Hi everyone:

2 weeks into the school year I already feel like I'm drowning in school work. I really want to do well first year and it seems like I can't keep up with everything. This term I have:

Chem 1A03 (Try to skim chapters, textbook problems, tutorial problems, labs to prep for, mastering chem HW, read lecture notes)
Kin 1Y03 (Textbook readings before class, reviewing lecture notes)
Math 1LS3 (Test coming up, assignments, textbook problems, textbook readings, lecture notes)
Bio 1A03 (Textbook readings, labs, test to study for, review lecture notes)
Psych 1X03 (LONG chapters to read, online lectures to watch, online discussion board questions)

I'm finding it impossible to stay on top of all that work and at the same time have any time for myself. Is 1st year supposed to be this rough? I feel overwhelmed and stressed, I want to get involved in clubs and volunteering but I feel like I don't have the time. It's like I attend classes, go home, study, sleep, repeat...

For those of you who managed to do well first year can you share?

shoulda taken econ 1b03 insteada psych

Well you better figure out something soon, it'll be even worse when it's time for midterms/exams.

I used the textbooks for reference only when I didn't understand the lecture material or if the prof actually tested readings. That should save you quite a bit of time.

I had the exact same courses in first year and it wasn't that overwhelming after the first few weeks, it's just a huge adjustment to make since we were coddled a bit in high school. Just ease up a bit, you don't have to study EVERY night. Take it easy, remember to treat yourself.

Basically, though, what you're doing is all you CAN do. Go to class, eat, sleep, rinse, repeat. When you 're stressed, have a good laugh with your friends. Play some video games, watch some movies, go to the gym, eat some junk food!

You'll get used to it soon enough. Don't worry about volunteering and stuff until later on. Focus on adjusting right now.

Just budget your time and try to condense your notes and whatnot so you don't have to use a million sources for information (course notes, textbook, online lectures, recordings, das interwebbens, your great aunt faye, etc.) - I find that I relieved a lot of stress that way.

tl;dr - man/woman up?

y are u reading so many textbooks?... especially psych

tip: unless otherwise stated by the prof a majority to all testable material comes directly from lectures... texts are more for reference and further understanding if u are having trouble

legit, 40% of the questions were from the textbook; lol and they were mad hard.

"Chem 1A03 (Try to skim chapters, textbook problems, tutorial problems, labs to prep for, mastering chem HW, read lecture notes)"

You don't need to skim chapters. Do the tutorial problems, and some of the textbook problems. Labs should take ~1-2 hours to prep for. Don't do mastering chem HW. You only need to read lecture notes before the midterm. I say this because, for chemistry especially, the practice problems are your keys to success. So you go to class, apply what you've learned, and then you only need to look over the notes again to refresh yourself of the little nuances or subtleties before the midterm itself.

"Psych 1X03 (LONG chapters to read, online lectures to watch, online discussion board questions)"

When I took psych, we definitely didn't need the textbook. Online discussion board questions should take ~15 per week.

"Math 1LS3 (Test coming up, assignments, textbook problems, textbook readings, lecture notes)"

This course is apparently quite easy. If your lecture notes are sufficient, ignore the textbook readings. For that matter, ignore the lecture notes (except for when you're in class). Focus on textbook problems and assignments.

From what I can see, you seem to be putting too much emphasis on reading and not enough on doing. You aren't supposed to read the chem, math and physics textbooks like they're a novel; instead you spend your time doing as many of the practice problems available to you as possible.

BTW, this is just my opinion, so don't change your entire life over night, but if you want to ease up on certain things without lowering your marks, you can do some of what I said.

Also for bio 1a03, that's really your only course where you should be doing the textbook readings and making notes and the lecture notes and reviewing instead of doing practice problems. I haven't taken Kin so IDK about that one.

Originally Posted by IBB9780

Hi everyone:

2 weeks into the school year I already feel like I'm drowning in school work. I really want to do well first year and it seems like I can't keep up with everything. This term I have:

Chem 1A03 (Try to skim chapters, textbook problems, tutorial problems, labs to prep for, mastering chem HW, read lecture notes)
Kin 1Y03 (Textbook readings before class, reviewing lecture notes)
Math 1LS3 (Test coming up, assignments, textbook problems, textbook readings, lecture notes)
Bio 1A03 (Textbook readings, labs, test to study for, review lecture notes)
Psych 1X03 (LONG chapters to read, online lectures to watch, online discussion board questions)

I'm finding it impossible to stay on top of all that work and at the same time have any time for myself. Is 1st year supposed to be this rough? I feel overwhelmed and stressed, I want to get involved in clubs and volunteering but I feel like I don't have the time. It's like I attend classes, go home, study, sleep, repeat...

