Argh, how do you college people get things done?

[NJPaint]

Washington University in St. Louis flew me out to their campus for a visit, Thursday to Sunday. This is one of the top universities in the country and the classes were great. But damn... I've gotten 3 and a half hours of sleep 3 nights in a row. Throw in paintball, maybe tennis, and a few classes, I don't think I could get any busier. How the heck do you find that balance?

[Mango]

College teaches you all kinds of great things, however one of the most important things it teaches you is Time Management. Figure that for every 3 credit hour class you take which meets twice a week, you will do about 2 hours of homework for that class. If you take 5 classes thats quite a bit of time. Also if you are involved in any sports your schedule will be even more packed.

Lack of sleep is what effects most college students the most. It is a shame because sleep is such an important component of health and being sleep deprived can effect mental focus and performance up to 33%.

[NJPaint]

Sleep deprivation isn't hard for me. I regularly get under 5 hours of sleep and function normally (well, what is normal for me at least). My main thing was, there was sooo much that I wanted to do that I had to go to sleep that late to get as much done as I could. Granted, you can't party every night, and I consider myself to be a somewhat disciplined individual, but damn I guess some things have got to go .

[Emily]

I didn't go to a big university but that didn't change the amount of classes or homework. I took 5 classes a semester with atleast 2 hours of homework. Some classes had no homework (basic computer classes). On top of classes, I have 3 kids and worked a part time job plus have a boyfriend to spend time with also. How did I manage my time? Weekends were catch up for homework and housework. Sunday night, I did my homework for Monday's classes and Monday I did my homework for Tuesday's classes and so on and so forth.

Ok here was my day....
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 3 classes,1 hour each, 2 hours of homework (I took my hardest classes on these days--shorter class time). Classes started at 9am, I also made sure I got a break in between those classes becasue I knew I could do some homework and not be tempted to do other stuff. After school, I went to work and worked until 6. My job was an hour from my house so I got home at around 7, The kids were already feed supper, so all I had left to do was get them in the tub and then to bed. They also knew I had tons of homework so they pretty much left me alone. I did my "easiest" homework while they were still up. After they went to bed, I did the rest of my homework.

Tuesday, Thrusday: 2 classes, 2 hours of homework (usually had a "freebee" classes). A freebee class for me was a class that was easy for me and required less of my time to complete the homework, ie computer classes, algerba classes (funny tho I majored in accounting), business math, music, etc. Pretty much the same as above.

My boyfriend and I didn't see each other that much during this time. Considering we live 5 hrs apart and he was busy with things in his life that was improving his life just like i was with school, this worked for us. I believe was saw each other year of college 4 times. That was hard but it worked for us because we were getting done what we had to do in order to make our lives together better for the future. The kids learned that sometime you have to give up things in order to make your life better and they did very well with it. They also learned that homework and education was very improtant seeing mom doing it all first hand, just like them. They also learned some of the stuff I was having ot learn becasue they would test me when I had a test the next day. I know for a fact that my 7 yr old could have passed that music class with an A. It was more of a memorizing class than anything else (I hated that class-- Ask Enigma4you about the teacher --she was/is a freak).

Learn to manage your time and DON'T put anything above your education. You'll have plenty of time after college to do other things.

[Miscue]

Washington University in St. Louis flew me out to their campus for a visit, Thursday to Sunday. This is one of the top universities in the country and the classes were great. But damn... I've gotten 3 and a half hours of sleep 3 nights in a row. Throw in paintball, maybe tennis, and a few classes, I don't think I could get any busier. How the heck do you find that balance?

Simple, I didn't go to class. And, if I could completely skip a project or assignment and I still would pass - I wouldn't waste time working on it, I'd rather sleep. There were several classes that I literally showed up to maybe 5 times the whole semester. I showed up to the wrong final once, I was wondering why the test was so easy and then I realized I was taking an astronomy test instead of engineering physics. With primarily engineering/CS, science, and math classes, this can be done because they don't care if you show up.

I found it more important to sleep. I had some instances where I almost fell asleep at the wheel, and after that I decided nothing was worth an accident or killing myself or someone else - so I skip class all the time and show up when I feel like it if I do at all.

If I have the exact same diploma as someone who went to every class... who's the dumb one here? Class is usuallly a waste of time - I find 80% of higher education to be a complete joke... and an irritation... only 20% of it was worth the tuition.

[dansim]

Myman...
*slaps cue 5*

[graycie]

i was living miscue's plan for the beginning of my college years, but i wasn't so successful at it - it also didn't help that the semesters were only 10 weeks long. now that i'm a bit older and hopefully wiser i take it a little more seriously since the plan is focusing on graduation eventually. one of the first things they taught us in university seminar freshman year is the "balance", between work/career, school, and social- it is possible to do it all but not at equal level/time for each.

[Fred]

one thing that's completely whack that they try to drill into your skull in high school these days is that you NEED a college degree...
after spending 5 years in college, and getting a Masters degree... shove it, if you want to be an engineer or office type professional, you might need it, but skilled trades are in VERY high demand, because no one is learning that stuff anymore.

