Early Semester Burnout Forum

[blerg]

I managed to make it through last semester & finals without major burnout, but all of a sudden it's hitting me hard.

Tips? Tricks?


Motivate me please!

[BarbellDreams]

Take a day entirely off. Do something fun, waste time with video games and movies. Make sure you're not going too hard for the next 2-4 weeks. There is a point where studying becomes counter-productive, I almost hit it last semester and thankfully held back. I think everyone needs a cut off time (mine is 9 p.m.), no matter what I stop working at 9 p.m. (unless a writing assignment is due the next day). It seems to work well and still gives me a couple of hours to relax before bed.

[random5483]

The above posters comments (about taking a day off) is likely a good one. Don't study/work too hard this early in the semester. The bulk of the useful studying consists of multiple choice and essay practice problems/tests. You really cannot achieve much by studying a lot this early in the semester (in most classes).

Do your reading, outline if you need to, but avoid spending hours on studying unless you need to (ex. trouble understanding a concept). You want to be fresh and ready to kick your studying into high gear in about 1-1.5 months and you will have to maintain that place through finals. Going into the pre-finals study period (the 1-1.5 months before finals) burnt out will kill your grades. Not studying now will have minimal impact on your grades.

For perspective, I spend 2-4 hours a day, 5 days a week reading / studying right now. I spend some additional time on job search/interview/networking related activities. I make sure I spend some time every week watching tv or socializing. Cramming this early in the semester is counter-productive.

[uzpakalis]

I am sticking with that same game plan I had last semester. I like to front load my studying so that I have time in the middle of the semester (around spring break) to review my outlines and see the big picture. This allows me to 1) focus on my weaknesses, 2) create a game plan for attacking each final, and 3) have extra time at the end of the semester to focus strictly on finals prep.

Many of my peers struggle to get their outlines done until a day or 2 before finals. Many will also not complete all of the assigned readings until the last day of class. I prefer to push through the syllabus on my own. Skim the required cases and read ahead in the supplements. I took Arrow's advice to heart when he said that he had almost all of his required readings done 1 month prior to the end of the semester.

I know getting back into the swing of things sucks after a long break, but I think now is the perfect time to get ahead! You will not burn out at the end of the semester, especially because of spring break, and all of the do or die energy running through your body around finals, IMHO.

[LogosEther]

You will not burn out at the end of the semester, especially because of spring break, and all of the do or die energy running through your body around finals, IMHO.

This.

I'm totally burning out, too. I think it's because I worked hard last semester and now I know that the real learning happens in the second half of the semester in self-study. So it feels pointless right now... When finals come up, I don't have the urge to slack because my work feels directly tied to finals and grades. Right now, it doesn't.

[DeSimone]

I'm finding myself in op's situation. Great advice.

[berkeleykel06]

I am sticking with that same game plan I had last semester. I like to front load my studying so that I have time in the middle of the semester (around spring break) to review my outlines and see the big picture. This allows me to 1) focus on my weaknesses, 2) create a game plan for attacking each final, and 3) have extra time at the end of the semester to focus strictly on finals prep.

Many of my peers struggle to get their outlines done until a day or 2 before finals. Many will also not complete all of the assigned readings until the last day of class. I prefer to push through the syllabus on my own. Skim the required cases and read ahead in the supplements. I took Arrow's advice to heart when he said that he had almost all of his required readings done 1 month prior to the end of the semester.

I know getting back into the swing of things sucks after a long break, but I think now is the perfect time to get ahead! You will not burn out at the end of the semester, especially because of spring break, and all of the do or die energy running through your body around finals, IMHO.

Geez that sounds depressing. I really hope you're well within the top 5% for all that effort to be worth it.

[jchoggan]

I am sticking with that same game plan I had last semester. I like to front load my studying so that I have time in the middle of the semester (around spring break) to review my outlines and see the big picture. This allows me to 1) focus on my weaknesses, 2) create a game plan for attacking each final, and 3) have extra time at the end of the semester to focus strictly on finals prep.

Many of my peers struggle to get their outlines done until a day or 2 before finals. Many will also not complete all of the assigned readings until the last day of class. I prefer to push through the syllabus on my own. Skim the required cases and read ahead in the supplements. I took Arrow's advice to heart when he said that he had almost all of his required readings done 1 month prior to the end of the semester.

I know getting back into the swing of things sucks after a long break, but I think now is the perfect time to get ahead! You will not burn out at the end of the semester, especially because of spring break, and all of the do or die energy running through your body around finals, IMHO.

Geez that sounds depressing. I really hope you're well within the top 5% for all that effort to be worth it.

No joke. I'm lucky to read approximately 1/3rd of the assignments at all anymore, much less all of them a month before finals. Of course, I'm a single dad working full time and already have SA gigs lined up, so my head's not much in it anyway.

Good on you, though. Sounds like you could probably afford to ease up on your strategy a bit. Sometimes it's better to work smarter, not harder.