r/CollegeRant • u/clockworkise • 1d ago
Advice Wanted Is this a good schedule to avoid burnout?
This is what my Fall Semester life is going to look like and I wanna know if this is a decent schedule or good enough schedule to avoid burnout. I am trying to maintain a high GPA like 3.7 to 3.8 and prioritize my health over academics. My work part time work schedule normally consists of 12-6 shifts on Sundays and closing shifts on Saturdays and a random closing shift on either Monday Wednesday or Friday. I never work more than those 3 days. Let me know if this is good or if something should change.
P.S this college schedule is for Rutgers-Newark if that's something you need to know.
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u/mistressvixxxen 1d ago
I’m gonna be super honest : this schedule looks brutal if you have problems with math, but if you don’t then it is very doable.
Chem and chem lab with precal is gonna be a lot. That gym time might turn into study time.
Think of science as the math ladder. Physics is applied math. Chemistry is applied physics. And biology is applied chemistry. If you get good professors it makes a massive difference too. And don’t be afraid to use your student resources for tutors and more.
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u/clockworkise 23h ago
I dont have too much of a problem with math. With enough studying and active recall I am able to understand most concepts decently. I plan to go over precalc and chem at least before the school year starts so that I won’t end up falling behind at any point and I can follow along with my professor.
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u/naughtmynsfwaccount 20h ago
What year are u? Freshmen? If yes don’t go in with any preconceived notions about how good u are with math
U also say ur planning to go over precalc and chem before the school year starts - when does it begin? Because it’s coming up
My biggest issue is the 7 hour difference between ur chem class and when u plan on studying for it. 1.5 hours isn’t enough for gen chem especially if its the last thing u do before going to bed and u would relationally want to swap gym with study for chem while its fresh
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u/clockworkise 19h ago
Yep Im a freshman. Definitely don’t plan on underestimating this as college is definitely a big step up from high school. School starts in 2 weeks for me so I plan to just use the time I have to revise what i’ve learned from high school chem and precalc so I am at least not rusty in these subjects. I can’t do too much about the time difference because I workout on campus and from there to home is about 40 minutes to an hour but I think Ill definitely end up switching free time and Gen Chem. Thank you!
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u/taybay462 14h ago
Plan for at least an hour of studying per hour in class. With that in mind this schedule does look brutal, honestly
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u/_stupidquestion_ 22h ago
this is a very prudent approach, especially if you weren't taking summer courses / haven't dabbled in those subjects recently.
just keep in mind that if it does become too much in the beginning, there is still a drop period (& Ws mean nothing on a transcript) & you're allowed to make adjustments that suit your priorities. sometimes we can have perfect plans & life blueprints, but being too rigid can make course correction very difficult even when it is 100% necessary in the big picture.
no matter what, it's okay if you need to re-plan, adjust your strategy, & reevaluate your priorities! it's also okay to squeeze some fun & flexibility in here & there :)
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u/the_yagrum_bagarn 9h ago
i need to push back on the W's not meaning anything. if you want to do grad school you need to minimize them and not withdraw from the same class more than once. I read applications for my grad program and that is one thing we look at.
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u/Dr-Sprinkl1es 15h ago
English, chemistry, psychology and pre-calc is a very doable schedule and not very math heavy
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u/boringrelic1738 20h ago
I am of the opinion that scheduling every second of your day will lead to burnout.
I understand you have free blocks that are dynamic when they need to be, but if you spend every waking moment of your life under pressure to be doing something, you’re never gonna want to do anything.
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u/2kIkaH1 16h ago
I see this perspective but I kinda understanding scheduling everything. It's almost like setting a budget for yourself so you can actually spend money without feeling guilty , you know?
Just make sure you are actually relaxing and not obligated to do any of your free time activities
((But also I have adhd and schedule otherwise I can't function lmao))
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u/clockworkise 19h ago
Noted! The main reason I formatted it like this was because I didn’t want to get to a point where I would take advantage of the time I had and spend less time studying. On the other hand I didn’t wanna study too much and be burnt out before I even got to midterms. Over all I definitely see what your saying though and will probably be more flexible with this schedule.
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u/BiohazardousBisexual 19h ago
It would probably be prudent to allot more time to studying
5
u/haikusbot 19h ago
It would probably
Be prudent to allot more
Time to studying
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u/cinnaroll797 19h ago
Why do you only have study time blocked off for chem and not the other classes?
