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Balancing modules?

Hey, I'll be enrolling on my 2nd year modules for English Language & Creative Writing soon. I have to choose modules worth 120 credits, with single term modules being worth 15 credits and both term modules being 30.

With the modules I've chosen, I'll have 5 modules in term 1 and only 3 in term 2 - 5:3 balance. It's "heavily recommended" by the department to make sure the modules are evenly balanced over the terms (4:4).

Obviously, choosing the modules right for me is most important, but the emphasis put on balancing modules is kind of worrying me. I don't want to be completely overworked in my first term and have that affect my performance. I can't really compromise with my choices however, and the only modules I'm on the fence about are both term 1 & 2 so that wouldn't make a difference.

Has anyone else had a 5:3 (or similar) split in their modules and had more work in one term than the other? How did you find it? Easy to cope, difficult, or a disaster?

Thanks a lot!
Original post by seawaif
Hey, I'll be enrolling on my 2nd year modules for English Language & Creative Writing soon. I have to choose modules worth 120 credits, with single term modules being worth 15 credits and both term modules being 30.

With the modules I've chosen, I'll have 5 modules in term 1 and only 3 in term 2 - 5:3 balance. It's "heavily recommended" by the department to make sure the modules are evenly balanced over the terms (4:4).

Obviously, choosing the modules right for me is most important, but the emphasis put on balancing modules is kind of worrying me. I don't want to be completely overworked in my first term and have that affect my performance. I can't really compromise with my choices however, and the only modules I'm on the fence about are both term 1 & 2 so that wouldn't make a difference.

Has anyone else had a 5:3 (or similar) split in their modules and had more work in one term than the other? How did you find it? Easy to cope, difficult, or a disaster?

Thanks a lot!

I had a similar split in my master's degree. My university wouldn't allow a split of more than 5:3, but that was still acceptable. The first semester I had about 3 hours more contact time than in semester 1, and one particular module in semester 1 that had an insane amount of assignments (about 3 times what every other module required). I didn't really affect my performance though, as I did just as well in semester 2's modules, and it actually give me perspective on how hard I had worked.

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