How can I still have a LIFE while attending university? ?

Question

I just started college and I feel like I don't have a life anymore. I have no time to do anything but study. I'm taking classes like Biology, Chemistry, Math, and Philosophy... I take 2-3 classes a day. I commute home and then I begin to study. It takes me the whole day to study for my first class and then I have no time to study for anything else.

For example, I studied Biology yesterday and it took me literally the whole day to read the chapter and make note cards.... I had no time to study for my math. I mean, I need to sleep!!!

Right now, I'm studying Philosophy (which is unfortunately required at my school) and I've been reading Theogony the whole day ... and it's IMPOSSIBLE. I can never memorize all of these names and who bore who and all of these stories. I still have to study for chemistry...and I haven't done that yet! = (

During high school, I used to study and then have time to go to the gym with my mom or to spend the evening with my brother. I don't have time for my own family...

Answer 1

dang sounds like you must multi task when you study

Turn off the TV ~~!!!

Answer 2

to me it sounds like you are studying too much....i mean reading a chapter and doing note cards on it??? there are more time efficient ways to study and to tell you the truth it gets easier after you take your first test in every class because then you know what to study. from my experience in undergrad studying lectures and taking notes in class was enough, i hardly ever read a book (and i was 3.75 GPA student) so my advice is to not freak out about it. set a time to study everyday...maybe 2 hours or so. and then still be normal. it only gets easier, once you figure it all out, it just might take time.

good luck and take it easy

Answer 3

First, slow down and take a deep breath. Second, go visit your campus's learning services office or academic excellence center and make an appointment with one of the staff members. They can show you strategies to be a more efficient learner.

It sounds like you may be spending your time on the wrong activities. While in high school you were expected to memorize a bunch of facts and then regurgitate these facts on tests and quizzes, in college you will be expected to demonstrate your understanding of concepts and be able to analyze them.

As a first year student, they are not going to expect you to understand everything you read in a chapter. You should read before class and mark your textbook judiciously. Flag anything you are not clear about. Then, when you go to class, the lecture or activities should help clarify the reading. If not, you can ask for more information when you are in class. For Bio, try a technique called SQ4R -- Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Record Notes, and Review. You can read more here http://www.kishwaukeecollege.edu/learnin...

Also, go see your professors during their office hours. I know it is scary at first, but faculty members love when you visit them. It shows that you are interested in their topic. Ask them, "What is the best way to study for your class?" You should get some great tips.  

Answer 4

Haha... oh to be a freshman again... Please God... never let it happen.

But seriously, it sounds to me like you need to schedule variety. Don't study one subject for more than 2 hours. It is useless! I know it sounds crazy... I took classes at Harvard Summer School when I was in high school and they taught us some study techniques that I went on to use in my later education, including time at MIT.

1. Set a goal for your studying, and include a reward for yourself. For example, tell yourself, if I complete this chapter of reading within the next hour, I will ..... play on the computer/watch tv/go jogging for 15 minutes. Give yourself a brain break for about 15 minutes doing something you love. It will motivate you to get it done, and if you don't get it done, move onto the next task.

2. Never ever ever ever ever ever ever EVER study a particular subject for more than 2 hours and never study for more than 3 hours in a row. After you have studied for that amount of time you have over strained your brain. You will not learn anything more. You are overloading your brain and it simply will not be able to continue learning. You are wasting your time and frustrating yourself. Every 2-3 hours take a 15-30 minute break doing something enjoyable or relaxing. You will find that by working over less time, your studying will be more effective and less stressful, making it easier to get things done faster!

3. Schedule a mix of things. Tell yourself, ok, from 2pm-3:30 I will study biology. From 3:30-5pm I will study Chemistry. When you complete something, try to make your goal within that activity's time frame. For example: Your goal is to make 50 flash cards based on your chemistry readings beginning at 2pm and ending by 3:15pm. If you succeed or even finish before your allotted time is up, go and relax and enjoy yourself until 3:30 and then begin on chemistry. Studying one subject all night is useless.

4. Don't be hard on yourself. The hardest thing to do is keep positive. Don't ever negative self-talk yourself. It makes it all worse and interferes with your ability to learn. Be the little engine... I think I can I think I can I think I can... and you will!

5. Don't sweat the small stuff. Did you really need to make note cards for EVERYTHING in biology? If there's something you read, and you get it, don't make the note-card. You get it already right? Don't waste your valuable time and resources on something you understand. While  note-cards are very valuable resources, sometimes they can also bog you down making them. Consider only making note-cards on the weekends, and focusing on just getting through the material on weekdays. As time goes on you will learn how to absorb material at superhuman speed much better and not need as many note-cards. If you teach yourself to learn by reading instead of by making note-cards and quizzing yourself to death you will save a lot of time.

6. Don't read every single teeny weeny word. ESPECIALLY in a class like philosophy. Learn to scan for keywords. Read the first and last sentences of each paragraph word for word to get the gist of the paragraph, scan - this means let your eyes run over the words but don't specifically slow down to actually absorb each one - and look for important things like names or key terms. Read the first and last paragraphs of each chapter word for word. You'll be surprised... you will get 90% of the content by doing this. Authors want their books to be long and important! So they stuff a lot of fluff in them. Take the key components and ideas from each reading, and stuff the fluff where the sun don't shine.

These are all difficult to do and learn, you won't do it overnight. Begin by strictly scheduling yourself to not allow yourself to brain drain. Make sure on weekends you schedule several hours of "me" and family time. If you totally hate school for taking over your life, your grudge will get in the way and make it an even slower process because the whole time you'll be thinking "man... I could be doing _____ right now!"

Most of all, keep positive. Freshman year is tough to adjust to, especially with a course load like that. Whoever made you take Bio, Chem and Math at once is eeeeevvvviiilll!!! Are you at MIT? lol. It's tough, best of luck, the first semester is the hardest to get used to, but you'll make it through! Once you can set ATTAINABLE goals for yourself so that you feel like you're really achieving something, you will feel a million times better.

I hope this helped!

Answer 5

welcome to college! it sounds like you are doing what you need to do to be successful. Keep it up and do what you have to do during the week so that you can spend time with your family on the weekends. Realize that you're in college and this is how it goes. You have the advantage because you can commute and see your family. Some people don't. Don't forget that college is a sacrifice and you have the holidays to look forward to. That makes them extra special!