Study Support Thread - Page 2

[gradmama]

Originally Posted by cody'smomma

Welcome! Yes, I found that I am a different student after having a kid. But for me it was for the better. I could not procrastinate until the last minute because I never knew when that was going to be. I had to utilize the time that I knew I had. Which still isn't very easy.
....
I've been up since 5am and I am almost done with my homework for tonight. My sister got me up (stayed at my mom's last night) and if it wasn't for her, I may not have gotten up. Plus, she made me some coffee so that was helpful.

Let's get some good studying/paperwriting/whathaveyou in today, folks!

:

I think that I am a better student as a mama also (although I don't have anything to compare it to). I just know how to focus - quickly, deeply, and then be done. Not to mention, I think I have a drive that many college students don't have because of my kids...

Um...up since 5am and almost done? Phew. You are a go-getter Sara!

I'm going now- going to be working all day until 5.....then a break and back at it tonight.

[ediesmom]

gradmama.....I FOUND IT!!!!!!! thank you!

din't read much of the thread.......have o write a paper and study for an exam for an afternoon class......i CAN do this.

wish me luck

[gradmama]

Yeah!! so glad.

You CAN do it! Let us know how it goes!

[AsYouWish]

Thanks for starting this thread cody'smomma!!

I wrote in the thread that inspired this one that I was working on a take-home exam for my calculus class over the weekend. Turned it in Monday morning after working on it on Saturday from about 5pm until 3am and then Sunday roughly the same amount of time. The loss of sleep was so worth it because I got a 99%!!!!!!!! I now actually have a chance of getting an A in this class!!! My 2 previous exams I scored 79% and then 80%. I just have to really know what I am doing for the next exam and then the final because I don't think those tests will be take-home at all. So I have to work on some relaxation techniques or something; I do poorly on the in-class tests because I have so much anxiety and only 50 minutes to finish, and I just kind of freak out. :

Anyone else suffer from test anxiety? It is only this extreme for me for math. I am not effected this way when it comes to any other subject. Can anyone relate or am I just weird?

Good luck to everyone on the home stretch!

[ediesmom]

yeah, I suffer horribly from test anxiety!!!! thought i was having a heart attack this afternoon

but its over, and i think i did well. it helped that he posted a study sheet!

now i can shift my anxiety onto the next assignment......school is really hard for me, i take it way too seriously. GPA is attached to financial aid. good scores= good GPA. Good GPA= financial aid. I just don't let it go. I wish I was taking classes i really enjoyed.........

[tinytina]

I struggle with test anxiety too which makes it difficult.
I only have 2 exams this semester, and one is a take home and the other is in the classroom which is better then writing in a big gym. So that should help. I hope. Well mid term and small assignment for today are done. They went well. The mid-term went really well (it just flowed) so I was the first one done. yikes

[gradmama]

I"m too am not a fan of tests, but I get through them by thinking about how much better they are going to be much better when I'm a professor

Sorry. I hope that doesn't sound as if I am trivializing your test anxiety. I too have always "cared" sooo much. It makes it very un-nerving. What GPA is required for financial aid where you are? For me, the pressure was always taht I wanted to get into grad school (which did happen, yeah) and so I was incredibly nervous about having a nearly perfect GPA so I could go on. And so i got into grad school and thought......"I can relax now. Nobody really cares about the GPA in grad school."
Well.
Sigh.

You can get like a "B" like once or something. You have to get As to stay in grad school. A B is like failing. An A- is like a C.

So when my professor says taht the twenty page paper i have to hand her need not be more than a draft because nothing you do in grad school is ever finished, I"m terrified about what "draft" means. If I had had an exam this quarter I'd probably have died. Although an exam is done in one day a 20page paper takes weeks of anxiety.

Anyway..glad you got through it. Sorry I'm rambling!

[MyTwoAs]

Rosidox - wooohooo, congrats on the 99%.

Gradmama - I didn't realize you can get booted from grad school if you don't get high grades. I mean I knew you could if you failed out but wow the pressure! Right now I'm just hoping I get *in* to grad school. My first go round at the University I went from academic scholarship to academically disqualified so no way will I be able to get my GPA up to a 3.0. I'm just hoping that with a good GRE, a solid statement of intent (I'm going into speech pathology and have two kids on the autism spectrum so have experience as a 'client', hoping that helps!) and good recommendations that I'll be OK. This is a state University and the advisor I met with sounded very promising about my likelihood of admission. Oh well, I have until 2010 to worry about that hehe.