Had I known about that option I might not have spent around 125k the last 5 years... and I'd me making 40k+ a year already...


But, to answer your question... Sleep is overrated, most classes are overrated, most professors are too stupid to succeed in their field in the real world, and the few that aren't are the ones trying to force you into some skewed political ideology that is completely irrelevant to the course description...

12-15 credit hours per term is plenty... I've averaged 17-18, and that sucks...

and remember, if a hard course is not required, DO NOT TAKE IT. it doesn't matter if you tested in, don't give yourself any extra work... I took calc and didnt need it.. BIG MISTAKE... 4 credits of C that totally screwed my GPA first year.

---Fred

[Miscue]

one thing that's completely whack that they try to drill into your skull in high school these days is that you NEED a college degree...
after spending 5 years in college, and getting a Masters degree... shove it, if you want to be an engineer or office type professional, you might need it, but skilled trades are in VERY high demand, because no one is learning that stuff anymore.

Had I known about that option I might not have spent around 125k the last 5 years... and I'd me making 40k+ a year already...


But, to answer your question... Sleep is overrated, most classes are overrated, most professors are too stupid to succeed in their field in the real world, and the few that aren't are the ones trying to force you into some skewed political ideology that is completely irrelevant to the course description...

12-15 credit hours per term is plenty... I've averaged 17-18, and that sucks...

and remember, if a hard course is not required, DO NOT TAKE IT. it doesn't matter if you tested in, don't give yourself any extra work... I took calc and didnt need it.. BIG MISTAKE... 4 credits of C that totally screwed my GPA first year.

---Fred

My grades were kinda funny. Calc I = A. Calc II = A. Numerical Analysis = B. Intro to MIS = F. Electrical engineering 101 = A. Public Relations = D. Internet Programming = B. Intro to Web Design = D I refused to use DreamWeaver - I asked why I had to use that, when I could write my pages in objective PERL.

I graduated with a 2.3, and it has made absolutely no difference in my life. A 4.0 would have been a waste of time and effort. I don't remember last time I was asked my GPA on an employment application. Getting my masters - maintaining a 3.5 about, and eventually will get a PhD I think... GPA for undergrad made no difference.

[Koosh]

My grades were kinda funny. Calc I = A. Calc II = A. Numerical Analysis = B. Intro to MIS = F. Electrical engineering 101 = A. Public Relations = D. Internet Programming = B. Intro to Web Design = D

I graduated with a 2.3, and it has made absolutely no difference in my life. A 4.0 would have been a waste of time and effort. I don't remember last time I was asked my GPA on an employment application. Getting my masters - maintaining a 3.5 about, and eventually will get a PhD I think... GPA for undergrad made no difference.

Thank you miscue...

I have a 2.3 right now (sophomore at Colorado State) and while I'm going to try and get that up, I guess it won't become my all consuming passion.

[NJPaint]

Heh, I met a guy that looks exactly like you Miscue at a sigma nu party . I was going to ask if he knew AO, but decided not to because I would look like too much of a geek :-D

[Miscue]

Thank you miscue...

I have a 2.3 right now (sophomore at Colorado State) and while I'm going to try and get that up, I guess it won't become my all consuming passion.

Hehe, it only needs to be high enough to get into grad school if you're going to do that. I remember someone in high school, who was valedictorian - she was really snotty and thought she was smarter than everyone, treated people down. She went to UCLA - not on a full ride... she could have went to the local university for free, cuz the state gives full scholarship to valedictorians. I meet her again after she graduates, and she's about crying to me because she can't get a job, doesn't know what to do with her life, and she is in debt big time. She spent all that money on a psychology degree... and I'm thinking to myself... WTF did you expect? Now she's going to same school I went to because she could not afford UCLA anymore, going for more school in her useless degree last I heard (unless she gets a PhD at least).

In a way, I feel bad for her. But another part of me wants to burst out with: BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAHHHAA!

You ever hear about how A students work for C students?

[BobTheCow]

You ever hear about how A students work for C students?

Rock on, there IS hope!!

[gimp]

I look at school like it's a job. I usually spend a minimum of 8 hours a day in class, or doing work. Most of my classes start at 9, and I dont stop working till around 8ish. I dont waste my time during the day. I do my work during the day. Someone said it earlier. The key to college is time management. I'm at a nerd school. I have no life. Nobody else does either. I get plenty of sleep. I go to bed at like 10:30 every night. That is all for weeknights. I generally dont do hw on the weekend. I might do stuff sunday night because I didn't do it on friday. I'm also taking 5 classes, as opposed to the normal 4. In my opinion, if you arent an engineer, then your degree is worthless. I get into arguments over that all the time. You have to make a choice when you go to school. You need to choose wether you paid 40k a year for partying, or for an education. If your like me, and you have to pay for it. Then you'll realize why your there, and you'll get plenty of sleep.

/end rant about how rpi sucks.

[alkafluence]

You ever hear about how A students work for C students?

It's a quote by Al McGuire. Something to the vein of the fact that the world is run by "C" students.