Halfway! I may only be doing one subject but it still feels good to be halfway!
Category: University
Life Update: How It’s All Going Behind The Scenes. Easter and More!
I swear every time I write a post I have the same thing to say, but it has been a crazy few weeks! Life with a toddler is absolutely no joke, I barely have the time to sit down and think any more. It’s exhausting but also fun and entertaining. However, I am finding myself far more drained than usual. I’m currently growing new life, for lack of a better description, and that has seriously drained the energy out of me. Didn’t think it was possible to be this tired but damn, I am exhausted!
I’ve had to drop a few classes in my Uni degree. I just can’t find the energy or brain power to focus completely on all the classes I had. I’m down to just one subject now and I’m working on completing this class and slowly plodding my way towards my degree!
Of course, I’m also spending the evening’s writing. I can’t stop my passion and my brain is more wired to write than study at the moment so I decided to just lean into it and allow the creative juices to flow the way they want. It sucks having to drop Uni classes, but I know it’s for the best. There’s no point trying to force myself to complete the topics and submitting sub-par work. I’d much rather submit work that I’m proud of and achieve better results over a longer period of time.
I think it’s important to try to be present with whatever it is you’re doing. And if you can’t be present, take a break.
Emily Giffin
Easter is also fast approaching, which is wild! How are we already in April and already closing in on Easter? The year is already going by so fast! It’ll be Christmas again before we know it, I swear! Easter, like most holidays, is quite busy for my little family. We have a few things going on but I’m looking forward to spending time with family and friends and rejuvenating in the holiday season.
I’m focusing more on my writing at the moment and making it a priority whenever I can. It’s hard when I’m constantly exhausted and drained but I do try to spend a little time each day writing and prioritising my goals. I never want to stop writing and I’m still aiming towards finishing editing my novel and finishing my new story.
Since I’ve dropped down to one subject for Uni I do have some more time to focus on writing. I’m going to spend extra time absorbing myself in my writing, when I can of course! I still need the brain power to be able to write and that’s a little hard to come by at the moment. It’s just a temporary bump in the road, but it’s definitely a bit frustrating. I’m determined to keep plodding along though and keep pressing forward each day!
Never give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about.
Winston Churchill
Getting Ready to Head Back to University: Bring on Another Semester
Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.
– Robert Collier
Last week was the start of the new semester! Technically it was Orientation Week so no classes actually started but it was still intense. As an online student, I have to wait until orientation week to get all my class times which can always be a little stressful.
For the most part, I won’t be able to attend my classes live. It’s a bummer, but with a hyperactive toddler and limited nap time, I don’t have much of a choice! I can’t sit on my laptop and focus on a class while my toddler is wanting my attention, so I’ll have to skip the live classes.
Thankfully my University is amazing with their online accessibility! I’m able to watch the classes back at a later time so I’ll be watching all my classes at night once the toddler is in bed. It means my days will be long and exhausting but I’m determined to power through my final year of University!
I have 4 classes this semester. I only have 7 total classes left so next semester I’ll be doing 3. I’m so close to finishing and graduating but it also feels like a lifetime away! I’m looking forward to writing for Uni again and also delving into some more literary studies. This semester is very theory heavy with plenty of research into the history and literary theory which is going to be fun.
It’s definitely going to be a crazy few months. I have a toddler, am going through some of my final Uni classes and need to start writing my thesis! It’ll be busy and full-on but I know it’ll be so incredibly rewarding. I’m not one that likes to sit still and do nothing anyway so I’m happy to be busy.
Success isn’t overnight. It’s when every day you get a little better than the day before. It all adds up.
– Dwayne Johnson
I’m planning on continuing my weekly blog throughout the semester! I really enjoy having the creative outlet of my blog and although I do like having a break every so often I am more than happy to keep blogging away!
Plus writing some short stories and poems to post up is always so rewarding! Sometimes I’m able to post my Uni work once it’s been graded and finalised which feels like a feat of accomplishment. Something I worked hard on for Uni is out in the world! Always a good feeling.
I’m going to leave the blog here or I’ll end up rambling for pages! I’m really excited to see where this year leads and I’m excited to be ‘healthy busy’ over the next few months!
Recipe for success: Study while others are sleeping; work while others are loafing; prepare while others are playing; and dream while others are wishing.
– William A. Ward
University Is Over For The Year!
I handed in my last assignment on the 14th of October so I am done and dusted! It’s been a whirlwind semester. Starting a Master’s with a baby is rough. He’s now a toddler and requires more attention as well so it’s definitely been an interesting few months!
I am really looking forward to next year. I have my full-on Master’s classes next year where I spend the whole year doing my thesis. Intense but I’m sure it will be so good. I’m excited to delve into it but I’m also so excited for a rest over the next few months.
The next few months are going to be absolutely filled with writing. I am excited about NaNoWriMo which is starting next week and I’m keen to get a new novel written! It’ll be good for my mind to stretch again and write a novel outside of Uni classes.
