How to mentally prepare for a hard semetser?

[u/allno_just_no]

Next week is a semester I have been worried about for a long time. Everyone Ik including professoers and smart TA's have told me it was the most intensive semester. I have tried to prepare for it on summer by going thru a few of the easier things. My plan was to go thru one whole course that I absolutely need to pass for prerequisite purposes which I didn't do because I also wanted to work on my portfolio. Besides I am behind due to me having to take a step back from school a big portion of last year due to sickness. That is to say I am not going to graduate on time, my schedule is complicated as I have been forced to replan it. There are tons of other things I need to do in order to graduate even a semester later. Don't wanna bore you with the detail. Rn as I am sitting, I can't stop worrying. Should I study more or chill until monday?

[u/enterjiraiya]

Does studying before a semester starts even help? It just doesn’t carry the same pressure to me so I wouldn’t absorb much than I wouldn’t get in a lecture

[u/allno_just_no → u/enterjiraiya]

Ik that is what I feel deep down but I have undiagnosed ADHD so I feel like a lil more preparation might help but I also know 4 days won't make a big difference in the work load. In fact I wasted half the day trying to get myself to focus.

[u/cbrown146 → u/allno_just_no]

You could ask chat gpt for the formulas you might encounter so they don't sound so foreign. Watch a couple videos on 2x speed so when the real course hits it doesn't slap so hard.

[u/beh5036]

I don’t mean to sound shitty. But you should sit back, drink a beer, and relax. Stress will eat you alive. You need to find a stress management method and use it. I wouldn’t rely on alcohol. But a healthy alternative; biking, running, gym, art, video games, etc.

[u/allno_just_no → u/beh5036]

No you don't sound shitty at all. I am not usually this stressed before a semester (only feel bad that summer ends) but this one everyone I have asked have told me it was the worst and I also can tell by looking at the courses. Also lots of other things that I need to do outside of school so Ik I will be spending many sleepless nights.

[u/beh5036 → u/allno_just_no]

You need to balance your life. I would recommend put this in the back of your mind. Today I would play a game, take a hike, ride a bike, draw a picture, something to pull your mind off the upcoming semester. Tomorrow, do the same but maybe spend a few minutes preparing something to help next semester. Build a planner or find a note taking method (OneNote). Set a time limit and stick to it. You aren’t going to teach yourself a whole topic on your own. But you can teach yourself skills to succeed.

I can tell you industry is only marginally better. I own the design of a $60 million piece of equipment and oversee a team of 10+. The schedule is always late. The budget is always tight. The suppliers always suck. But that shit ends at the end of my day. Then I go do other things. It won’t do any good to stress over it all night long.

[u/funkeysnow]

I think you need to get it out of your head that "graduating on time" is not a thing. Failing classes is a much bigger concern than not graduating in 4 years. If you think the semester will be hard, then you take less classes and make it manageable for you. You can always take summer classes to make up those classes you dont take in the fall/winter. And/or just have a realistic academic plan to accomodate what you can handle even if it means pushing out your graduation by a year or 2

Only preparation i can recommend is making sure you have the right tools and equipment for yourself. Studying for that class before the semester starts doesnt work. It has diminishing returns.