Balancing Studying/Life

Recently started university. I go to the gym every other day, play basketball once a week for the team, jiu jitsu twice, go out out 1-2 times a week, date once or so a week.

I have around 18hrs contact a week, with difficult but short problem sets. I feel like I’m slightly behind on knowledge, with it being slightly problematic due to the abstract nature of the content. Anyways, manageable.

I want to improve my machine learning skills by doing Kaggle challenges. My degree doesn’t cover ML/A.I topics at the moment, but will later. Problem is, I feel like I don’t have the time.

How do people get the time to study for stuff outside their degree? Is this just me being new to university?

I’m asking on a finance forum because I know many of you grinded IB technicals and what not, which I imagine requires a similar time commitment on a week by week basis.

Will I have to give up some of my social life? Looking to get into prop trading / trading or research (in AM preferably).

12 Comments
 

What does this mean: 

“I have around 18hrs contact a week”

Is this 18 credit hours of classes?

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

18 hours of classes / lectures. Not sure what you mean by credit - content learned is examined mid way and at the end of the year depending on module.

 
pinkdoughnut11

18 hours of classes / lectures. Not sure what you mean by credit - content learned is examined mid way and at the end of the year depending on module.

What is your major? Don’t worry too much about studying outside of your degree. Just focus on a *perfect* GPA and good internships.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

I have deleted these - problem is sometimes they are useful and I get sucked in.

for example, using ig to msg dates, youtube to watch a study video etc quickly spirals into doom scrolling. I’ve recognised it and defo gotten better, but could probably get another 30 min a day.

 

Yes, it’s because you just started university. 16 x 5 = 80 hours a week (8 hours sleep and weekends completely free. Subtract 20 hours for class and you still have 60. Even if you add 3 hours a day to study (likely unnecessary) and 2 to shower, eat, etc., you still have 35 hours left…7 a day. Add a 25% kicker for bullshit…you still have plenty of time 

 

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"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

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