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Like, whenever I hear about college kids, they say that they don't even have the time to cook, hang out, etc and that's kinda scaring me O_O Is college that busy?
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Are college kids that busy?
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21 Replies
Reply by Clouded By Wonders
posted
(ok so take this all with a grain of salt cuz im only just finished my first semester of freshman year BUT-)
I go to a relatively small uni (bigger than community college and well funded because it has so many online students) and i've just finished my first semester and honestly it's not that awful. I thought it was going to be worse than it is. it was kind of torture this past week cuz i procrastinated so much before finals week but other than that its been great tbh.
The cooking thing has to do with either not having funds to do so or not having the energy and willpower just from being drained so much from the work, i think. I do have time to hang out with my friends (especially the ones who go to the same uni as i do cuz they have p similar schedules to me)
I think that it's going to get more busy for me but even so i don't think its going to be so bad that i can't have a personal life. i have hobbies and such and spend time doing other things. it also depends ur major tho. like if ur going to med school thats going to be very different from my experience (edu major).
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Reply by EngiQu33ring
posted
It gets busier the further along you get because the material gets progressively more complex and takes more time to understand. My first year I had a lot of free time, but I spent about 90% of my time focused on classes my last semester. The difference between your first and last semester is that in your first you have a favorite class and in your last you have a favorite chair in the library.
Reply by planetfynn
posted
it def can be. i only take 2 classes a semester and even then the semester can get really busy. a lot of students also have jobs, and between school, work, and sleep there's not always a ton of hours in the day, which can make it hard to find time to socialize and do hobbies. BUT it wasn't always awful. having good time management can help (i'm not the best at it, but it helps)
i know for me personally i know taking 2 classes a semester will lengthen the time it takes to get my degree by... a lot, but all in all it's what won't overwhelm me as much and is better on my mental health
Reply by RobinBlueRose
posted
Depends on your major. I had nap breaks during my day and played DND with my friends on some of my week nights.
Reply by Nashoba
posted
updated
Depends on a lot, really.
If you're working or have family obligations, you're gonna be pretty busy. Also if you have a long commute, join a lot of extra-curriculars, are in a sorority or frat, are taking a high courseload (since you choose how many classes you take each semester and what they are) or a courseload that you need to do a lot of studying or get tutoring for, those are all gonna eat up time. On top of that, you need time to get from place to place, eat, rest, and sort out priority concerns like apartment maintenance, car trouble, taking care of pets...
The rule profs have given me is "for every hour of in-class time, you're meant to be doing classwork/studying for 2 hours." I don't follow this rule, lol. But it's a common expectation, and it shows a big point:
The big difference from high school to uni is that there is no way to possibly get all your work done in the class session and then have time outside of class to yourself. You go to the class session, but outside of class you also will be reading and watching class materials & working on assignments. If you're someone who's never studied b/c you didn't need to, or you never had to do homework at home b/c you finished it in class, that's over.
There's no class time given for you to work on stuff, you're expected to have read the assigned stuff before you show up that day and then lecture/discussion will happen and you go home and do the assignment(s) and read the next assigned stuff. It's a trade-off where you're not at school for 7 hours like in HS and you choose when/what/where your classes are, but now all your former free time is going to be greatly taken up by uni stuff where before it wasn't.
That said, you'll be okay. It's a matter of getting into the rhythm of it. Also, learning how to pace yourself. I only take 3 classes a semester, which makes my degree go by slow even with taking summer class, but I never get overwhelmed or lose my free time the way I would if I took a "full" courseload.
Reply by Milan Vosáhlo
posted
As a cybernetics graduate, some weeks in 2nd grade I'd spend 100+ hours in university, even slept there. It was partially voluntary though, working on cool projects with PhD students and teachers.
It depends on what you want from university, if you just want a degree, find something easy, but if you want it to have real impact in your life, you gotta put the work in. Consider it an investment.
Reply by Eiffel Beddow
posted
It depends on how many credits you need to satisfy per semester. My next semester is like five classes. But it depends on how content heavy they are
Also depends on your major
I'm usually not busy though but I'm just doing an associates in science
Reply by meredith
posted
depends on what you’re doing and like... how serious you wanna be about it, tbh. I feel a little silly replying cuz a lot of ppl in this thread have super serious majors and i’m coming from an art school perspective studying graphic design lol.
I definitely agree it takes up more of your time as you continue schooling, I’m a 3rd year student right now and I don’t ever feel caught up. However, I always make sure to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night and to eat right. Otherwise all the other things just feel worse. Late assignments will not kill you, and if you sleep right, you can peacefully accept that. Definitely make time to see your friends occasionally and do something you like, otherwise you’ll get burnt out and whatever you’re learning in school will just bring you down instead of inspire you.