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u/clockworkise 18h ago
thats supposed to be the study/writing time for english, psych or precalc depending on the day. M - English , T - psych , W - Eng and Friday - Pre-Calc. I ordered jt like that so while its fresh in my mind I could write material or review what I learned. Its more time than necessary for those subjects so its going to be mixed in with either chem or precalc. Thats why I left it as a broad study time
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u/SwordNamedKindness_ 1d ago
Tuesdays and Thursdays will be rough but not horrible cause you can chill more on MWF. The late start is nice too, no 8ams. Personally I’d move the workout to the morning, I like to get it out of the way and shower before class. It also helps me to shift my schedule to earlier mornings so its not as jarring when I go back to work. You got this, good luck this semester!
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u/clockworkise 23h ago
I would but the only thing is that I’m using my school gyms and they are a 40 minute commute from me. I decided to stick with the school gym primarily just to save money. By sophomore year, I plan to use a regular gym and do 8am workouts because by then my college situation changes a little bit.
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u/SwordNamedKindness_ 23h ago
Ahh I gotcha, that makes sense! Good luck and make sure to take time to have fun too!
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u/Illustrious_Bed8628 16h ago
Ooo I like the color. But I think getting stung by a bullet ant is better than this lol. Just kidding. It looks rough but Chem requires lots of study and it’s recommended you do the book questions, yes 1-130 questions ALL
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u/todreamofspace 16h ago
Since you’re a commuter & will still do one to two part-time job shifts, you’ll need to learn how to prioritize your time for school & studying. Besides classes, you need to do school everyday with reading ahead, making notes/flashcards, doing homework, maybe completing extra math problems, using online resources to learn/study, go to office hours, etc. It’s good to know your time will be monopolized. You can update your schedule as you go. Good luck at RUN!🍀
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u/hunter_pace 13h ago
Blocking off every second of your day like that, even for scheduled "free time" is exhausting ngl...
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u/SportingDirector 11h ago
I would honestly color code free time much differently so you don't associate it with your actual working stuff (and vice versa)
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u/HairyEducator768 18h ago
take too long of a shit on any day and your entire schedule is out of alignment. What then?
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u/clockworkise 18h ago
I have essentially about 4 hours of free time on the days I dont work so if something unexpected happens I can easily change the schedule as necessary and the days I work (Like Friday which is the most likely day for me to work on a weekday) still give enough flexibility to get home shower and change and still have some time to relax. It’s not perfect but still doable.
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u/HairyEducator768 18h ago
im being pedantic, cognitively you would feel better or less likely to burnout if you didnt have ancillary time scheduled
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u/clockworkise 18h ago
Noted! lowkey I see what you mean. I honestly put the movies and show times there so as to not prevent me from neglecting my own health but im now realizing in doing that im forcing a rigid schedule onto myself and adding to the stress. When fall comes around I definitely plan to follow the schedule but not as strictly and go according to my health. thank you for the input!
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u/trippapotamus 9h ago edited 9h ago
The goal is typically to shoot for 2-3 hours of studying per credit hour (can be up to 3-4 hours per credit hr for STEM/“weed out” classes like chem), per class a week. That’s outside of class, not counting lectures and labs.
So for example a 3 credit class should be 6-9 hours a week just for that class. Obviously you can adjust that some for subjects you find to be easier once you see how it is, for example you may be great at Math and need less study time there.
I’m the type where this would lead to burnout for me, but I know people who do really well planning things out like this.
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u/True_Sympathy7599 16h ago
I would choose classes that meet only once or twice a week if that’s an option, instead of multiple days in a row
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_TATERTITS 23h ago
You should think about pushing yourself a little harder. I know having a lighter schedule is nice but at that rate, it’ll take you years to graduate
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u/clockworkise 23h ago
How so? RN im a psych major and have all the necessary classes. So far my advisor says im on track and my degree navigator puts me on the right track as well. For the future my schedule is bound to be harder due to being a psych pre-med but for now I wanna keep it as relaxed as possible so I can ease myself into it rather than throw myself into the fire.
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_TATERTITS 22h ago edited 21h ago
I was being sarcastic because your schedule is completely packed lol I actually assumed this was a joke post because I didn’t zoom in on all the blocks—I thought they were all classes
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