Do all students feel like this at some point?

apoorstudent

I'm a first year student at a semi-good Uni, and my exams start in 16th Jan. I feel utterly hopeless. Motivationless. I don't know how or where to start.

I also have an essay due in 23 hours and 10 minutes, on which I need to write another 1100 words but have no idea what else to put (though I know that I will get this done... I always do, somehow). As for the exams - is there even any point in starting revising now? Should I just give up and retake in the summer? I have two exams... Would it be best to concentrate on one, rather than spreading myself too thin?

You could say that I have second-semester blues. I sometimes wonder what the hell I'm doing on this course... Do I even like it?! I hate reading, and yet I'm doing English Literature. Also, it feels like I'm paying £1500 per term just to be tortured. Stupid?

ARGH. Sorry, this is a bit of a rant. Someone tell me that I'm not the only one who feels like this :mad:

scotty123476

you sound exactly like me i have just done an exam this morning which i only did four hours revision for. i wish i could start revising for exams early but its just not the way my brain works i WILL do it in second year.

i do the same thing with my essays aswell i always do them the night before, its totally the wrong way to go about it but its just the way i am.

the way i see it is that you just have to pass first year and second year and third years are the ones to focus on. dont let the stress get to you, there is a lot of it and im feeling it myself but you have to get through it, have a laugh with your friends.

so do all students feel like this? certainly a lot of the ones i have spoke to have done at some point but it seems like you need to lighten up a bit and just change your ways for next year.

apoorstudent

^ I just keep thinking that if first year is unbearable, what's second year gonna be like?! I'm not stupid... I've been getting 2.i in every assignment; however, I've just picked up a book an thought 'have I even read this?!' I obviously have, because I did an essay on it, but for some reason all knowledge of it has disappeared.

Sigh. If I don't get a 2.i in first year, I really can't see a point in continuing! I don't think I'm cut out for uni.

Oh, and how was your exam after 4-hours revision?

Idiophreak

First year was the hardest around exam time - felt really stressed, didn't know what to expect etc.

I never did that much revision, however, and I had 6 or 7 exams at a time.

If you do every other day on each between now and the exam you should have a pretty good shot at them.

Just make sure you find all the resources that are availble to you. Past papers etc can be lifesavers.

Do grades in the first year count towards your degree total? Mine didn't, and if that's the case, I *really* wouldn't worry about them.

I wouldn't worry about stuff falling out of your head, either, as soon as I finished an exam the entire contents of the module fell out to make room for the next one - it's just how it works.

wrt essays, the key is in the planning.
If you go about it methodically, it's not so bad.
You just say,
"right, each paragraph is 200 words. I need 5000 words, so that's 25 paragraphs.

I need 3 paragraphs for introduction, 3 for conclusion, 6 on topic a, 6 on topic b, 7 on topic c.

For topic a i need an introductory paragraph and a concluding paragraph. That leaves 4 points to make."
then you research the best 4 points and find a couple of references. Then you just need to write a paragraph on each.

That way, you only need to write 200-250 words at a time, have a very good idea about what you need to say in that paragraph, and don't have to worry about writing the essay from start to end. You can write a paragraph in the middle first if you come across something that's useful.

Final word: Just relax - come the second year you'll probably find you take things in your stride a lot more.

ihatechoosingnames

Yes, it happens a lot, don't let it stress you out. I've got a group project due tommorow -it should have been done during the christmas break..:(

i get what you mean about not seeing the point sometimes. all i can say is just carry on, and hopefully you'll see why you wanted to do it so much in the first place.

http://nymag.com/news/features/24757/ (just reminded me of this article although i wouldn't recommend reading it while you've got an essay due tommorow)

good luck with it all x

studentphil

There is no need to stress about 1st year exams. Just do the best you can and you will most likely pass.

apoorstudent

I have to get 50+ in every module to get into the second year. Any fails (whether it is a single assignment from a module) means that I fail the entire module and have to retake. Plus the retake essays are double the length of the original ones! It's like there are no second chances... And I hate that. I know work will be the same, but still. The reality of it knocks me sick.

I know that I only need 50, but I still think that I should be trying my hardest NOW so that I have myself in check for second year. Plus, I can see myself hating this subject by the time I finish - I won't even want a job that involves my subject! Sorry, my defeatist attitude is rearing its ugly head today. nfdkjngjkng.

EDIT: thanks Idiophreak for the breakdown... I never plan my essays, that may be where I'm going wrong!

jamtart6

you have PLENTY of time to revise......will past questions help?

get the key facts, key quotes and key ideas. pretty brainstorms with coloured pens will help you organise your ideas.


as for the course, well thats up to you, majority of course need a lot of reading to do well.

i do see what you mean about paying to be tortured and if you hate it that much, question why you are doing it, is it for you/parents? for a job you need?(if so keep going 3 years goes mega quickly), because you wanted to go to uni?

even as an academic-wannabe, I still dont believe uni does everyone good.

davodedthomas

I'm in my second year and I have a 5,000 word essay due in on Tuesday of which I have done 800 words of. I just can't be bothered at the moment. I wish I'd started earlier and read up and made notes but I just haven't.

I never learn and am always in this predicament, yet as the OP said, always manage to get it done on time (just)

MoneySavingSapphire_:D

I'm a third year English Lit student, and nothing has really changed - now I feel like I'm just treading water for the next sixth months, I can see the end but I need to focus on now to get a good degree...
I kept saying "I'll be different in secind year... I'll be different in third year", but my motivation hasn't changed because this isn't really what I want to be doing. However, despite similar thoughts to yourself re: jobs, its been an eye opener looking for graduate jobs - I'm beginning to think that my degree WILL be useful (if I get a 2:1...)

First year is worst though, as in the next two years you have more scope for picking your own topics/specific areas of study (to an extent) - so now's the time for deciding what interests you.
Anyhoo, good luck and get off MSE :rotfl: (Says she, with one 6000 word and one 2000 word essay due in Wed, with work all weekend and all day Tuesday, and a combined total of just 1500 words done :eek:)

apoorstudent

^^Damn. Did you do english because you're passionate about it, or because you're good at it? I sometimes think I made the wrong decision. Have your three years really dragged? My first semester flew by, possibly because I barely had a chance to think. But xmas hols have really made me question what I am doing.

Anyway I've done 60-words. Hoorah! *cough cough* Think I might update this thread until I'm finished. To motivate myself... Or something :P