School

cozbean

So I posted one post a bit ago, so you can say I'm becoming a pretty serious poster.

I'm probably one of the youngest posters here. 21? Yeah. You all seem very adult and grown up. 

Anyways, I just got a $15,000 scholarship to my favorite school to study opera, and I'm pretty excited about it. It's a big opportunity at a pretty competitive school. But I registered for my classes recently and ended up having to take nine classes, with most of my days ending from five to seven at night. Not including the practice that I have to do. And in order to keep the scholarship, I have to work my bum off, suck up to all of my teachers, and do an amazing job in all of my classes. I'm willing to do it, and very excited to do it. Don't get me wrong. This is one of the best things to happen to me in my career ever. Much better than any opportunity I got at the college prior to this. I'm just deathly afraid of burning out in the first semester and then bumming out of college. And I have to maintain my relationship with SO.

Any college advice for those of you who got through it just fine? 

motoLyn

Advice..... don't take 9 classes.

Also 4 posts =/= serious poster. Come back after 100 and some constant presence and we'll talk.

minskat30

Welcome!  I love opera and used to sing myself!    As far as college goes, how organized are you?  9 classes is a lot for a semester...how many credit hours does that equate to? 

I did a double major (both with honors) in three years at a major school and I think the most I took was 6 classes a semester.  Will you have a job?  Is there anyway you can take some summer classes to lighten your load during the school year (I did that every summer and got through an additional 2-3 classes each summer).  My school hours were long though (started at 7 most mornings until 6 or 7pm in the evening).  How early do you have to start?

GoldenPenguin

cozbean said:

So I posted one post a bit ago, so you can say I'm becoming a pretty serious poster.

I'm probably one of the youngest posters here. 21? Yeah. You all seem very adult and grown up. 

Anyways, I just got a $15,000 scholarship to my favorite school to study opera, and I'm pretty excited about it. It's a big opportunity at a pretty competitive school. But I registered for my classes recently and ended up having to take nine classes, with most of my days ending from five to seven at night. Not including the practice that I have to do. And in order to keep the scholarship, I have to work my bum off, suck up to all of my teachers, and do an amazing job in all of my classes. I'm willing to do it, and very excited to do it. Don't get me wrong. This is one of the best things to happen to me in my career ever. Much better than any opportunity I got at the college prior to this. I'm just deathly afraid of burning out in the first semester and then bumming out of college. And I have to maintain my relationship with SO.

Any college advice for those of you who got through it just fine? 

Why do you HAVE to take nine classes? 

cozbean

I'm not that organized, which I learnt at the old college, so I'm pretty terrified. I took eight classes in the last school, but it was less... prestigious, so it was easier. It's 16 credit hours, which is a full course load for my current school. They allow music students to take 21, but I'm not THAT stupid. But I'm taking a couple of upper level classes and music history classes and quite a few that require textbooks. SIGH. These are all prerequisites and I have to take them at a certain time, which is the trouble. 

I won't have a job no. Not that stupid yet. And I'd consider summer classes depending on what's available, but at registration they just kept adding courses to my list of classes...

cozbean

Hence me HAVING to take nine.

GoldenPenguin

I've never once heard of someone taking nine classes a semester, and I work in higher education. 4-5 classes per semester is the norm, with six possible depending on the situation. I would suggest talking to your adviser for a better situation. 

leia1979

I majored in music theory (oh, I hated music history classes--I feel your pain there), but I'm super confused. The most I ever took was 27 units, and that was 7 classes. It was also a really bad idea. Mostly I took between 18 and 23 units, which was 5 or 6 classes. I also came from the quarter system, so maybe I don't get how the semester system works.

Just be really organized and manage your time well. Back in the dark ages I lived out of my Day Runner.

[Deleted User]

Welcome! Congrats on your scholarship! That is a pretty cool subject to study. I went to a big school in my state and I would never attempt more than 14 credit hours per semester just because my area of study (Bio) was difficult and also it's important to maintain a balanced life style during school. I took 16 hours once and it was only because I had some easier classes that semester that I could load onto my schedule. You don't want to overload yourself to the point where you make yourself sick. 

