Navigating a Busy College Schedule: My Experience and Tips

[brunopinto90]

Hey guys,

I have something to say, is not a question, i just want some guidelines about me college experience.

Here is some background info:

Currently, i am working 40 hours a week (Monday-Friday) and lectures in
college at night (Electric Engineering), 18 hours a week with 4 subjects: Multivariable Calculus,
Linear Algebra, Probability and Stats, Physics I.

I am doing fine, i got decent grades, i actually don´t care about grades, but rather the learning
experience.
Now, there is just too much to learn. Some material i understand, others i merely memorize facts and don´t think much about it.

I`m in college for the experience and the joy of learning, something i am not enjoying it, studying just for the grade and not actually
enjoying and learn the materiel.

Because i don´t learn the first time, i keep constantly checking my notes to do the exercises.

I am planning on sutyding the material better and deeper in the incoming summer.

Do you feel like this? What did you do? Its like a itchy in my brain that i can´t sratch I always feel anxious and excited.

I give you a concrete example:

I am studying Multivarible Calculus or Calculus II which has some introductory lessons on Complex Analysis:

- Complex Variable Functions
- Complex paths
- Derivatives and Integrals in the Complex Plane
- Laurent Series
- Cauchy-Riemann Equations
- Harmonic Functions

The professor taught all of this in a 3 hour lecture! The test was due in a week!


How we are supposed to understand all the material with just one week to the test?

 

[bluechic92]

It looks like your professor expects a lot of self studying. My suggestion would be to join a study group for your class and work with others. Also are you a part time student? Do you fee that you get enough time to devote to your school work?

 

[MarneMath]

Well, you're probably learning and what you're experiencing is pretty common. The ability to truly understand everything you are taught in a class is a bit rare. For example, in my educational life, I've been exposed to linear algebra 5 times. Twice in undergraduate, 3 times in graduate school. While I did well in the class each time, I found that after each new exposure I realized that I didn't understand the topic as well as I thought I did.

So with that said, I wouldn't expect to have complete mastery over a subject because you took it once. It usually requires repetitive and constant use for something to sink in. Thus the answer to your question is: You're not. But you should be able to understand it well enough for the test.

 

[George Jones]

Do you fee that you get enough time to devote to your school work?

In my opinion, I do not think that brunopinto90 has enough time available to adequately study these subjects.

40 hours of work + 72 hours of school (3 hours work outside of lectures for each hour of lectures) = 112 hours.

This is 16 hours per day, seven days a week.