Need advice for managing full load!

[Kiek73]

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I am in my junior undergrad year and entering upper level courses. I need advice or tips to manage time, studies, family, full time job, and part time job with out sacrificing anything. Is this too much or is it possible with good time management skills? I have been slowly falling back on GPA and need some advice. Thanks in advance.

 

[gman33]

I think a lot of academic problems come from a lack of quality study time. As you know science classes can be very time consuming, especially if labs are involved. You can try the old rule of 3 hours of study time for every hour in class. If you have a full load of 15-18 credits, that means you need 45-54 hours of study time. Trying to balance this with work and family demands is very difficult. Can some people get all A's and put in less time? Yes. But that doesn't mean that everyone can. If your grades aren't what you would like, either take fewer courses or stop working (which might not be possible).

As much as I wish there were, I don't think that there is any magic study secret that will drastically cut down on study time.

 

[ShyRem]

This is very dependent on you. Some folks can handle 16 credits, some can't. There are no magical words to help you, my friend. All I can say is budget your time. Multitask.

I recall several 21-credit undergrad semesters while I bathed my son and worked out advanced calculus proofs on the bathroom tiles with bathtime crayons. No, I'm not kidding. I also was rather fond of making dinner and studying while stirring pots of food. Still am for that matter. And studying while eating lunch or between classes. I did all my ochem and pchem studying between classes. Little writing on one sheet of paper per exam worked wonders. Most of my classmates thought I was absolutely insane. But it worked for me.

 

[Kiek73]

How did you learn to concentrate with all the background things that had to be going on while bathing you child and cooking?

 

[Isoprop]

also, find out when you are most energetic. for me, it's when i just wake up. so 45 mins of studying at 5 am is worth 3 hours in the afternoon (when i wanna nap). i schedule my labs during this time to keep me awake.

so find when you are most active with high energy and USE THAT TIME TO STUDY.

 

[montessori2md]

Do you have to do the labs with the lecture?

I found my biggest time drain was NOT studying, it was paperwork for stupid lab reports, which had very little value, except that if you didn't do it, you failed lab.

Jobs: depending on job, could make yourself some index cards to look over at work between things.

Commute: Could record your lectures and listen to them while between school/work/home.

I left the house on Sat AMs while I was in organic to go and do practice problems by myself for 4-5 hours, while DH stayed home w/son.

I was also super anal about keeping track of my sylabi. I became pretty talented at selectively skipping lecture when it wasn't going to be useful.

I would also send an email to your profs at some point explaining how full a load you're carrying, or visit their office and explain, and ask how to optimize your studying. It will be harder for you to deal with things like last-minute changes for exams, or other randomnesses instructors sometimes impose.

If you feel like your GPA is suffering, you should consider cutting back on something -the cure for a low GPA is far more time consuming than waiting one more semester to take that class.

Stay healthy! Eat decent food! I got really sick at the end of last term, and I know it was at least partly b/c I was too busy and stressed.

Good luck!

 

[ShyRem]

Kiek, it's a skill i've had for years. I actually have difficulty sitting still and doing just one thing. Watch a movie? I knit while I watch. I'm an endless source of amusement for my husband.

 

[Empi]

Shyrem,

I can relate. I have my daughter's spelling pretests in my organic chem notebook. I'm taking 15 credits and I'm a bit loopy at times.

 

[sawood]

Commute: Could record your lectures and listen to them while between school/work/home.

I was also super anal about keeping track of my sylabi. I became pretty talented at selectively skipping lecture when it wasn't going to be useful.

I would also send an email to your profs at some point explaining how full a load you're carrying, or visit their office and explain, and ask how to optimize your studying.

Stay healthy! Eat decent food! I got really sick at the end of last term, and I know it was at least partly b/c I was too busy and stressed.

Good luck!

Good advice! I'm a big fan of skipping things that will not impact the grade that much. Focus most of your energy on the high point stuff. Skip class if its useless (do you know people in your classes you can check in with?).

One quarter I sat down with one of the profs and explained my situation. He was very understanding and helped brainstorm ideas on how to keep up with zero free time to study. Even though it was still hard to keep up, I felt like the teacher was rooting me on and supportive, and that made a huge difference in my attitude when I was tired.

I agree, stay healthy! (Easier said than done).

Good luck