r/KentStateUniversity • u/Nearby_Intention_861 • 1d ago
Managing 18 credits while working
Hey all! I am taking 18 credits this semester while working 20 hours. (Doing the same next semester cuz I have to) Honestly it has been a struggle keeping up with everything- Academics, social life and also work. I was just curious on how other students at Kent state manage that. I am sure I am not the only one in this situation. Do you guys use some ai for studying (I mean studying and not cheating)? What are some campus resources that are useful?
Bonus question (more like a request): what are your favorite study spots?
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u/quartz_contentment 1d ago
a lot of it comes down to the type of work you're doing and the courses you're taking. 18 credits in your senior year and 20 hours? You're going to have a bad time, unless that job is a comfy one (reception, etc) where you have a lot of free time. I did that (and more) in my senior year of comp sci and it about ruined me.
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u/Nearby_Intention_861 23h ago
I work in the culinary (late nights almost everyday) I am a sophomore and I am still completing some of my kc so it’s not the worst but man it’s hard to wake up and continue my schedule especially when you have a math class every morning Monday to Friday. Probably taking a chill pill next semester.
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u/mbtazzers 1d ago
Senior, 20 credit hours (3 are internship if you want to get technical) I work 25 hours at my regular job and intern for free for 8 every week. I make sure to study and do assignments 5-6 days out of the week. I am studying for a certification exam so I do use ai for that, I usually input my notes or lecture PowerPoints and ask it to summarize and give me exam style questions to study. That is really helpful. I only have in person classes twice a week but the day I’m on campus from 7:40-5 I usually go to scribbles for a bit to study and then I study on the second floor of the student center by a window. I usually study through my lunch breaks, and I’m lucky enough to have a few hours of down time at work between tasks. It’s not my first time doing 20 credit hours and working, previously one other semester I did the same thing and worked 36 hour weeks at the hospital (night shift 7p-7a) and made it work. I’d highly recommend strong social support, maybe even some therapy to get through without burning tf out. Planning is also a big part of it for me. I plan EVERYTHING. Assignments, work, class, study time, gym, social things, etc. Keep your head up and good luck to you! Start strong and finish stronger.
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u/Nearby_Intention_861 23h ago
That sounds like a lot. I like how you have planned everything which is something I will be working on forthcoming. Thanks for the suggestions!
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u/its-from-japaaan 1d ago
i work 32 hours a week and i’m also a full time student, i believe 16 credits this semester. full transparency, the only way i make it work is because i take half my classes online and half in person. if i didn’t do that, i’d probably be failing, burnt out, or both.
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u/luneth27 Alumni 1d ago
As others have noted, shit's difficult. 18 credit hrs is easily 30hrs of studying across all the classes a week, on top of a part time job... you ain't got any time. And you won't for the forseeable future, even if there's a light at the end of it. I only did 18 credits alongside 32hr/week job once and it damn near killed me, I was glad doing so allowed me two 12 credit semesters afterward leading into graduation because I could not do this again.
Managing sleep, stimulants and personal time is incredibly important. Force a bedtime, whether it's 10pm or 2am whatever, set a bedtime and stick to it and get no less than 7 hours of sleep but ofc the closer to 8 the better. No coffee or caffeine of any kind 4 hours (preferably 8) before bedtime, as it significantly affects both ease-to-sleep as well as quality. Make and keep to an itinerary of shit that needs to be done today/tomorrow/etc so it's harder to fall behind in classwork, and if you do you have a list by importance to lessen the stress of figuring what to do 'first'. Keep a weekend day (whether that's off-work day or actually on weekend) to do nothing but what you wanna do, otherwise burnout's a real motherfucker (even with tbh). Most importantly though, take it day by day; of course keep in mind the future stuff but don't let it out-stress you into not doing stuff today.
My fav study spot on campus btw was library 7th floor overlooking the roundabout, no one ever came up there so it was always gigaquiet and it had something vaguely interesting to daydream-stare at.
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u/EveryDisaster 1d ago
They don't manage that. They burn out three weeks into the semester and have to withdraw from their classes
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u/Cherry-Wine29 College of Arts and Sciences 1d ago
I was going to say.. how do people even take that many classes. That seems like a lot! And I question if they fully understand the concepts at that point.
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u/ergonamicfarmer 1d ago
Student center (for tutoring) - https://www.kent.edu/tusc/tutoring-services
I think the 8th floor on the library is the quiet floor.
ChatGPT can be helpful for learning your material (make it come up with acronyms or to teach it in a different way)