I have loved Uni, but having to write to a strict prompt is quite difficult. I can’t wait to write differently and back to my own genres and themes! It’ll be so good! NaNoWriMo will also help kickstart this rusty brain of mine! Get me back into the writing game, bring it on!
Final Countdown For Semester Two
Holy moly this year has been flying by! My first semester of my Master’s degree is nearly over, which is so hard to fathom! I have a toddler and I’m almost on Uni holidays until next year – time is going by so darn fast!
It’s exam block for Uni at the moment. Thankfully I’m not doing a course that requires exams so I’m working on my final assessment pieces instead. All but one was due on over the past few days! It’s been absolutely hectic!
It’s crazy that Uni is almost over. Honestly, it feels like only a few days ago that I was signing up for my Master’s and now I’ve almost finished the first semester! Almost 4 classes down, then only 8 to go!
My last assignment is due on Friday. It’s a doozy for my thesis – getting everything set out and ready to go in order to get a supervisor for the huge thesis year next year. It’s fun to think out my thesis but it is also quite intense. I want to do well and I want the right supervisor for my topic!
I’m going to bury my head in the books for the next few days and get this assignment done so I can relax a bit and prep for NaNoWriMo! Crazy times!
Prepping For A Big Month
September is going to be huge! There’s a lot to do during this month and it will be borderline chaos! My sister is getting married, assessments are due and my little boy turns 1!
Things are definitely chaotic. I’m still entering some short story competitions here and there (I was gifted a free membership for Vocal+ which I’m taking advantage of and entering comps there) as well as writing and editing my books. It adds extra things on top of everything else though!
I’m going to take the month of September off writing. Maybe not completely, but I am going to take a breather and not write as often as I normally do. I don’t particularly have the time at the moment to write. I mean, technically I am still writing for University assessments but it doesn’t quite count.
I’ll keep an eye on some short story competitions in case I want to throw in an entry, but I’m not going to put any pressure on myself or try to write because I have to. I do love writing, don’t get me wrong, but it has become my job and I think it’s time for a bit of a ‘annual leave.’
I’ll still do my blogs but since September is so incredibly busy I won’t be super active. I’m going to prioritise family in this busy month since so much is happening! I’ll be back into writing in October, ready to prep for NaNoWriMo!
10 Tips To A Successful University Semester
“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresea, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”
H. Jackson Brown Jr.
Oh the grind of University! It’s very different with a child in tow but I find that tips are pretty universal – sometimes you just have to work around a baby!
1. Attend your classes (even if they’re online videos)
It can really suck attending classes, and sometimes the lecturer is the most boring person alive. However, classes are very important to attend. Useful questions are asked and confusing concepts are clarified during classes. It can be hard finding the motivation to attend, especially when your classes are online, but it is incredibly beneficial.
2. Find a quiet spot to study
“Wisdom grows in quiet places.”
Austin O’Malley
This is an essential factor for me. I can’t study when it’s noisy or busy around me. I need a nice, quiet spot to focus my mind and get me into the zone to study. I didn’t think noise or actions around me would be so distracting, but boy they are. A quiet zone is peaceful and perfect study space!
Obviously for me I can’t study while bubba is awake – it’s way too noisy. I try to study while he’s asleep and get a quiet space to study and attend my classes (mainly our study).
3. Finish assessments early
It sounds kind of lame, but finishing assessments early is amazing. Not only do you feel productive, but you also have time to go over those assessments again and revise them. Most people have experienced an all-nighter, I certainly have, but it is incredibly beneficial to spend extra time editing and revising days before an assessment is due.
4. Planning
For me, planning is soothing. I enjoy being able to plan out my day, week and month in advance. It helps me keep track of what I’m doing and when I need to have things done by. It is really helpful to plan out your days or weeks in advance so that you know what you need to do in the week and when you have time to study. It also helps to keep track of assessments and know what is due and when.
5. Take notes, and then re-write said notes
This is something that really works for me in my psychology degree. I take physical notes during classes and then I re-write those notes onto my computer after the classes. I find it’s a good way to revise topics and imprint these concepts into my mind. It helps remind me of what I learnt in the class and I can look up things I didn’t understand while writing out those notes.
6. Take breaks
Breaks are super duper important for productivity! It’s useless to spend hours staring at books or computer screens and continuing to study the same thing over and over. You need to take breaks to rest your mind and your eyes in order to remain productive.
7. Get plenty of sleep
On that previous note, sleep is so incredibly important during University! Your body and brain needs sleep to rejuvenate and refresh. You need to get good sleep in order to keep your brain functioning and able to understand new concepts. You also need sleep in order to remain healthy and able to study and attend classes. Lack of sleep leads to lower immune systems and, put bluntly, disaster!
