<p>So, I've been fluctuating between the "do all/most of my work M-F and have laid-back weekends" and "catch up on everything over the weekend" modes of studying, and neither are working anymore. </p>
<p>A couple weeks ago, I did everything during the week and had such a blissfully relaxing weekend. This past week, I did hardly anything, but I wanted another dreamy weekend, so I kind of put stuff off and now I'm going to have a rough couple of days. (quiz at 8 am, quiz at 9am,conference at noon, stuff due later in the week; oh my. Haven't really prepared.)</p>
<p>So, how do you all balance this precarious issue? I'm clearly not content with the straight up version of either. What's a good compromise to help me stick to a solid plan? How do you guys buckle down and get your work done?</p>
<p>I buckle down by sitting in the school library and set a goal for each day. ie; Finish online quiz and start on project on Monday, start lab on Tuesday and do all I can until 6:00pm (or whatever time I feel like I should go home), etc.</p>
<p>I generally work 40 hours a week sooo I’ve been saving all my work for the weekend and don’t really have a fun weekend. But when I did have my weekdays free, I set a goal for myself every day in the library and wouldn’t leave until satisfied. I would have food breaks in between but that’s about it. This worked really well for me.</p>
<p>I also generally did school work Sunday through Thursday and left Fri & Sat to party/relax (unless I had to work during the week, then Fri is usually homework day and Sat is my one “off” day). I never really have a “set” plan because my work schedule fluctuates, my school workload fluctuates, and things just happen. So I plan on a week-by-week basis depending on the workload, my ECs, work schedule, intern activities, etc. </p>
<p>For me, getting a job really helped me out. It forced me to manage my time better. I was like, I need to get this quiz done before Monday because I’m working all day Tuesday. Sooo, try having some other responsibilities, if you do not already, to occupy your time?</p>
<p>Try to use your breaks between classes. Also, if you have late classes (start past 12) you can stay up late and work at night-or if you have early classes do your work in the afternoon.</p>
<p>Also, try and find a person to go to the library with you-if you make library dates with friends you are more obligated to keep them and do your homework.</p>
<p>Nice, practical tips! Thank you. I do have a job (only about ten hours a week between Wednesday and Thursday), and I find that I indeed slack off more on the days that I don’t work. I say “oh, I get out of class at 2:30 on Mondays, so I can get so ahead on homework!” but then it turns into “It’s only 5; I’ve got all night.”</p>
<p>And ah, I’m bordering on that myself, Wiscongene. Currently, I’m playing the “It’s late and I have an 8am and an hour drive in the morning so I’ll just get up early” game. </p>
<p>Anyone else temporarily quell their nerves by deciding to get up early to study/finish homework but then freak out when you do?</p>
<p>Getting up early to do work never worked for me… LOL. It takes so much willpower to not sleep in… I much prefer forcing myself to get stuff done after class, in the library, before going home (or back to my dorm when I dormed). Much easier then forcing yourself to wake up… Because you’re already awake! Haha</p>
<p>I can’t remember the last time I didn’t do homework/study on the weekend. I’ve got 21 credits of mostly science classes right now though, so I stay busy. I’m doing multiple honors projects too, so even when I don’t have homework I still basically have homework.</p>
<p>I tend not to get a lot of homework done during the week. I’ll work through some calculus or chemistry problems, review my physics notes etc, but I don’t really sit down and devote hours to studying during the week.</p>
<p>edit-The getting up early to finish homework isn’t even a question for me. I tend to sleep as late as I possibly can while still being on time for my classes. I do tend to stay up kind of late usually though.</p>
<p>If I have no tests or big assignments coming the following week, I can get away with it. Sometimes I only need one of the two days. But if I have tests and/or big papers due the following week, forget it. Then I can count on working all weekend (more than one test, assignment, or combination).</p>
<p>I like to work ahead as much as possible. If I find myself with a large amount of free time, often I’ll get a head start on the readings or if a class has weekly assignments with the readings, I’ll go through many weeks worth of readings and assignments in one sitting (highlighting important points as I go, of course). This clears off my schedule for when the larger projects start to roll in, so then all I have to focus on is completing those projects, instead of completing the projects AND the readings. This is how I create more free time for myself.</p>
<p>I still haven’t learned this. <em>sigh</em>
My week of cramming (3 tests and 1 presentation since last Wednesday) is now done. I have plans to do nothing tomorrow (no class). Actually I may apply to jobs, but nothing academic.
I swear I sit in the library all day twice a week, yet still can’t get ahead. w/e</p>
<p>And yeah, the semester I did a four day weekend was my worst since I did nothing on the off days. ^.^</p>
<p>I feel that balancing this skill/approach will forever be a work-in-progress. <em>sigh</em></p>
<p>And yeah, I agree that having days “off” from class can potentially be a bad thing. I don’t have any classes Tu/Th, but I work on Thursdays. I get waaay more done on Thursdays because I know that I “lost” a lot of my day, but on Tuesdays, I figure “oh, I’ve got all day; I’ll get it done.” </p>
<p>I only did about 2 hours of homework yesterday and am a 1/2 hour in today, so I really need to step it up. As always. But I have hope!</p>
<p>It’s very rare that I get a weekend all to myself. Usually there’s always some project that requires my attention. Having no homework on the weekends is a good goal to have, but you just have to be majorly disciplined during the week. Also its important to remember that “cramming” sessions really don’t do much to help you retain information. A little bit studying everyday is always preferable.</p>
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