I liked what @minskat30 said about taking summer classes. That helped me finish in 4 years without overloading and it's nice to maybe take 1-2 classes over the summer that are pretty hard and you can focus more on them without having a bunch of other classes to worry about.

Swazzle

Shouldn't you sort out the issues with your visa before committing to this scholarship and classes?

KeptInStitches

I survived undergrad chemical engineering (grad school is still up for debate), and I think the most important lesson I learned is: know thy limits. I tried to take 21 credit hours of math, science, and engineering my sophomore year one semester and nearly had a nervous breakdown in the space of a month.

Your SO has to be supportive. BF and I went through my senior design course together, and we wouldn't have survived it if we both hadn't bent some. He would hang out in my department's student lounge, I'd get to see him once an hour for about 5 minutes when I was taking my break. He would stay there until 2-3 a.m. with me while I was paginating submissions (by hand, oh how bad that sucked). He stepped up and made sure I ate. He really became the "fifth" member of our group, he was there so much. That being said ... when we could have quality time, I made damn sure it was quality time so that he didn't feel ignored.

I also recommend having a little job, maybe 10 hours a week or so, just so you get out and away from your classes a little.

suzie211

Please stop saying "stupid" in reference to how many classes you take or work. Many people take full class loads and work at the same time. It may work for them, and not you.

Where are you located? As @ BriSox81 mentioned most colleges/universities in the US commonly consider full time students starting at 12 credits. It's common to see between 12-16 a semester but not more than that. 16 does not sound unreasonable.

For reference, I worked full time for 3 of my four years, and went to school full time taking no less than 14 credits at a time. I also was active in my sorority and other volunteer organizations. I survived just fine.

GoldenPenguin

When I was a freshman, I had to take a math course that was zero credits (I'm a math moron) - which meant I had to make up those credits later to meet my graduation requirements. I still didn't take more than five courses a semester - and I worked all four years, was in a sorority, editor of the school paper, active in theatre, etc. Mostly, I'm confused as to how NINE courses works out to 16 credits. 

cozbean

I apologize for saying stupid. It's just the awkward way I speak. It doesn't mean any offense. 

And like I said, I'd like to take summer classes, but a lot of the classes they offer for the fall aren't offered for the summer, such as the history, theory, and hands on classes. 

KeptInStitches

It's the nature of music, from what I can tell. You end up in a lot of these ensemble courses that take a lot of time, but they're each only worth 1 credit because they're considered "laboratory."

cozbean

I was literally typing that out. Yeah. There are a number of those that are few credit classes, but still require hands on work.

minskat30

KeptInStitches said:

It's the nature of music, from what I can tell. You end up in a lot of these ensemble courses that take a lot of time, but they're each only worth 1 credit because they're considered "laboratory."

That makes more sense.  I don't think 16 credits is that bad.  

OP- you will have to find away around not being organized though.  Plan your meals for the week and cook on the weekends for the week, bring your lunches with you and eat in the classes that let you eat in them, invest in a planner to keep track of your schedule/assignments, etc.  You'll get through it with some hard work, organization and dedication. 

CLoGreenEyes

cozbean said:

So I posted one post a bit ago, so you can say I'm becoming a pretty serious poster.

I'm probably one of the youngest posters here. 21? Yeah. You all seem very adult and grown up. 

Anyways, I just got a $15,000 scholarship to my favorite school to study opera, and I'm pretty excited about it. It's a big opportunity at a pretty competitive school. But I registered for my classes recently and ended up having to take nine classes, with most of my days ending from five to seven at night. Not including the practice that I have to do. And in order to keep the scholarship, I have to work my bum off, suck up to all of my teachers, and do an amazing job in all of my classes. I'm willing to do it, and very excited to do it. Don't get me wrong. This is one of the best things to happen to me in my career ever. Much better than any opportunity I got at the college prior to this. I'm just deathly afraid of burning out in the first semester and then bumming out of college. And I have to maintain my relationship with SO.

Any college advice for those of you who got through it just fine? 

