How do you do it?

[mightimao]

I am a second year student in college. Last year, i took it easy; taking few classes a quarter and i was working at a laid back sushi joint (which allowed me to do hw at the job when it wasn't busy). This year, im taking 5 classes this quarter; and i'm working everyday (mon-fri) at an office right after i get outta school. The job is demanding, but it pays well.

The question is..how do you do it? I know it's gonna pay off in the long run, but its very stressful...to say the least. My day begins with school at 8 in the morning and ends at 9 at night when i get outta work. Throw in homework right after work and Repeat this 5 days a week and im exhausted.

any tips to handle the pressure / stress / workload?

[Infested Jester]

On your days off sleep, pussy, and weed.

[Mavric]

Are you working full time? Idk how you could handle that, I know some people can't aford to not work but I'd rather just get a million student loans then work full time and be a full time student. I'd rather be indebt then go insane.

[Septimus Prime]

If you can't handle it, don't do it.

This may sound like I'm just being a dick, but I'm dead serious about it.

[Night]

I've always had the ability to go to bed late at night, and no matter how late, I was able to wake up at the exact time I needed to wake up and make it through the rest of the day. Probably not good for the body... but over the years, I guess even dating back to elementary school (hardly missed an episode of SNL back in the 1st grade), my body is used to it. I dunno how I did it... maybe just takes getting used to, maybe it's training your body to be able to handle 4 hours of sleep if it comes to that. Being out of school helps a lot, although my sleeping habits haven't changed much... heh, no more hw and studying, but I end up using that time for loafing around playing games, crashing on the computer, TV or reading arg...

One thing that works great is the afternoon nap. I eat a really quick lunch, and spend the rest of the hour in the car under the lower deck of the garage and take a snooze. Even a half-hour of rest during that time is VERY rejuvenating to last the rest of the day.

For maintaining school work, well, I just paid close attention to what was due, and gave myself a timeline to know what I had to get stuff done. Whatever class I had during that day, I pretty much did jack for that class that night and did whatever hw or studying necessary for the next day's class(es).

[mr. newbie]

quick naps. 10 or 15 minutes every once in a while.

i couldn't do that for to long. when i worked at del taco my day started at 7 and ended at 10 or 11. i took naps at lunch.

[DV8 Productions]

5 classes is pretty nuts by itself. But I work 40+ hours between my two jobs and go to school full time (3 classes). The trick is to find more laid back jobs and spread it over the weekend too.

[0746]

5 classes on second year college is nothing. When I was in first year college, I learned one vary important thing. That was the fact that "Its not meant to be hard! If it was, they would not make you do it." Seriously, its only second year college. You guys havent learned anything serious yet and they dont expect anything that serious from you. Look back at what you did back in school. Doubt you remember much of it and even if you do you would think it was nothing.

I'd suggest making yourself a 24/7 timetable that you are going to stick to. Work finishes at 9? Go to sleep then! You are too exausted to study anyway and you will be spending 5 times more than what you need to and will not remember anything the next day. Look at the ammount of time you spend doing homework at night and reallocate it before you get ready to go to school. As long as you time your sleep as multiples of 90 minutes (e.g. 4.5 hrs or 6 hrs or 7.5hrs etc...) and have a descent alarm clock, nothing will stop you from waking up other than lazyness. Make sure the alarm clock is way beyond your reach that you have to get up and walk a few meters to shut it up. You don't need more than 6 hours of sleep if you are healthy. You should get at least 6 and definitely not more than 8. Make sure you have enough recreational time in your timetable. Its as important as your studies or you will get depressed and loose interest in your studies and start failing. You have been keeping it up so far. It means you are more than capable in optimising your conditions under those circumstances.

good luck

[maxx]

i cant handle 4 or more classes...i find 3 is a comfortable number..sure it may take me longer..but honestly i have no idea where im going. plus it affords me the time i need for work..and i do art classes so 3 is plenty....i dont need any more 3-4 hour classes...thats insane on an a.d.d kid.

