Unfortunately, the stereotype that engineering students always have a never-ending mountain of work to do and are insanely stressed is more often true than not. Aside from the obvious concepts of going to class, going to office hours, and studying, here are some things I do to cope with a large workload and keep my mood up.Â
Using Physical Weekly/Monthly Planners
Taking six courses with six tutorials often means that I have multiple different types of assignments due every day of the week. I found making a To-Do list on my phone to be very visually overwhelming to the point where I didn’t even want to look at it. Eventually, a friend recommended I try a physical notebook with weekly and monthly overviews, and it was the best choice I could’ve made for my productivity. It was easier to keep track of all my due dates and much easier to keep everything organized. Additionally, since it’s a physical notebook, it became routine to check and doesn’t have as many distractions as a phone or tablet.
Taking “Unnecessary” Notes
In the Environmental stream of engineering, I often bounce between classes that are solely theory or a combination of theory and practical. Some professors will structure their classes in a way where you don’t need to jot any notes and others will have you copy pages and pages of formulaic solutions. To create a middle ground for myself and to avoid zoning out, I take notes even in classes where all the information will be available online. It’s also useful for narrowing down the most significant information for reviewing later.
Making Use of “Third Places”
With how often and how long I have to spend each day on campus, it becomes very easy to feel like I live at the university and just go home to sleep. To break this cycle, I try at least a couple of times a week to make use of a “third place”; a place that is not at home or at work/school. For me, this ends up being getting a coffee with friends after class before heading home or going to the gym on the weekend. It doesn’t have to take up my whole day but it’s refreshing to take a real break and recharge before going back to studying.
Finding New Study Spots
Slightly relating to the idea of finding third places to spend time in, I try not to spend study sessions in the same building I have the majority of my classes in. It’s again about breaking the habit of a monotonous day; I like to believe my mood is improved by not having the same backdrop for 12 hours straight. For example, most of my classes are in CEI so I like to find different spots in Leddy Library to study.Â
While it will always be important to attend all my classes, take notes, and study, these seemingly insignificant ideas are what I’ve realized help me best cope through the past three years of my engineering degree.Â