First, congratulations on the scholarship, that is awesome!

To the bolded - honestly, yes, you do have to work hard, but don't worry about sucking up or being amazing. Concentrate on learning what you need to learn; that will impress your professors quite a bit more than kissing their butts.

Now, on to the meat of my thoughts. As someone who just burned through 8 credits this summer (just got my final exam left, woohoo!), I feel your pain with all the credits. It sounds like things will be a little scattered and wild over your semester, but this really just requires some good time management and planning. @minskat30 was right on when she suggested planning your meals, getting a planner, etc.

What works for me is making an Excel spreadsheet for every week. I immediately put in all of my classes, tests, appointments, items on my to-do list, etc. Then I schedule in plenty of study time. Finally, I always set aside an evening or two for spending time with my BF, minimal to no school stuff involved, and usually also a chance to get lunch or go shopping with a friend if it's a lighter week. These things are your rewards for a job well done, and work as a great motivator to work very hard the rest of the week. Then it's a no-brainer - just stick to your schedule and update it every week! If that doesn't work for you, find another system that does, but make sure you know where your time is going.

Do you have basic pre-reqs you have to take - math, English, etc.? Those are usually not bad to take over the summer and might free up your semester a little bit. Either way, I second the suggestion to talk to your advisor about your schedule. If it is too much, there is absolutely no shame in stretching it out a little bit, as long as you are taking enough credits to keep your scholarship. BF could have finished his degree (mechanical engineering) in four years; he also could have gone completely off the deep end! He stretched it out to five so he wouldn't be taking 18-22 credits per semester. It was still tough, but he got it done in a timeframe that was manageable for him and allowed him to do well in school and work part-time, which was necessary in his situation. Just think about what is realistic for you to handle.

cozbean

@Amapola14 and @minskat30 , that's a good idea for organizing my time. I found a lot that in the past two years, two hours would just go by and then I hadn't finished any work or anything. Too much time wasted. So I definitely like both of your ideas. Particularly since I always go hungry at school, so bringing food along would help a lot.

CLoGreenEyes

@cozbean, I will also be real with you, TK is a great procrastination tool, lol. I definitely recommend sticking around and reading, because I have gained a lot of perspective, wisdom, and entertainment from these ladies.

HOWEVER, if you love bumming around on the internet like me, I would recommend finding a good spot to study far away from a computer. I have a desk set up in my house that is nowhere near my laptop, and I usually only get on TK/FB/etc. during the occasional study or snack break. Just know what draws you away from your studying and how to counter it.

cozbean

@Amapola14 I know. I spend way too much time on the internet, though thankfully it's summer vacation, so I'm off scott free right now. But yeah. That's where most, if not all of my time went last year. I'm not much of a TV person anyway. That and SO. He's time consuming. 

So I like your idea of finding a spot. I have a desk (which I NEVER use) in my room which is away from everything that I can use. Plus they have quiet places at school to study. I have already found a study buddy, a friend of mine who goes to that school, who wants to share a practice room and study. So there's that?

cozbean

@buggle2 Right? I have opera chorus that's 1 credit, but it's several nights a week worth of commitment and then there's hell week at the end of the semester.

bethsmiles

I agree with @Amapola14 !00% about not needing to suck up to your teachers. I can't stand it when my students suck up to me. Put effort into your class and always do work your proud of and that will speak volumes over sucking up.

Time management is a really important skill to use and being organized will mean a lot less stress. I took 18 credits almost every semester of my undergrad and my BF average 17 credits a semester. It was stressful and hard work but do-able. You just have to be realistic about how much you can take on. I agree with PPs that summer classes are a great idea. Online classes can be great as well and accelerated weekend classes can really help lighten the load. Also, don't always just go off what your adviser says. Look into it yourself and see if you can figure out something that will work better for you. I went through my whole college career without having an adviser put together my schedule for me.

As for maintaining your relationship - my biggest piece of advice is don't let your school stress seep over into your relationship. I had a SUPER stressful semester a while ago and the stress from classes ended up affecting every area of my life, including my relationship.

phira

A big question I have is how many hours a week 9 classes is. In college, I maxed out at 5.5 classes (5 courses + chamber music) for a couple of semesters. It added up to about 16-17 hours a week.

