Overwhelmed

My Oxford household was like this, I barely saw them unless in the kitchen of an evening when they'dc ome in, eat, then go right back to working.

I went to the local boozer and made mates there. Seriously. I stay in touch with two Collegemates from my time at Oxford, but I know 20 of the local lads and see them relatively regularly. It is nice to have your housemates as actual mates but you can find that elsewhere, too.

Precisely! They eat in their rooms, while studying! One has a photographic memory and just spits out the lecture slides after we read them and I feel like crying. I know I shouldn't compare myself to her but she's just making it look so easy.
Should I join a society? I think I should, I'm not so sure. I just feel like I'm being thrown into the deep end of a pool. Also, can't really go out alone, I'm a woman. I need friends to go with and none of my friends go out. At all. No-one on my course does. We're all huge nerds. And it's a very small year. Can I PM you about this? Is that OK?

Societies can be a really cool way of meeting people with at least one guaranteed similar interest. I never bothered with them much but I have mates who LOVED them (and a couple who married people from them, actually!), so it's worth a go.

I'd rather not DM - this is not a judgement against you, but my position mens that I have to be transparent with communication with students, even from institutions other than my own.

I think I will. I think I just need to get out of this flat. I made the decision to stay this weekend when I went home last weekend and I'm going a little stir crazy. I'm also the only one who drinks, not that I drink a lot but it is nice to just get tipsy and stupid with friends, but I have none other than people on my course.

How do I deal with the volume of work? I just feel so suffocated. My anxiety is off the wall and my medication isn't doing as much as it used to.

Oh of course, I understand, completely respect that. I appreciate the explanation as to why!

I really do get it. My first month at Oxford was characterised by me trying and failing to get the rest of the staircase out for a beer, or to the local footie ground, or SOMETHING. And they were all very focused. Admirable but no way to live (well, for me anyway).

Volume of work is a tough one. I have lots of platitudes that help my bunch but honestly medical is a different level and it's hard for me to know if they even apply. Do you have an academic advisor and/or subject specialist study support staff? My bunch have that and between us we can usually get stuff sorted. For mine it's almost always a case of being organised but I am loathe to suggest that to a medic because I know the issues tend to run much deeper, ha.

Thanks - as I say, it's just a blanket policy outside of a couple of other academics on here. there are vindictive people that could make things difficult so better if everything I do in terms of engaging with students is in public view

Gosh, yes, that sounds so tough. At the very least, they went to one single fresher event. I have succeeded at something!

I do, I think because I'm so new to the course that I just don't know who to approach or who's nice or helpful, etc. Should I contact student wellbeing? I would love to hear those platitudes. Honestly, I just feel like I'm trying to learn how to swim in the literal goddamn ocean.

The course at my uni is infamous for being very heavy, too. Don't get me wrong, I love it and I'm incredibly grateful to be here, but gosh. Literally I think I just need parental style advice from someone who's been through this nonsense. I'd appreciate any sort of soothing words right now, it's just so so much.

Plus, my cat isn't here. I miss my cat. He's chubby. He's dumb. He once straddled two litter boxes and crapped in between them. He's iconic and I miss him so much.

Wellbeing and/or academic advisor would be my first port of call. A big part of my job is doing that ((I look after something like 160 students, so a really big part) and it is part f the job to help students navigate these difficulties. Asking for help from staff is a skill in itself, I swear, and it's really important that students do this. Ask other students, too. Study groups can help.

The usual things I hone in on are finding ways to work smarter, not harder. This can take loads of forms but maybe the notetaking is inefficient, maybe there needs to be a bit of work on literacy to help read better, some places offer training in speed-reading and give tips on how to process things quickly, mnemonics' etc.

For me it is almost always about having a student treat their course as a 9-5 and planning a day accordingly, meaning they do an actual day's work and stick to timings. Make sure the stuff set for the week gets done for that week.

The other important factor is making time to get out and do something nice. Breaks are crucial and if you don't have enough you will not cope whatsoever, despite best intentions.

Start coursework or assignments sooner rather than later.

To-do lists are really, really helpful. I got into this habit when I started teaching and I live by it now. Not only is it practical, it gives a visual reminder of what you've already achieved. Sort it by order of importance/what needs to be done soonest.

General stuff but people neglect to do all of these things, I see it every day!

Ah that won't help. When I was down south I struggled not having the dogs under my feet and I really didn't like the quiet of not having a parrot shouting at me while working

Thank you so much. I'm going to try and take some control back of my time.
To do lists are great but I end up just making them so long so I've now made a notion page and it's the best thing in the world
I need to then contact student support. Thanks again for all the advice.

And yes! I need my pets! My cat meows like an air siren. Miss it. Do you have your dogs and parrot back now?

Notion is good too if you tend to let out a stream of consciousness in a to-do list

Honestly, don't feel daft asking for help and advice with strategies for this. people involved with your course will have seen it all before and will have tailored stuff you can try. I have loads of tricks for philosophy students or economics students, but markedly less specialist stuff for Medics.

I do indeed, I moved back up north once i was done with the training and reclaimed them. They are all asleep, I can hear one of the dogs snoring

Started medical school a week ago, and the sheer volume of work is just so much. I have about probably 500 flashcards on anki just from one week of lectures.
My friends all just study in their rooms. Don't get me wrong, I love them tons and they're clever and hilarious and I'm so glad I clicked with my flatmates, but they're so academic. I am too, I know that, but I do need to see someone. I don't want to spend my entire weekend begging at their door for them to come out and speak to me.
I just feel overwhelmed. The learning objectives are so vague that all the second years say to just 'learn everything'. I don't know how to work in lectures, I try to make anki during the lectures but I never finish and then I spend the entirety of my day just making anki. Plus, I don't even understand it before I make anki so usually they're poorly worded.
I know I need to work ahead to get past this, but there's just so much to do. Can someone advise, please? What do I do in my lectures? Making anki seems like a bad use of my time. Do I take notes on the powerpoint? Do I just sit and listen? I know everyone learns differently but the longer I take to figure it out the more backlog I have! Help!

Started medical school a week ago, and the sheer volume of work is just so much. I have about probably 500 flashcards on anki just from one week of lectures.
My friends all just study in their rooms. Don't get me wrong, I love them tons and they're clever and hilarious and I'm so glad I clicked with my flatmates, but they're so academic. I am too, I know that, but I do need to see someone. I don't want to spend my entire weekend begging at their door for them to come out and speak to me.
I just feel overwhelmed. The learning objectives are so vague that all the second years say to just 'learn everything'. I don't know how to work in lectures, I try to make anki during the lectures but I never finish and then I spend the entirety of my day just making anki. Plus, I don't even understand it before I make anki so usually they're poorly worded.
I know I need to work ahead to get past this, but there's just so much to do. Can someone advise, please? What do I do in my lectures? Making anki seems like a bad use of my time. Do I take notes on the powerpoint? Do I just sit and listen? I know everyone learns differently but the longer I take to figure it out the more backlog I have! Help!