For those of you who managed to do well first year can you share?

I have the exact same courses as you this semester and I know exactly what you mean. LOL.

Originally Posted by Alchemist11

"Psych 1X03 (LONG chapters to read, online lectures to watch, online discussion board questions)"

When I took psych, we definitely didn't need the textbook. Online discussion board questions should take ~15 per week.

It's pretty much mandatory now. Hard to do well on the weekly quizzes without reading the assigned textbook chapter. Like someone said before, nearly half the questions on the quizzes are from the textbook.

What Alchemist said wrt doing and not reading. Textbooks for those sort of courses are best used as references when you discover you can't answer a question.

As for Bio. Make study notes as you go, integrating text and lecture note material in a format you understand easily. Makes it easier to review closer to the test/cram.

Anatomy tests aren't too bad, I would recommend study notes as you go along (also helps near the end of the term when you need to review for the exam) and then cram like nobodies business thursday night/friday morning for somewhere over 2 but probably not more than 4 hours.

Originally Posted by Alchemist11

"Chem 1A03 (Try to skim chapters, textbook problems, tutorial problems, labs to prep for, mastering chem HW, read lecture notes)"

You don't need to skim chapters. Do the tutorial problems, and some of the textbook problems. Labs should take ~1-2 hours to prep for. Don't do mastering chem HW. You only need to read lecture notes before the midterm. I say this because, for chemistry especially, the practice problems are your keys to success. So you go to class, apply what you've learned, and then you only need to look over the notes again to refresh yourself of the little nuances or subtleties before the midterm itself.

Don't do mastering chem homework? I disagree, Mastering Chem is really helpful in your understanding of the material and if you already understand the material it will be super easy to do and it's a great mark booster!

For Kin I don't think you need to worry so much on having to read before lectures. If you listen in class you should have all the information you need for the weekly tests. I would read the textbook when I had a drowsy day in class or when I needed extra info on the material.

I have the exact same courses as you this semester... I feel your pain.

Only use the kin textbook for looking at figures, clarification, skimming through really fast.. not so much reading the full chapter because not everything in the chapters is covered in lecture.

Originally Posted by lt93

Don't do mastering chem homework? I disagree, Mastering Chem is really helpful in your understanding of the material and if you already understand the material it will be super easy to do and it's a great mark booster!

For Kin I don't think you need to worry so much on having to read before lectures. If you listen in class you should have all the information you need for the weekly tests. I would read the textbook when I had a drowsy day in class or when I needed extra info on the material.

A mark booster? Do they give you a bonus for completing it or something? If so, disregard what I said, I assumed it was only optional and provided no benefits. I didn't bother with mastering chem in my year and it didn't affect me, so that's why I said it was unnecessary.

Originally Posted by anishrules

I have the exact same courses as you this semester and I know exactly what you mean. LOL.



It's pretty much mandatory now. Hard to do well on the weekly quizzes without reading the assigned textbook chapter. Like someone said before, nearly half the questions on the quizzes are from the textbook.

I suppose then it's fine, but if the quizzes require the textbook and the midterm doesn't, I probably wouldn't bother with it (especially if the chapters are long). I got like, 3/6 and 4/6 on all my quizzes and still ended up with high 90s in one of the psych courses going into the exam. I guess it depends though on how much focus they're putting on the book this year.

So yeah, once again it's up to you guys, but there are a few ways to lessen the amount of work you're doing so choose what you guys think is personally a waste of time and stop doing those.

Originally Posted by Alchemist11

A mark booster? Do they give you a bonus for completing it or something? If so, disregard what I said, I assumed it was only optional and provided no benefits. I didn't bother with mastering chem in my year and it didn't affect me, so that's why I said it was unnecessary.

It's not necessarily bonus marks but by completing Mastering Chem assignments, you can reduce you final exam mark by 6% or something. It basically reduces the weight of your exam.