
I go face 10 patron warriors or secret paladins in a row on Hearthstone ladder with my cat on my lap.
I call it Hearthstone and chill. 😉
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You're probably the meany that picks on noobs like me in the casual games, haha.
 
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