(no subject)

[bedlamsbard]

Looking at my tentative schedule for next year (I don't register till July) kind of makes me want to shoot myself in the head. This would be a lot easier if the classes I need for my majors didn't conflict with each other, my Air Force ROTC classes, all the honors classes I'm qualified for, and the classes I'm required to take to graduate!

It doesn't help that some of the classes aren't scheduled yet, so I don't know if they conflict or not. It also doesn't help that said class would be my AFROTC class, the one class that I absolutely hae to take.

...there is a possibility that, looking at my schedule right now, I have more classes than I'm actually allowed to take. Also, no lunch. Ever. Oh, great, something else to stress me out. I always save a couple of nervous breakdowns per year for scheduling; looks like there are some good ones coming up this year!

Comments

[limmenel.livejournal.com]

Woah, woah, relax. Your first year of university shouldn't be so stressful. Especially the first semester. Take 15 hours, and that's it. Don't worry about falling behind, you can always make a class up later, but burning out your first year will do you NO GOOD. And don't worry about conflicting schedules... if a class doesn't work, you just take it next semester. Take at least one "bird" class, something fun that you'll enjoy going to. And don't worry about missing lunch, most profs don't care if you have a sandwhich during the lecture.

[bedlamsbard.livejournal.com]

Well, the thing is that there are required classes I have to take for the school and for AFROTC. (Obviously, my AFROTC class is one of those; unfortunately, they don't have the schedule for the class up yet.) And in order to graduate on time (and I'm pretty sure the Air Force will come and kill me if I don't) with my double-major, then I have to take one English class and one Physics class each semester. And a couple of these classes come with labs, so they're more time intensive than just regular lectures (physics and afrotc).

I know, I know, I sound like I'm making excuses...it's just that I have to take certain classes for the core curriculum, certain classes for my majors, and certain classes to stay in the Honors program. Not to mention for the Air Force.

[limmenel.livejournal.com]

It honestly sounds like you have too much on your plate, and I'm worried that you're going to burn out, or that you're going to regret college because you'll be working too hard to enjoy it. Uni needs to be four years of enjoying yourself and growing into the person you want to be as an adult, not working yourself to death.

[bedlamsbard.livejournal.com]

You're probably right, but...we'll see.

[scarletts-awry.livejournal.com]

Everything that limmenel said. My first semester at UF I took four classes. The only semester I took more credits than technically allowed was my very last semester, and that was hell. You do not need to do that to yourself your first semester in college. You are going to need time to adjust because life will be different. It's not the end of the world if you have scheduling conflicts--and I promise you're not the only person it happens to. All you do is shift around what semester you take what class, and start a good relationship with an advisor.

And it varies, but yeah, most professors don't mind if someone eats during class as long as they're not Distracting about it.

[bedlamsbard.livejournal.com]

I am very paranoid. It's not one of my endearing traits. *sigh* Some of the trouble is because of university requirements -- I have to take a TIDES class (Tulane Interdisciplinary Experiences), I'm planning on double-majoring, I have to take a foreign language for multiple reasons (one of which is that my relatives will kill me if I don't learn Japanese), and I have to take AFROTC. I also have to take Calc II before I forget how to do math entirely; I hear math is kind of important for a physics major. And I'd really like to do marching band.

[scarletts-awry.livejournal.com]

Trust me, I understand being paranoid, and I understand wanting to do Everything and do it Perfectly. That was the song and dance of my life until I burned out about two and a half years ago. (I will be upfront and say that my chemical imbalance was a contributing factor, though.) I'm not saying that you will necessarily burn out if you keep doing Everything Perfectly, but it sounds like you do have an awful lot going on. I'm not going to tell you how much you can handle, because that's a question only you can answer. I am going to tell you to remember to be kind to yourself. (I don't think I would have burned out if I had been able to be kind to myself.)

This is something I wish I had done when I was your age: I think you need to sit down and very calmly, very pragmatically prioritize everything. Not just classes, but life stuff in general. You need to know if something's got to give--and sooner or later something will, I think that's a fact of life that happens to everyone no matter how much or how little they put on their plate--you need to know if something's got to give, what you want it to be. In other words, you need to know what you can and cannot let go of. It's not an easy question, and it's one that only *you* can answer.

Try to take an honest look at what you value most in your life, both as your living it right now and as you want to live it in the future. And please, remember to be kind to yourself.

[bedlamsbard.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

I know what it's like to burn out -- hi, that was my junior year of high school, the year of three AP classes (all three of them widely considered to be the hardest in the school), three private music lessons on three different instruments, four musical groups (five if you count pep band), and, oh yes, the year that my best friend decided she hated my guts and has still not told me why (sorry, bitterness is bad, bitterness is bad) -- and I'd really like to not do it again.

But...yes. I see where you're coming from, and I understand. *tired*

[scarletts-awry.livejournal.com]

Oof. I'm sorry that happened your junior year, but I find it a little reassuring that you should know the warning signs then. And I'm sorry if I've overstepped; you didn't ask me to come in here and dispense advice. :-)

[bedlamsbard.livejournal.com]

Oh, no, I'm happy to take advice! I'm more than happy to take advice. Dispense away. I'm a couple of days away from making a journal-wide request for advice anyway. (And it's not like I didn't, you know, post this on a public journal or anything.)