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So...I just started grad school. I have to say being out of school for about 2 years now, I'm a bit blown away. I'm trying to work full time and go to school (I had to drop 1 class and go down to 2 already).
There is much less of a focus on memorization for say, an exam. But the amount of reading is insane. I'm hoping I adjust (I hear grad school can be a great experience), but trying to work...and do this reading. Ouch right now.
I work about fifty hours a week and I am halfway done with my MA. Yes, the amount of reading is insane. I take two classes a semester--there is no way I could handle three.
Hey I have all the respect in the world for people who can do their grad degree and work full time. I was a full time student when I completed mine and couldn't imagine working.
My advice? Just don't burn yourself out. Find a regimen and stick to it. Also find something interesting about everything you read. It'll help you to retain it better. And lastly, and most importantly, just be sure to make time for yourself.
I'm also a first-year grad student and I know what you mean, even though I'm only working part-time right now (I couldn't imagine working full-time AND going to grad school). I'm working on knocking out a 143-page (!) reading assignment out of an extremely dull book right now. Oh well, I still love grad school to absolute death, but everything has its bad parts. It will all be worth it when I make it into academia (or at least that's what I keep telling myself ).
As a rule it is ridiculously tough to work full time and pursue a grad degree, particularly doctorates. Those residency requirements are there for a reason. But yeah, the amount of reading you get, most of it written in highly theoretical academic language, is just nuts. It's mental bootcamp.
I start my Masters next week--20 yrs way to late. My hats off to all those who are taking the challenge. Somehow I believe each of you will look back on it and feel a whole lot of pride and satisfaction! Congrats to each of you.
Oh I hear you, I just started grad school last week as well and am working full-time as a teacher too! I feel like every time I'm home I have to read, and if I'm not then I'm falling behind. 300 pages per week, in academic language, can grow rather tiresome, but so far I'm enjoying what I'm reading. Hang in there!
So...I just started grad school. I have to say being out of school for about 2 years now, I'm a bit blown away. I'm trying to work full time and go to school (I had to drop 1 class and go down to 2 already).
There is much less of a focus on memorization for say, an exam. But the amount of reading is insane. I'm hoping I adjust (I hear grad school can be a great experience), but trying to work...and do this reading. Ouch right now.
What's your field?
I'm in a similar situation, I'm working full-time but getting a Masters. I asked about it recently and there were some good tips.
I'm increasingly starting to believe you literally don't have to read every page and word of your assignments (in fact it can be counterproductive to do so if your time is limited), but you still need some sort of regular pacing and strategy. Depends on what you're studying though.
I just finished my first year of grad school, and we just had this discussion in one of my classes with our professors.
What we came to is that it depends on your program, class, and the specific reading. There are many readings that we've been given "for our information," which doesn't mean we have to read them right away, or at all, but we have on hand if we need them. There are readings for class, that we will discuss in class, that need to be read and studied in depth. Then there are readings that are pertinent to class, but we just need to get the main ideas. The hard part can be evaluating which is which.
Most papers follow the same format (at least what I'm reading) with the intro, methods, participants, results, discussion/conclusion, etc. If you're only trying to get the main ideas, you can just read the intro, methods and discussion, and skim the rest. The abstract is helpful too, for getting the main points from what the author thought was important.
A lot of what your read in textbooks or readings may be exactly what you're getting from the lecture. I don't tend to focus as much on the readings in those cases, but make sure that I'm always in class taking notes.
The one thing I would advise, is that you have to find a system that works for you. Don't compare yourself too much to what others are doing, otherwise you'll drive yourself crazy. You've gotten this far, so you must have decent study habits. It never hurts to change and you can always improve, but give yourself credit for what you've accomplished and trust yourself.
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