I, too, suffer from test anxiety it turns out. I never did until this semester. My first test of the year I was so wound up the night before that I was practically drinking my rescue remedy to calm me down. This was an open-note online test too. The second and third tests I was more calm for, thank goodness.

Is anyone taking a class over the winter break? I just signed up for Developmental Psychology and not sure if I'm going to be studying solo hehe.

[AsYouWish]

ediesmom -- Sorry you deal with test anxiety too. (I almost wrote 'text anxiety', which would really suck for anyone who participates on a message board!) I also take school way too seriously. I wish I could tone it down, but I just don't know how. I bet you know exactly what I mean.

tinytina -- Too bad you are also part of our test anxiety club. But awesome that things flowed for your midterm. That had to have been a really great feeling!

gradmama -- That sounds like so much pressure! Now I am all worried. I'm concerned with keeping up my GPA because I want to go to grad school, too. Is it a myth then that you can relax somewhat once you finally become a grad student? I was really looking forward to that aspect of life as a student! BTW, what are you studying?

MyTwoAs -- s to you too! What do you think was different about this year that you had to suddenly deal with test anxiety? And, just wondering, do you find Rescue Remedy helpful? I have never tried it. I hear it mentioned all the time on MDC, but I've never asked anyone about their experiences with it. What is it? Herbs?

And good luck over the winter break! I am not signed up for any classes. I don't think my school even offers classes over the break. But I will be reading an Intro Chem book on my own. I have a 200 level Chem class this Spring, and it has been over 10 years since I have been exposed to any kind of Chemistry!! I am really nervous about it. :

I'll catch up with you all later!

[MyTwoAs]

Rosidox - I think I was anxious because I actually *care* about schooling this time. I was 17 and from a small town with strict parents when I went to college. I was intellectually together but had no street smarts and was quite immature.

Rescue Remedy is a flower-based remedy. It definitely works for me, although not 100% of the time. For those times it doesn't, and I really need to squish the anxiety, I have a prescription.

[MamaChel]

What a week! After a horrible day yesterday (DH has to have another drain tube put in, a very painful procedure for him) and a long drive to drop the kids off, I finally got a bit of sleep. So I woke up this morning to do some schoolwork.

I.Just.Can't.Focus.

I've been working for the past hour on a paper section that should have taken me no more than 20 minutes to complete because my attention keeps wandering and I keep worrying about stuff. At least I am working. A little. But it's something. Which is better than the nothing I've had before.

Here's hoping that I at least get this assessment done today before I go pick up the littles.

[tinytina]

Yeah thanks for all the encouragement, I really appreciate it all.

Gave a presentation in my teaching secondary english class yesterday I was so nervous, I almost puked, but everyone said it was really good.
Got our essay back from her, I got a 26/30 so an 87%. Yeah!!!

[gradmama]

Originally Posted by tinytina

Yeah thanks for all the encouragement, I really appreciate it all.

Gave a presentation in my teaching secondary english class yesterday I was so nervous, I almost puked, but everyone said it was really good.
Got our essay back from her, I got a 26/30 so an 87%. Yeah!!!

Good for you!

Originally Posted by MamaChel

What a week! After a horrible day yesterday (DH has to have another drain tube put in, a very painful procedure for him) and a long drive to drop the kids off, I finally got a bit of sleep. So I woke up this morning to do some schoolwork.

I.Just.Can't.Focus.

I've been working for the past hour on a paper section that should have taken me no more than 20 minutes to complete because my attention keeps wandering and I keep worrying about stuff. At least I am working. A little. But it's something. Which is better than the nothing I've had before.

Here's hoping that I at least get this assessment done today before I go pick up the littles.

I'm sorry for you dh I wish him a speedy recovery. And...again, its no wonder you can't focus! Please don't beat up on yourself about it. Have you tried setting a timer for 20, 30, 45 minutes and saying, "For this amount of time I give myself permission to not worry or think about anything else. I am going to work on this section. At the end of that time, no matter how much or how little i have accomplished, I will take a 15 minute break during which time I *will* worry and think about all the other things." Its just a suggestion, but maybe....

Originally Posted by rosidox

gradmama -- That sounds like so much pressure! Now I am all worried. I'm concerned with keeping up my GPA because I want to go to grad school, too. Is it a myth then that you can relax somewhat once you finally become a grad student? I was really looking forward to that aspect of life as a student! BTW, what are you studying?

