Any graduate school moms?

FutureHardings

So, I'm in the middle of my degree (Clinical Mental Health Counseling) and I must say... with everything that I do on a daily basis outside of school, sitting down at the end of the day to study/memorize information for a test is just plain hard.

I am staring at Freud, knowing that my test tomorrow is complete memorization, and I can't find the brain space to fit this in.

Any tips? I'll give you a cookie in payment.

orleyl

Lots of coffee! I am not in school but thats my career. I could not even imagine being in school right now. Good Luck.

hriesen4

Ugh...I was actually thinking of starting grad school and was looking into counseling.  You make me want to shove it all off to the side.  LOL

maudiemode

I am currently in grad school. I am getting my MSW and will graduate in May. I am in a part-time program so all I have to do is my internship (3 days a week) and a class that goes along with it. Its actually the easiest semester and am SOOOOO thankful. The little work that I have to do I have a hard time doing it. If my LO would have been here last year during research I probably would have dropped out. Hang in there girl and tell yourself it will be worth it in the end.

FutureHardings

School up to this point hasn't been bad. I started grad school literally the week after I found out about the BFP, went back to school the week after giving birth... and this is by far my hardest semester. The class I have is just pure memorization, and that kills me. I'm NOT good at memorizing, let alone when I have a sick 6 month old who won't let me put him down.

I'm trying my best, and I'm looking over this again and again, I just can't get below a B in this class or else I have to re-take it.

Thanks for the encouragement!  It honestly helps so so much!

jacksjerseygirl

I'm done with grad but my tips are ... study in the AM. Even if you get up earlier in the morning. It is better, research based, to get a full/good night sleep and then to study/memorize in the AM - with a quick refresher at the end of the night. The brain tends to hold onto information longer and you have a better chance of being able to recall it later.

FutureHardings

Thanks Jacks! I'm trying to break it apart into pieces.. I have about four pages of information to memorize, and then an essay which I know the topic of.

So, I have about three of the pages memorized so far. I'm going over it one last time tonight to make sure I've got it. I plan on waking up tomorrow to do the last page, and write out the essays before class starts so that they are fresh in my mind and I know what I am going to say.

I just wish I could smack my professor sometimes. He talks to us like we are 1) children and 2) have no other lives outside of school. He actually told me once that I will need to learn to separate my child from my schoolwork.

yellowtulips80

i'm in grad school too but my classes are all online.  My major for my bach degree was in science and I had to do a lot of memorization.  So I completely feel your pain.  I got through the memorization by getting a tape recorder and reading my notes out loud to the recorder.  Then I would listen to it in the car when I was going somewhere.  I would also talk it out to someone else.  I found that talking it out or trying to teach someone else what I was trying to remember made me remember it better.

FutureHardings

yellowtulips80:

I would also talk it out to someone else.  I found that talking it out or trying to teach someone else what I was trying to remember made me remember it better.

Funny you should say this! I've been having my husband asking me questions and I read off to him what I know, etc.

He looked at me like I was crazy when I asked him to do it, but thankfully he's a willing participant. lol

jkalmommy2b

I'm getting a masters's in English and I'm about to lose my mind.  I haven't been to bed before 1am this whole week and then DD gets up at least twice to eat after that and I'm home with her all day trying to fit in some studying.  Then my husband comes home, plays with the baby for a couple of hours and gets her to bed, but then he's done with the day at 7pm and I'm really just getting started studying (that's if I don't have a 3 hour class at night).  I'll be done with classwork in May, but am taking until August to finish my thesis.  And I definitely know about staring at the book.  In one of my classes we are reading Plato and Kant and all these other theorists.  I just tell myself that May will come no matter what I do, so I just do the best I can until then.

purple_posies

For the Future, I guess, since it's now "tomorrow" from when this was posted ... maybe take a little catnap?  I do this sometimes when I get home from work and I wake up feeling LOADS better than I did before.

It's a hit or miss, though, if you do too much, etc., sometimes you end up feeling like crap. =