Struggling to adjust to uni life :(

[Dejan]

Hey all, as you know it's the second week of uni and I have been having some trouble in adjusting to uni as I only find time to only do readings for the weeks and answer any questions for tutes. I know that is probably not the sufficient amount of work needed to get HD's which makes me so stressed and miserable about it all. I find it really difficult to have time for other activities such as making notes on my subjects and consistently practising Spanish as I am falling very behind in Spanish, etc. I feel as though I don't have as much time as I would like to is partly because of the travel time between my house and Monash, it usually takes about 1hr and 30 minutes and also once I get home, I am fairly tired and usually very hungry after a long drive and therefore, getting myself into the mood of studying will probably add another 30 minutes or more. Also, I like having 7-8 hours sleep which reduces possibility of staying up very late so I will okay to drive on the road safely and not a danger to other drivers. Just to add, I don't have a job. I have absolutely no idea how to make myself have more time and or even study with more effectiveness and efficiency. I will attach my timetable so you can understand the hours I am working with atm. Just to state, motivation is not an issue, I am actually more motivated than ever to do well. So having said all of that, I would appreciate if anyone can offer me any advice/tips/strategies on time management and efficiency in completing uni-related tasks. Thanks! Soz if this is poorly written and or structured!

[sjayne]

I'm in the same position atm. It takes me at least 1.5 hrs to get to melbuni and I have so many contact hours.
I feel so behind because I just don't have time to do everything

[hobbitle]

Hey all

Hi mate.  Uni time management is hard and your timetable isn't helping you!  I have the same sort of gap-filled timetable this semester too, and it's annoying.

Some ideas for you:

- Your commute is sucking up a shitload of time.  Some people choose to get the train instead of drive because at least it gives them 2 hours or so study time on the train instead of fighting traffic.  If this isn't an option for you, perhaps you can think about putting the audio from some lectures on your phone and listening to them in the car.  Even if it's a lecture you've already read, at least you are re-engaging yourself with the material.  In the car might also be a good time to practise your spanish, although that may require writing or flash cards so obviously not, in that case.

- Make use of those hour long gaps.  Go immediately to the place of your next class, or nearby, pull out the notes for the upcoming lecture (or the past one), revise, read.  Do some problems, whatever is appropriate for your subjects.... just make use of it.  Those 3 x 45 minutes sessions each day, whilst disjointed, add up to loads of study time.

- You could try packing some food for dinner and staying at uni until later - like 8pm.  Then, once you get home at 9-9.30pm, you can just relax and go to bed instead of trying to get into study mode, and you get a few hours study in at uni after your classes.

- Make the most of your Fridays off and dedicate at least one full day of the weekend to study as well.

I'm also really really struggling to fit stuff in (I also work and have a bunch of extracurricular stuff going on).... it's stressful, so I understand!

All the best, keep the motivation up.

[Dejan]

I'm in the same position atm. It takes me at least 1.5 hrs to get to melbuni and I have so many contact hours.
I feel so behind because I just don't have time to do everything

Tell me about it, literally my life right now and it sucks!

Hi mate.  Uni time management is hard and your timetable isn't helping you!  I have the same sort of gap-filled timetable this semester too, and it's annoying.

Some ideas for you:

- Your commute is sucking up a shitload of time.  Some people choose to get the train instead of drive because at least it gives them 2 hours or so study time on the train instead of fighting traffic.  If this isn't an option for you, perhaps you can think about putting the audio from some lectures on your phone and listening to them in the car.  Even if it's a lecture you've already read, at least you are re-engaging yourself with the material.  In the car might also be a good time to practise your spanish, although that may require writing or flash cards so obviously not, in that case.

- Make use of those hour long gaps.  Go immediately to the place of your next class, or nearby, pull out the notes for the upcoming lecture (or the past one), revise, read.  Do some problems, whatever is appropriate for your subjects.... just make use of it.  Those 3 x 45 minutes sessions each day, whilst disjointed, add up to loads of study time.

- You could try packing some food for dinner and staying at uni until later - like 8pm.  Then, once you get home at 9-9.30pm, you can just relax and go to bed instead of trying to get into study mode, and you get a few hours study in at uni after your classes.

- Make the most of your Fridays off and dedicate at least one full day of the weekend to study as well.

I'm also really really struggling to fit stuff in (I also work and have a bunch of extracurricular stuff going on).... it's stressful, so I understand!

All the best, keep the motivation up.

If I had an AUX cable then the listening to lectures in the car would be a fantastic idea so it would be worth investing in one. I was thinking about learning Spanish in the car via. CD's as there is really good resources out there for it. Thanks for the great suggestions, I appreciate it a lot. Good luck with your studies!