8. Try not to procrastinate
“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone”
Pablo Picasso
It sounds stupid to say, but sometimes it needs to be said. Procrastination is a useless venture and, I admit, it is a hard habit to overcome. It’s quite easy to become distracted with other things and out off your work until the last minute. It is so important to catch yourself when you’re doing these things and force yourself to go study or do your assessment. Procrastination gets you nowhere, you need to focus and try to remain focused until the semester is over!
9. Take care of your mental health
“What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation.”
Glenn Close
I am 100% a major mental health advocate (must be something to do with the psych degree). It is so important to take care of your mental health, especially during a University semester. Uni can be so stressful and hard that your mental health might decline, which is very common. It’s important to eat well, exercise and see a professional if you feel your mindset slipping. It is hard to get through Uni, but even harder with mental illness weighing you down. Make sure you take time for yourself and know your limits!
10. Coffee, coffee, coffee!
For me, coffee is life. I love my coffee, it is the breath of life into me each day. But, my main point in this is to find things you enjoy. Find joy in your University life and enjoy each moment spent on campus or doing online classes. It is a long haul, but University is a short stint in your life and you definitely need to enjoy it! For me, I find my joy in having multiple cups of coffee from my favourite cafes on campus. Brings joy to me!
“Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential.”
John Maxwell
Busy: Expectations vs. Reality
Life is crazy. Honestly, incredibly crazy! Being a stay-at-home mum, working from home and studying my Masters… it’s just hectic. I know I touched on all this in one of my recent blogs but I didn’t realise just how busy things would get as the semester started kicking into gear! I was expecting life to get hectic with University thrown into the mix, but my expectations were not reality (isn’t that always the way?)
It’s been about a month since classes went back, which is only 4 weeks out of 10 but holy moly life is chaos! I’m having to work on my coursework after dinner and trying to work throughout the day.
It’s bringing a bit of mum guilt into my life. I was fine previously, I would work while bub napped, but he’s older now and only naps twice a day. I can’t effectively work and do my studies just during his nap times so it’s starting to spill into his wake times.
He’ll be playing beside me and I’ll be in a lecture. I’ll be finishing up some work while he’s rolling on the floor. I need to do all this, and I love studying and being able to work but the mum guilt is real!
It’s still a work in progress but I do have a basic routine now. I’m trying to spend as much time with bubba as possible when he’s awake but I also know I need to meet deadlines and so I sometimes work while he’s playing. I’m still with him and can interact – it’s not 100% attention all the time but I’m doing my best!
I’ll take each day as it comes and continue juggling my days as best I can – once this semester is over it’ll be a lot easier!
Rainstorms, Family, and University
It’s been a rainy few months here! It’s been very wet so far and winter is looking rainier than usual! Personally, I love rainstorms and find so much inspiration when it’s raining! On the downside, I have a 9-month-old who would very much like to get outside every so often.
And we’re also back into the grind! University is back in session and it’s a little overwhelming this time around.
I’m in a new degree – it still feels strange to have dropped my psych degree. I definitely feel confident and happy with my decision, but it still feels weird.
Add onto that the fact I’m doing a Masters and not a Bachelor and things get crazy. It’s already a lot harder – more readings, more homework, and harder assessments. But I am really enjoying it.
I’m now trying to figure out how to juggle everything. University on top of working and being home with a child is really tough. Where I would usually write I have to do University and I have to find time in there for working and also still writing. Definitely going to be a busy few months!
My writing may slow down over the next little while – University and my family are more important right now. However, I’m going to try to keep writing a little bit here and there so that I don’t do nothing! That said, I will be writing short stories in my degree so I guess I won’t be stopping my writing at all!
I’m looking forward to November as well. Uni will be over for the year and I’ll be able to get back into writing by going through NaNoWriMo once again! I don’t overly slow down much but that’s okay, I enjoy what I’m doing and they’ll be time for breaks later!
Writing With Other Priorities: University and Family
And the chaos resumes! I knew 2022 was going to be intense from the moment I brought my son into this world. I still have 2 years left of my degree (since I dropped to part-time) and I really want to push through and finish my studies!
It’s already a tough juggling act and University has only just begun. I have to attend classes and sometimes they clash with when my son is awake or needs to be fed or is just plain grumpy. It’s already a tough haul getting the studies done while looking after him.
Add onto this my writing commitments and I am swamped! I do enjoy being busy, I’m not a person to sit still and do nothing all day. But even for me it’s a bit too chaotic.
I was originally planning on doing 2 University classes, but I dropped it down to 1. I’m focusing on my family and on my writing right now while slowly trudging through my degree.
I’m enjoying spending more time in the present and being able to prioritise my family. I’m writing and reading when I can and University is on a bit of a backburner. When I get published University won’t be the be-all and end-all anyway!
I’ll keep busy with my 1 class this semester, family commitments and writing commitments. I am swamped but definitely enjoying it all.
Emilie Turner 