Last semester, I made a big mistake.
Through meticulous course scheduling and major risk taking, I decided to go to school three times a week. As a trade-off, I was skipping a majority of my math classes to avoid the extra commute to school.
Yes, I was able to get a lot more sleep, but at what cost?
What happened?
I was not able to spend as much time as I would have liked on campus.
My Monday and Wednesday classes generally ran from 10/12 AM to 3 or 5 PM, with few breaks in between. This left me with no time on campus to participate in activities or spend time with friends. I felt nearly no incentive to go anywhere farther than my doorstep on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
My sleep…was a mess.
Sure, I may have charged up on sleep on Mondays and Wednesdays. However, I was always incredibly tired after class, and I would sleep at awkward hours. This disorienting sleep schedule made me feel terrible all the time.
Productivity hit an all-time low.
You would think that having the extra time on Tuesdays and Thursdays would help me complete a lot of my work, correct?
Nope.
Waking up late greatly reduced my productive awake hours, and I managed to get very little work completed well in advance. I would spend the majority of my time slowly treading through my homework, talking to my dog, or just browsing the internet, only to feel the pressure of a looming deadline creep up on me several hours later.
What about now?
For the summer, I have been attending classes and working a part time job, going to school 6 times a week. While that is a lot more frequent than before, it pushes me to wake up early, giving me extra time in the afternoon and evening to work on other things. Apart from work and school, I have also taken up a position with an undergraduate society, and I am maintaining a jogging schedule with a friend. Being busy provides me with a sense of fulfillment, knowing that I am trying to squeeze the most out of every day. Sure, I might be exhausted once midnight rolls around, but the exhaustion is also joined by an equal share of satisfaction.
It might be comfortable to sit around, but sometimes, it’s probably better to gain some control of your own life.
Wow. I’m a first year and my worklist looked just like what you described… Time to change it up! Thanks to your insightful comments, I will most definitely not have to deal with such things to plague my schedule, and I will be happier than ever! Thank you so much for sharing this personal anecdote Mr. Tse!
I know right!!?? His writing has touched the lives of at least 2 people thus far, and that number will certainly grow! On behalf of everyone who reads this article, thank you.