Well, I'm just a first year, first quarter so my vision is obviously skewed. I think that at a certain point you do get to relax. And you aren't taking a bunch of classes that are unrelated to what you care about (no ge's). But you do have to complete a certain amount of coursework and you have to get As in those classes. Now, I also think that you have to **** really badly to not get an A in many grad classes. But I don't really know yet either. If you are taking a course that is not required, you needn't take it for a grade, just pass/no pass. In that case, you can certainly relax. I definitely think that grad school is very demanding.
Like I said, I'm brand new so I might be needlessly stressing. I think that 90% of the grad school battle is getting in (hence why your GPA matters now). Please don't let me scare you. Its also true that some people (like me) stress more about this grade thing than others.
I'm studying sociology.

Off to get some work done... Hope everyone has a productive day!

[Faliciagayle]

Whew - we got the baby to sleep, I finished some preparations for thanksgiving, AND i've got some work done which I need to turn in on Monday.
I managed to return some majorly over due university library books (they were due when I delivered - the email saying I would owe the uni $200 lest I return the books was a big motivator)

Working on a presentation and lab report for Vit; more labs and much more studying for Micro. Other classes plod along.

Registered for spring, which is, HOPEFULLY, my last semester.

I would really like a nap.

[MyTwoAs]

tinytina - Congrats on the 87%! I'm glad the presentation went well.

MamaChel - How did the rest of your study session go yesterday?

Falicia - Wow you had a productive day! I hope you get some naptime in today.

I woke up at 6:15 and made the kids a quick breakfast then decided to bust open the books early. This week I have a statistics assingment due tomorrow and an English assignment due on Friday. I just finished the English assignment and am submitting it (online) and now I'm about to start on the statistics. The "old" me would have been up doing my English assignment on Thursday night but the "new" me wants to relax with the family. I'm going to have almost an entire week off of school - yay!

[nolansmummy]

MytwoAs- Thats great you have most your work done. I'm finding myself doing assignments earlier than i used to as well. Just so i can get a break. I have an english paper not due until after the break, but plan on getting a pretty good rough draft finished tonight so i'm not rushing around at the end of break.

One of my teachers cancelled class on monday, so i only have to go to one which is nice.

Faliciagayle- congrats on signing up for your last semester. That must feel so great. I"m so envious as i'm just signing up for my second semester. How long have you been in school? I'm worried its going to take me forever at the rate i'm going.

gradmama- wow grad school sounds stressful. I'm planning on getting there eventually, i'm looking forward to taking classes i enjoy not classes i HAVE to take. I do stress over my grades though too. I am always so stressed before tests. I just want to do well this time.

Those of you taking online classes- do you get financial aid? i really want to try online classes for my major but i just won't be able to afford it out of pocket. I'm planning on doing distance learning thru a different school than i am at now to finish my degree, so i haven't had a chance to research that much. My school now, offers very few classes online, and no degrees so they don't give financial aid. Each class is like 1200 $ too. Is that normal?

[MyTwoAs]

Wow Emily that sounds really high. I go to a state University though - a class is about $750 up to 12 credit hours where it is one price through 18 credit hours. The university does offer financial aid. I pay in-state tuition so I know that matters.

I was posting in another thread that one of our state universities has a great distance learning program - www.nau.edu then click on "Distance Learning" at the top. You can go through to see what degrees they offer online. They are a public university so the prices are better than private, even their out-of-state fees I believe.

[MamaChel]

You can only get financial aid at one school per academic year. I pay for all my classes with fin aid, usually a combo of grants, scholarships, and loans. (I take extra to live off for the year, esp. handy with DH's accident.)

My stepmom called shortly after my post and I had to leave to get the kiddos. I'm starting todays session now. I will work a little more on the paper and read some articles for my ind study this afternoon. The timer never worked for me, especially now that I am "on call" 24/7 for DH's medical needs. He can barely get himself up and into the bathroom right now so I do everything. Hopefully this will be the last drain tube surgery and he can really start to heal.

I'll be working most of the day today, we have the older kids here who are entertaining the littles, I have all my meals (but for the holiday) for the next few weeks cooked and in the freezer, so all I have to do is schoolwork and DH care.

[nolansmummy]

I was curious so i did some more research. The classes that are 1200 are just for people who want to take them, not towards a degree. The regular tuition rates apply to online also. Phew. That makes me feel better. I was really worried as i go to a state school also. What isn't cool is that they don't award financial aid to distance learning courses.

[MyTwoAs]

I have discovered that ready a chapter from my statistics book while the kids are awake is near impossible.

I'm hoping to finish my homework this evening, it's due tomorrow but an online class so anytime before midnight.