Being 'too' social?

What's your main form of contact with people? For me, it's TSR, and they're mostly not even people I know; I go round answering threads like this by people I don't know wasting hours upon hours because there's always something new to read or reply to. Solution: don't allow myself on TSR until I've done a certain amount of work per day, or only allow myself an hour per day or something. It worked last term for me. MSN, phone etc. are all very similar.

Mods please keep this anonymous as some of my friends browse TSR and I wouldn't want them knowing it's me, thanks.

Well to cut this short, at college I became a recluse and didn't socialise at all as I didn't fit in too well, but at uni it's the complete opposite. I've made friends for life already and we have had countless memories. My worry is that I'm being too social, and not making enough time for myself. Is there such a thing as wanting to socialise too much, and how do you manage your socialising time and work time? How can I want to sit by myself for hours and work, instead of my usual 10 minutes of work and then "oh I suppose I could take a break and go on facebook/phone someone up and chat for a while" etc etc? I've got quite a large group of friends, so I have a lot of people I talk to so it's not as if I get bored of talking either!

My mind just wanders all the time, and I always want to go out and have fun and just be around my mates. But I'm really not working at all and I need to get my work ethic back because I have exams in a week and I've done NO revision yet. Any advice on how to manage myself, and being satisfied with having time to yourself and not wanting to socialise so much??

I think it's easier if they're strangers though. It's hard for me to turn the phone off, avoid Facebook (that one sounds awfully sad, but I'm sure I could try that one!), or, while I'm at uni, avoid going over to their rooms whenever I want. I suppose that sounds like a good plan though; get the work done early in the day, and then allow myself time to socialise. What it's been like before was wake up whenever, skip lectures sometimes even, go to someone's room, wait until they leave for uni, go to someone else's etc, then at night, get ready to go out or have a late night conversation.

Are you male or female by the way? Just wondering since I'm a similar kind of person, I absolutely LOVE people.

In my case it hasn't hampered my academic performance one iota, bar perhaps attaining a 1st though since the benefit I derive from time with my peeps is far higher than that from getting a 1st over a 2.1. I believe uni to be, aside from attaining the skills from ones degree, all about other people. Wouldn't have it any other way.

Thats the main thing I guess, no such thing as being 'too sociable' so long as you do not jeopardise your grades and that you maintain some sort of focus

Yep, male too. All of my friends are obviously very sociable too, but they somehow manage to do other things like their work and even sports/gym whereas I don't think I know how to balance anything without wondering if I could be "missing out" on talking to people about things etc. Also I tend to lose focus. I have random times where I get all determined and get through work, but the other 90% of the time I put work aside. How do you balance it?

This thread is describing me. It's almost impossible to get out of being 'too social' once you are. I cannot get any motivation to revise for my exams in 2 weeks..

Man I was awful in my first two years, infact I had to redo a year - but that was more due to other problems.

1. If your a first year - Its really easy to get lost in a milieu of going out constantly coz thats well what most first years do.

2. Maybe work on time management a bit? Some people need 'me time', I don't - Just time to fulfil academic and sport/gym responsibilities as you say.

I kind of just said ok when I need to work I will (which is usually like a week before an exam - at max - Do NOT do this lol, it is painful!)

I guess its just self discipline? I've had to teach myself alot over the last 2 years or so, which much to learn before the real world, though once you feel like you're going in the right direction it kind of takes auto-drive.

Try and structure your days a bit more... Like get to the library at a set time every day, doesn't have to be 8.30 on the dot. And even if you don't do as much as you'd have liked it'll still make you feel better and in more control. Start playing footy or cricket or ruggers or whatever takes your fancy...

What Uni are you at?

Oh crap - a week before the exam, yep same boat as me! And the worst part is I'm gonna have to learn it all out of the textbook as I missed all those lectures.

I'm thinking I must start the day wrong then. I'm gonna attempt to get my work done soon after I wake up and then after I'm satisfied I'll let myself answer those calls and check Facebook etc. But back at halls it'll be tougher I think as I'll usually have lectures soon after I wake.

And for anonymity purposes I'll just say I'm in the midlands at a top 20 uni if that gives you any idea.

Ha dude that is SO me, I've been to about 5 over my whole uni career - again I do not condone or recommend that.

I'm not taking the piss but unless you know yourself to be able to get a good grade from operating in that fashion don't. I know a lot of 'crammers' at uni who get good grades, but the majority have to work consistently over the procedural teaching of a course. That's why its there, otherwise they'd just give you the text and say ok the exam is on so and so date prepare yourself.

Basically if you can't get the grades from working in that fashion then don't. You will have to curb your social life. If you can heck man don't worry about it! Enjoy these years man they are priceless.. Have you had any assessments yet?

At college it's how I worked and I did reasonably well, not fantastic, but I did alright for myself to get to where I am now anyway.

I've had assessments for one of my modules and I did average, usually because I gave up on anything that needed extra, extra reading. And I did poorly on one of my assignments because I knew nothing and had to do a lot of reading in little time. I think I should be okay from now on though. I want to go to lectures, I want to stay on top of my work just by reading a chapter every week etc, now that I've seen how much time I wasted and how hard I'm finding having to learn everything now.