Don't worry about sucking up to instructors or doing "amazingly" well. Not that you should slack off, but you've gotta get it out of your head that anything less than perfect is unacceptable. Make sure you do well enough to keep your scholarship, but don't worry about being the Bestest Student Ever.

Make sure your SO is supportive. I was single for most of my college career, but when I was in a relationship, my life was much, much easier when we supported each other. Grad school has been SUPER stressful and difficult; I wouldn't still be in my program without the support of my partner.

cozbean

Well, like I said earlier, I have no real breaks between classes and they're about an hour to an hour and a half each. But I don't take every single one every day, naturally. So my day starts at about 11 and ends at either 5 or 7:45, depending on which evening it is. So I get a fair number of hours (but to be frank with you, I'm too lazy to look up how many hours there are exactly, so I'm just giving you the broad idea, hah).

cu97tiger

@cozbean - congrats on the scholarship! If your day starts at 11 and ends at 7:45, it's long, but manageable. Make sure you get into a routine where you are up and studying or practicing by 8/8:30, and if your day ends at 5, eat dinner, then plan some more study time. It sounds manageable if you take some of the other poster's suggestions about managing your time well.

KeptInStitches

I agree with @Courtpenguin21 about a fluff class being a really good idea. I played the tuba in the university band (no audition) every semester I could. It was so nice to have 2.5 hours a week where equations didn't exist, homework didn't exist, and I could just relax.

shairush

It seems like everyone is caught up in the nine classes you're taking but as a music major myself, I understand that's how it will always be! I'm in 13 classes myself and it's a light semester for me. 

My FH and I are both studying music as well and it is definitely easier that we are in the same program because we can be very supportive of each other. So it really depends on how your relationship is when you can't always be together. If you are a good planner and can plan when you're going to be in class, when you'll practice, and even when you'll have time with your SO then it could work out. Plan time with him so if things get busy, he can count on the times when he knows his plans to see you won't fall through. Just make sure he understands that your opera program is really important to you and as long as he can support him and vice versa you'll be fine This all depends on your relationship of course, but I hope this helps a little!

 But I registered for my classes recently and ended up having to take nine classes, with most of my days ending from five to seven at night. Not including the practice that I have to do.

psychbabe314

I have taken 18 credits for the past year and for this upcoming fall semester. This is my senior year at my college. I also work 29 hours a week, spend time with my boyfriend, and hang out with friends. I also fit in time for horse time about 2-3 times a month (my stress relief). With a full schedule, you will be busy. But it is manageable. At one point for about a month, I was working 6am-10am then class from 10:30am-2pm. Work from 3pm-10pm several days a week.

I tried to cram several things into one day. It worked for me at least. I asked my work to schedule me like this so that I would have DAYS off. I also still saw my BF almost every night because I would take my homework to a Hookah bar and study until 11 or 11:30. I finally had to ask my work to cut back a bit and I took off the 6am shift so I could sleep more, but at the time I needed the money badly.

This semester will be a little easier because while I am taking 18 credits some are easier classes with less of a work load. So I will be working 29 hours a week and BF and I are going to both request Tuesdays off from work so that we get a date night in once a week or so (depending on how financially we are doing that month)

cozbean

It's nice to have some music students post here too! That's encouraging. Articles keep popping up that the arts is dwindling. Maybe there's hope yet!

But it's also encouraging to hear that there are so many of you who've taken a heavy load and have come up better on the other end. So I know it's totally doable. I will definitely take all of your ideas in tow and appreciate all of your advice.

annmarie714

Organization.  A heavy course load is completely doable if you stick to it.  In nursing school, I took 18 credit hours, had a minimum of 12-24 hours of clinical/week and worked full time.  It was rough and I had to make time for myself but H (then FI) understood.

Dedicate yourself, work hard, and stay organized.  Look at your syllabi for the entire semester and make note of all assignments on the days their due.  For big projects, mark the day they're due then each week for a month leading up to the due date.