5 answers
Sarah
Student
Huntsville, Alabama
1
Question
Asked
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Will i have free time while studying for my engineering major?
Hey there! I'm Sarah and I'm going into my freshman/sophomore year at UAH this upcoming year. I have all my general classes done and I will probably be heading straight into the more difficult ones this fall. Because of that, I was wondering if I'll have time for any of my other hobbies while studying. I draw a lot as well as workout and play soccer. I know engineering is a demanding major, will I have to cut some, if not all, of those? Or do you think there is a way to balance it all?
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5 answers
Sreedhar Chanda
Mechanical Engineer
52
Answers
Kentwood, Michigan
Updated
Sreedhar’s Answer
Hi Sarah,
I suggest pushing your scheduled fun activities to weekend and summer time while being a full-time engineering student. Keep a goal of graduating bachelor's degree as quickly as possible to save time, money, and to quickly get to a less academically stressful schedule beyond graduation. You will find more time in graduate school or during a full-time job.
You will always find pockets of unexpected free time during your semesters and you can fill those with your favorite activities.
Good luck!
Sreedhar
I suggest pushing your scheduled fun activities to weekend and summer time while being a full-time engineering student. Keep a goal of graduating bachelor's degree as quickly as possible to save time, money, and to quickly get to a less academically stressful schedule beyond graduation. You will find more time in graduate school or during a full-time job.
You will always find pockets of unexpected free time during your semesters and you can fill those with your favorite activities.
Good luck!
Sreedhar
Rebecca Tang
Banking
2572
Answers
Hong Kong
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
Thank you for your question. This is a question related to your time management. Firstly, you can find a time management tool to help, eg Google Calendar, MS outlook, phone calendar, etc
Below are my suggestions:
1. Put down the time you need to attend lectures and tutorials
2. Assign some time every day on your assignment and projects. Review the material covered in the class everyday. If you have any questions, ask the tutor in next tutorial
3. Make sure you have enough time to sleep and do some exercise
4. You can then allocate time for your leisure, eg drawing, play soccer, etc. and friends & family gathering
5. Put more time for revision and start early before assessment
Hope this helps! Good luck!
May Almighty God bless you!
Below are my suggestions:
1. Put down the time you need to attend lectures and tutorials
2. Assign some time every day on your assignment and projects. Review the material covered in the class everyday. If you have any questions, ask the tutor in next tutorial
3. Make sure you have enough time to sleep and do some exercise
4. You can then allocate time for your leisure, eg drawing, play soccer, etc. and friends & family gathering
5. Put more time for revision and start early before assessment
Hope this helps! Good luck!
May Almighty God bless you!
Thank you so much for the tips! I'll test it over the summer to see what works for me!
Sarah
Arnold Bhebhe
Software Engineer
3
Answers
Redmond, Washington
Updated
Arnold’s Answer
Just to add onto what Rebecca has said; even with a solid plan in place, there will be days when sticking to your schedule feels tough. Maybe you're too tired to go to soccer practice, or you don't feel like drawing, or you end up spending more time with friends than you planned. That's completely natural, and I want you to know that upfront.
I'm bringing this up because when those days happen, it can start to weigh on you mentally. You look at everything you didn't get done and it drains your energy even more. So if that happens, don't let it bring you down. Acknowledge it, and then adapt your plan to better fit your current needs.
What I mean by that is: be flexible and go easy on yourself. Your class times may always be fixed, so those could be your anchors. Everything else — drawing, soccer, workouts, social time — can be rearranged week to week based on what's going on. Use your spare time intentionally, but give yourself permission to shift things around as needed.
I'm bringing this up because when those days happen, it can start to weigh on you mentally. You look at everything you didn't get done and it drains your energy even more. So if that happens, don't let it bring you down. Acknowledge it, and then adapt your plan to better fit your current needs.
What I mean by that is: be flexible and go easy on yourself. Your class times may always be fixed, so those could be your anchors. Everything else — drawing, soccer, workouts, social time — can be rearranged week to week based on what's going on. Use your spare time intentionally, but give yourself permission to shift things around as needed.
Arnold, thank you!
Sarah
William Vvuko
Retired engineer
233
Answers
Moyo, Northern Region
Updated
William’s Answer
Hi Sarah,
You raise an important issue. The truth is that we all have 24 hours each day. How well we manage it determines how much we achieve each day. Generally, we need time to work, rest, travel, recreate, exercise, be with family, relatives, and friends etc. Best practice requires that we optimize our time allocations for what is important. Important things are those that contribute significantly to the achievement of our goals. We often attend to urgent things that are not even important - such activities need to be deferred to a later time/date so we can focus on what is important. It's also good to allocate sufficient time for areas where we are weak so we can improve. This, however, should be done in such a manner that it doesn't affect our performance in areas where we are already doing well. Optimum balance may vary from one individual to another. You will have to figure out what works best for you.
I've had the privilege of working in an environment where refresher training in time management is done annually by the organization.
Best of luck in your studies.
You raise an important issue. The truth is that we all have 24 hours each day. How well we manage it determines how much we achieve each day. Generally, we need time to work, rest, travel, recreate, exercise, be with family, relatives, and friends etc. Best practice requires that we optimize our time allocations for what is important. Important things are those that contribute significantly to the achievement of our goals. We often attend to urgent things that are not even important - such activities need to be deferred to a later time/date so we can focus on what is important. It's also good to allocate sufficient time for areas where we are weak so we can improve. This, however, should be done in such a manner that it doesn't affect our performance in areas where we are already doing well. Optimum balance may vary from one individual to another. You will have to figure out what works best for you.
I've had the privilege of working in an environment where refresher training in time management is done annually by the organization.
Best of luck in your studies.
Tom McCaffrey
Management
20
Answers
Madison, Mississippi
Updated
Tom’s Answer
Managing your time well is important. First, focus on your classes and learning, then decide what else you want to do. There are many distractions out there, like social media, which is made to grab your attention. Remember this when planning your day. You have enough time each day to focus on what matters most; you just need to stay focused and use some tools to help you stay on track.