How to study at uni? as in manage time/work.

  • Thread starter Thread starter alias25
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Study Uni
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around strategies for managing time and workload at university, particularly in the context of handling multiple modules with varying demands. Participants share their experiences and approaches to studying, note-taking, and organizing their schedules amidst the challenges of university life.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses feeling overwhelmed by the volume of notes and content across six modules, particularly in the Planet Earth module, and questions whether to focus on lectures and postpone deeper study until closer to exams.
  • Another participant suggests creating a timetable to manage study time, acknowledging the difficulty of adhering to it but emphasizing the importance of organization and possibly forming study groups.
  • Some participants critique the practice of taking extensive notes during lectures, suggesting that it may detract from comprehension, with one stating that two pages of notes per lecture is sufficient.
  • There are differing opinions on the necessity of taking notes during lectures versus relying on textbooks for later study, with some advocating for listening during lectures and writing notes afterward.
  • One participant humorously remarks on the overwhelming nature of studying but reassures that adaptation is possible over time.
  • Another participant emphasizes the importance of starting assignments early and focusing on understanding key concepts rather than memorizing everything.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share similar feelings of being overwhelmed, but there are competing views on the effectiveness of different note-taking strategies and study approaches. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best methods for managing study time and workload.

Contextual Notes

Some participants mention specific challenges related to the volume of material and the format of lectures, indicating that their strategies may depend on individual learning styles and course structures.

Who May Find This Useful

Students facing similar challenges in managing their time and workload at university, particularly in STEM fields with heavy lecture content and multiple modules.

alias25
Messages
197
Reaction score
0
basically i think I am drowning...i just don't seem to have time to read through all the notes given by lecturers, they speed through in lectures, 6 modules, (although computing and lab isn't too bad). But Planet Earth module has tonnes and tonnes for each lecture.??! and for cosolmology there's no given notes...just lecture slides and we have to take notes (personally i don't think it's enough, seems like we've hardly done anything compared to the other modules). I wanted to do some extra excercises from textbook, i don't have time for that though.
should i just go along with it...just go to the lectures take notes(try and understand), and leave it unitill a week or so before exams?

how do i organise, how do you/did you organise your time, work etc?
help?
thanks, bel
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I have a similar problems. They way how I try to deal with it is to make a timetable and try to follow is as colsely as possible. Yes I admit that its impossible for me to stick to it exactly, but I do try to be as close as possible. And my lectures are similar to yours. Mostly modules and powerpoint presentations. I take notes like hell - sometimes like 10 pages per class. Then when I'm on a break or at home, i try to organize my notes (and my thoughts) with assistance from the textbook and online resources. A study group will also help a lot (for the high volume of notes).
there's not much you can do, just take it as it comes and play along. You'll have to scarifice certain things to make extra time.
 
10 pages per class?? Maybe you're spending too much of your attention writing notes instead of focusing on what was said. I take at most 2 pages of notes per lecture (1 hour each) and it seems like more than enough.
 
eep said:
10 pages per class?? Maybe you're spending too much of your attention writing notes instead of focusing on what was said. I take at most 2 pages of notes per lecture (1 hour each) and it seems like more than enough.

Yeah, true. I'd say 3-4 pages should be the absolute maximum for one hour.

In fact, if the course comes with a textbook, I don't even write notes at all. I just sit back and listen. I write notes later while reading the textbook. It's more organized that way.
 
Studying? What on Earth is that? :pj/k. I study LOTS. Sometimes it can seem overwhelming but you will adapt.
 
Yeah, by 2 pages I meant front and back. I find it important to take notes directly from lecture, especially now in my upper-division classes, because some of my teachers hardly follow the book at all. I guess my best advice is to start everything early. Reading the textbook before lecture can help make the lectures much more useful, and starting homework on monday when it's due on friday gives you a chance to get help if you need it. Also, don't try and memorize absolutely everything. Try and remember only what is absolutely necessary, and then you can derive everything else as needed. I find that trying to derive the formula on my own allows me to actually remember them, or acquire them very quickly.
 
alias25 said:
basically i think I am drowning...i just don't seem to have time to read through all the notes given by lecturers, they speed through in lectures, 6 modules, (although computing and lab isn't too bad). But Planet Earth module has tonnes and tonnes for each lecture.??! and for cosolmology there's no given notes...just lecture slides and we have to take notes (personally i don't think it's enough, seems like we've hardly done anything compared to the other modules). I wanted to do some extra excercises from textbook, i don't have time for that though.
should i just go along with it...just go to the lectures take notes(try and understand), and leave it unitill a week or so before exams?

how do i organise, how do you/did you organise your time, work etc?
help?
thanks, bel


I have the exact same problem.:frown:
 
And by 10 pages I mean front and back (3.5 hrs lecture) :biggrin:
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
Replies
32
Views
13K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K
Replies
22
Views
3K
Replies
4
Views
4K
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
3K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
21
Views
3K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K