Def look into your options of how many classes and what types of classes u can handle each semester. It can keep you busy but you decide how busy! It’s great cuz it’s your choice!!
Reply by Nyx Varlett
posted
It really depends on your major and the type of work you do. Down the line the work load becomes heavier which means more time to study and understand and put effort into your work because you want decent work to show for from university for your future jobs. So yes it can be extremely time consuming to the point you might not have time for decent needs and it can be mentally draining so the stigma is sorta true and for a reason too.
Reply by Fae Falcon
posted
As long as you have decent time management you can find the time to do things outside of school. You won't have as much freetime as you once did but you can still find it or carve it into your schedule.
Reply by Fae Falcon
posted
As long as you have decent time management you can find the time to do things outside of school. You won't have as much freetime as you once did but you can still find it or carve it into your schedule.
Reply by neeco :0
posted
im gonna b real man from a first year resitter it can get stupid busy depending on what ur studying, like im doin psychology and thus its a stem subject and sometimes im fighting for my life LMFAO
Reply by fabi ♡
posted
just depends on what your major is... im an English major first year and me and my friends don't do much besides write essays...my bio major friend stays at school studying until 10pm, but my friend in engineering doesn't have much school work either.
Reply by thegneurshk
posted
Really depends on what your major is and what kinds of classes you're taking. I've had terms with a lot of free time, and others with barely any. Things like labs, especially full reports, tend to take up a lot of time. Pretty much every course requires some time commitment outside of scheduled class time. Some more than others because of how they're taught. Sleep and making sure you have time to do thinks like cook and stay clean are more important than overworking yourself every day. If you need a break, don't be afraid to take one, but also don't take too long or you'll fall behind too much to catch up. It's totally ok to lighten your course load and take a bit longer in your degree if that's possible for you.
Reply by thegneurshk
posted
Really depends on what your major is and what kinds of classes you're taking. I've had terms with a lot of free time, and others with barely any. Things like labs, especially full reports, tend to take up a lot of time. Pretty much every course requires some time commitment outside of scheduled class time. Some more than others because of how they're taught. Sleep and making sure you have time to do thinks like cook and stay clean are more important than overworking yourself every day. If you need a break, don't be afraid to take one, but also don't take too long or you'll fall behind too much to catch up. It's totally ok to lighten your course load and take a bit longer in your degree if that's possible for you.
Reply by Shawn.DUH
posted
Depends on your major.
Do you have a job?
Do you have children (Yes some people have babies in High school)?
Do you have sick elderly parent?
It all depends on your situation.
Medical students usually have it the worst.
Reply by Nuclear Taco
posted
As a second year in college, it really depends. The more rigorous majors like Medical require more dedication whereas mine (Digital Design) requires a little less studying. It also depends on study habits, having efficient study habits and getting things done quickly can leave you a bit more free time for personal life.
If your commute is far, expect less time for yourself and more time for work unless you can space out your work well.
Reply by Emerald Skull
posted
updated
Even though I'm a fairly recent full time college student, though I did take some college classes when I was high school. It depends on your major, the type of college your going to, and your broader life circumstances. Medical and STEM majors are busy af. I'm a music major and depending on how I structure things in my major I can be VERY busy. I think that also going to a college/university that specializes in a certain area will also make you a bit busier. My best friend goes to art school and that man stays booked and busy. However, if you need to work, take care of a family member, are in a lot of clubs/sports, or even have to commute a good distance for school that will probably eat a lot more of your time up than you think. The key with college is to make a good schedule for yourself and stick to it. An all nighter and snacks are fine every once in a while but a full night's rest and not skipping meals will do wonders for your stress levels and your ability to actually get work done on time too. Then just showing up to classes, and when you do need it, ask for help. I can almost guarantee there will be some sort of resource available. Even if it's just talking to your prof during office hours. I know family/societal pressure is tough to deal with in college but having a passion for what you're studying and external motivation really does help you get through it.
Reply by smileyacr
posted
yeah, im abt to finish my junior year and have no time for anything, especially cooking. I also just have zero motivation to cook so I just rely on uber eats or pizza tho im a dance major and my school decided to make most of my classes worth 0-1 credits so I end up with 6-8 classes a semester so it may just be me
Reply by xLoveSupreme
posted
updated
Absolutely. I am a 5th year uni student paying my own way through college with loans, working (maybe a bit more than i should), and grants from the school for participating in research.
plus this coming semester's required internship @_@ if i'm not studying, eating, or working, i'm sleeping.
it was a lot easier in the beginning, though! enjoy the early years while u can
Reply by edric
posted
depends 100% on the major and school, some majors have crazy work loads then u have communicatons lol