[Kalypso]

my only mistake was taking 5 classes on the same day, 6 on wednesday. 9:05 - 3:20-40~. It wouldn't be so bad if I was learning anything in these classes, but I'm not, I pretty much show up, try to not let myself get bored to death, and doodle in margians until the day is over. Showing up to class sadly means alot more for your grades than how smart you are, so ya gotta just put up with it.

[Million]

I don't get how people could work full time and go to school either. There's no way in hell I could do it. I need to always have "me time", or I would seriously go all Charles Whitman on everyone from a belltower. The only working I did during school was "workstudy", which we all know is bullshit. Life would be awesome if real jobs were as non-eventful and empty as workstudy jobs are. I had to usually sit in the art gallery for a few hours, watching it...like security, I guess....occasionally helping faculty set up/arrange a show. Sometimes they'd just have me sitting in the art department office as basically an "errand boy" if they need someone to check mail or take something to another building, or file some folders, or answer phones, etc...so I was sitting there, doing nothing for hours yet again. The most I ever had to do was grad. school where I picked up visiting artists, and escorted them around to the school, to lunch, back to their hotel, help them set up presentations/lectures etc. (only 2 were ever hittable, btw....one was old though...) Heh, I just remembered...that was a sweet deal since I got to eat lunch free of charge every time....lunch for the visiting artist was always on the school's dime....ah, now I'm reminiscin'.....good times, yes...

[kz0060]

snip

I'm not sure you should be working that much man. I know not ever1 is as spoiled as me but don't you have parents to rely on financially?

[KrassHole]

College is an extention of highschool for specific fields. You're one sad person if you can't handle it.

[fjf314]

I don't know if I could work full time and be a full time student. I'm taking 5 classes right now and with all of the homework and studying I do for those, I really don't think I'd be able to hold down working 40 hours a week, too. My part time job working half of that is enough.

[JAMMAR]

I did this once when I was 18-19. My grades went down, I hated my job even more, and eventually the college I was attending that I decided to take a break away from it. To this day (approx. two years after) I have one class left remaining to get my AS degree because of all of that shit. Depending on how things pan out for the rest of this year I might just finally finish that shit off this winter. Why am I holding it off now? I currently have a full-time job (not the same one I had back then) and I'm scared to juggle school and work again.

So please twice before doing this. It's okay to say that you'll try this and see how it goes, but I hope that if things get hard, you have no hesitation to reduce that schedule by whatever means necessary. Good luck.

[AkumaTX]

Well righ tnow Im working 40+ hours a week, and taking 12 hours in school on a trimester system. we have to do what most do in 16 weeks in 10. Yeah sometimes its hard but its all about having a tough mental attitude and applying yourself. Keep it up cause you never know if it will pay off.

[Kalypso]

College is an extention of highschool for specific fields. You're one sad person if you can't handle it.

It's not so much a matter of handling the workload, but handling the immense boredom on my end.

[DoublexxCyclone]

seriously take a one to two hour nap right when u get home. Wake up take a shower, and ur rejuvenated.

[Bounce]

rule 1- eat well, or at least eat (you get sick easier if you dont)

rule 2- GNC is your friend, burn 30 bucks on Ginko and Omega-3 pills, you'll notice the difference

rule 3- work hard, study hard, play hardest- focus on your task at hand, if your at work then work and if your at school .study, if your going to have fun and fuck around, do it. dont try to mix the 3.

good luck

[Khiempossible]

right so, 28 hours of school/week (http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/8366/year2semester1em0.png)
15 hours work. mondays 5-11, friday 1-4, sunday 2-6.

pussy is on saturday, +1 hour/night phone calls.

fighting game night is friday 4-11.

2nd year civil engineering degree.

I donno man. It's not that hard. Just stay organized and be really efficient. Don't procrastinate (like I am right now trolling these forums) and spend time on the bus doing homework (i.e. I did all my calc homework today in 90 minutes while travelling to and from work). stuff. I donno. just do it?

[Hwoarvang]

I take 16 credits with no job and I'm having trouble. Maybe I just have really really poor time skills. Procrastination is a full time job, be careful. X_X

[Dragon Punch]

On your days off sleep, pussy, and weed.

toss in booze and you have a winning combination. The work wont seem so bad when you have a great time friday and saturday.