This is not like riding a bike
I’m not quite back in school mode yet. I’ve kind of forgotten how to be a student. I’m running myself ragged trying to read every page assigned, to write good papers, to stay on top of every little assignment. I honestly feel like I spend every free chunk of time doing some kind of schoolwork. For every class period, I try to be totally prepared. And for my online class, I’ve been the first in my group to submit assignments every week. But to stay this on-top of things, I work hard. And often.
And then I look at Brad who seems to have a completely different method. I asked why he wasn’t doing homework on Sunday while I was reading yet another 50-page chapter. Surely he had something due early in the week. His answer? “I can’t do it during the day!” Like, how could you even suggest it? Nobody does homework while the sun is out. He writes his papers the night before they’re due. He gets the general gist of an assigned reading and moves on. The other day he told me that he got to class and suddenly remembered he had to give a presentation. So he just made something up on the spot. And ya know what? He does pretty damn good! The presentation went fine, his papers are always up to par, and he’s not totally lost in class.
I, on the other hand, feel like I can barely keep up with the class discussion. I’ve been working on this one 4-6 page paper for four days. I not only read every page I’m assigned, I take notes while I’m reading them! And still, I feel like I’m floundering.
The difference? Brad has been doing this for the last few years. He’s got it down. I, however, have not been a student in four years. I forgot how! Maybe graduate level courses really are that much harder, but wow, I don’t remember feeling this overwhelmed when I was getting my bachelor’s degree. Eventually I hope to get the hang of this and remember how to be a student. In the meantime, I’m already preparing for a presentation that I have to give. In three weeks! Why? Because otherwise I’d find myself standing in front of class with a worthless powerpoint presentation and a blank stare.
Have any of you gone back to school while working full-time? What’s the secret? Because I won’t make it through two and a half years if it keeps going like this.
September 25th, 2007 at 7:30 am
I went to school full time and worked 2 jobs part time, plus I had a zillion volunteer commitments, so I can somewhat relate. It takes a while, but eventually you will internalize the following truths:
1) It really, really doesn’t matter what grades you get in grad school (unless you’re PhD bound). Nobody will ever look at or care about your GPA.
2) You are in grad school because you have a specific professional interest in some (but probably not all) aspects of the program. Thus, you can decide which readings will behoove you in your future career, and which are uninteresting/irrelevant to your life. You allocate your study time accordingly.
3) In general I (and many, many friends) have found that while the grad school workload may be heavy, grading standards tend to be lower than in college. Also I think professors expect that you will read selectively.
4) You’ll get back in the swing of it, it just takes some time.
September 25th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
I would be feeling like a fish out of water if I went back for my master’s. I hope you get more into the groove (I am sure it’s just like Dori said…it will just take some time). I think it’s awesome that you’re following your academic dream. Good job!
September 26th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
i worked mostly full time and went to school full time and had a toddler at home while doing it ~ i’m like brad though, i wrote all my papers the night before and crammed like crazy and my boss was really cool and if i had a major assignment, i would work on it while at work (it didn’t happen often but when it did, it saved my bacon). i managed to maintain honors during this crazed madness. i still shake my head and wonder how i did it …
don’t worry, you’ll get back in the swing of things ~ you just need to find your school groove again and you will : )
November 4th, 2007 at 9:22 am
[...] I started grad school back in August, I was really motivated. Actually more like super stressed, but at least I was determined to get everything done. And done well. And on time! I hoped that [...]