Two quarters before I graduated, I decided to take four classes. My credits were messed up and I switched majors at the last minute. A little background on my academic history: I did running start which was a dual credit enrollment program that allows juniors and seniors to pursue their associate’s degree along with their high school diploma. When I got into UW, my credits allowed me to transfer in at junior standing. Technically, I was able to graduate with my Bachelor’s degree in just two years. But, because I had some credit mix-ups along with scheduling issues, I needed to take overload credits in one quarter if I wanted to graduate on time. Everyone’s experience with four classes is different, but, just for reference, I was an English, creative writing major working part-time at a law firm (hybrid).
My two English classes and one elective were twice a week all on differing days. My fourth class was an “independent study” class once a week focusing on writing my grad school research paper. I will be honest, this was one of the most mentally difficult times of my life. I was crying over deadlines, school work, and my job. I am sharing this not to scare you, but to remind you that overloading on credits is difficult. I only recommend taking four classes if you really need to or if you think that you can handle the workload.
Here are some tips that got me through four classes at UW:
- Digital and physical planners
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Example of my Notion homepage & physical planner
I understand planners are a hit or miss for everyone, however, if you are not going to use a planner you need another organizational system to help you stay on track. I used Notion to help keep track of deadlines, along with more personalized pages such as a creative writing space and habit tracker. I used my physical planner to help keep track of tasks that I needed to accomplish that week. Before classes started, I looked over the syllabus and put the deadlines into a calendar. I would also add reminders for each assignment. Once school started, I spent my Sundays planning out the next week. If there was an essay, I would break it down into smaller parts per day so I don’t stress about it all in one day.
- Pomodoro method & Breaks
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Screenshot from Youtube 1.29.23
On days when I had little to no motivation, I would work for 30 minutes with a 15-minute break 3 times before taking a 30-minute break. You can work and take breaks for however long you want, just make sure you set aside time dedicated to focused work and relaxing breaks. You also need to create hard boundaries with where you work and where you take a break. For example, your desk should be directed toward work, and, once you have a break, you should go to another space to differentiate the two atmospheres from one another. To help keep track of time, you could have a 30-minute YouTube video playing that has ambient music. Once the time is up, that’s your sign to take a break. I like listening to the Lofi Hip Hop Radio on YouTube or the Studio Ghibli Nature Loop on HBO Max or YouTube.
- get rid of distractions
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Screenshot of my Do Not Disturb Settings
If you are serious about taking four classes, then you need to stop as many distractions as possible. The easiest thing is putting your phone where you can’t see it as well as putting it on “Do Not Disturb.” I have different “Do Not Disturb” settings on my phone so that certain people can reach me in an emergency. And if you think that won’t help, delete all your social media until you are done working for the day.
- stepping away from your work load
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Photo on the left is on the Burke-Gilman Trail & on the right is at the Washington Park Arboretum
Photos taken by Zaira Bardos
When you are trying to push through finishing work but you’re not making any progress, you need to step away and come back to it later. Depending on the amount of time I had left before the deadline, I usually went on a walk, practiced yoga, took a nap, or just read. I just made sure not to look at a screen so that my brain could relax. Even if my deadline was close and I still had a lot to do, I would just stop everything and step away. Once your mind stops comprehending the work, then it is best to just go to bed.
- Talk with professors or students that have taken that class
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Schedule a meeting with a professor or ask colleagues about the workload in the class. That way, you can make the decision on whether or not you will be able to keep up with the information and homework in the class along with your other classes. I usually sent an email to professors or I messaged my peers through Canvas messaging and/or Discord.
Just remember, having more than full-time credits is a big deal and it is difficult! You should be proud of your determination and commitment to your academics. And sometimes, acknowledging that it’s a lot of work and validating your feelings of being overwhelmed could help you in that matter. It’s also important to talk with loved ones about your situation if needed.
I knew that I needed to reassess my responsibilities once they became too overwhelming. When I would call my dad crying about the work, his response was, “You can have everything you want in the world, just not at the same time.” From that point, I knew things needed to change. I started to say no to more responsibilities in order to protect my mental health.