How do you do more than one grad class a semester?

[dfrecore]

I'm currently taking two classes per semester at Amberton. It's my second semester so far, and my workload averages to about 17-20 written pages a week. The first 3 weeks of this semester I was working 50 hours a week and had no free time. I also really started feeling burned out before even hitting the halfway mark. Because of this, I reduced my hours at my second job so I could take more time to sleep, relax, not get burned out, and not stress myself.

I remember reading a thread on here before I started at Amberton where someone finished an MS at Amberton in 7 months. This person took 3 courses per semester, and ended up taking 4 (if my memory serves me right) for their last semester. I wanted to finish fast like this person, so I signed up for 3 classes my first semester. I was working part-time back then, and it was simply all too overwhelming for me, so I dropped one course. I ultimately decided I'll stick with two classes per semester. I was trying too much to act like someone else without being someone else. I'd recommend to find your best balance and go from there. After this semester you can try to take two classes for next semester, and if you feel it is overwhelming you can either drop one course, or you can suck it up and realize your life will be nil for the next 10 weeks, but you will have learned more about your personal work threshold, and will probably not repeat that mistake again. Your true limits only reveal themselves if you push past them. With that said, you can only do the best that YOU can do.

At this pace I'll have started and finished my master's within a year. I keep telling myself, "It's a marathon, not a sprint" and I'd recommend you tell yourself that as well. Each of us has a different tolerance to work and stress, so while we can look at others for guidance and motivation, it is our own personal qualities and limitations that will determine how much we can handle. I would also say that the work doesn't get easier, but you do become more efficient at completing it over time, so hopefully you will find some comfort in that.

Ah...that's what we forget sometimes; that if what we're doing isn't working for us, we can change it!

I think that you sign up for 1 class the first term and see how it goes. If you think it's a piece of cake, take 2 classes the next term. If 1 class is what works for you, stick with that.

Whatever we decide to do with this school thing, nothing is set in stone. You get to change your mind!