Is it okay to take a day off as an undergraduate? [closed]

Question

I am an undergraduate Computer Science student. I take the bus to college everyday at 7 am and come back at 4 pm. And take 3 lectures everyday, except on one day, I take 4, which are 1:30 hours long. Due to this I get very tired, especially towards the end of the week. Anybody would.

I have Saturday and Sunday free. I was thinking whether I should take the Saturday off, or should I study that day too just because I feel like there is a lot to learn. Also sometimes I have my own projects to work on and I have to take a break from the Course's material on weekends. Is it acceptable/expected? Assume I can complete all my assignments in weekdays and on Sunday.

Answer 1

Your health is important to maintain. It does you little good to work harder than your mind and body can accommodate.

Burn out is a serious issue. Some people work so hard for so long that they just, one day, decide it isn't fun anymore and quit, cold.

Your mind will continue to work on problems without being conscious of it and without being forced to concentrate on those problems. People often wake up in the morning or after a nap with a solution to a tricky problem.

So, yes, learn to take breaks, whether short or longer - preferably both. Work when you are relaxed if you can make that happen.

You can also, perhaps learn to use some of the travel time to either just relax or to work on things that don't require access to a machine. This might make the "day off" less of an issue. But don't take this suggestion to mean "work always". For example, some people carry index cards on which they write definitions of things or something about a current problem. If they find a moment of boredom, say on a bus, then they can pull out a few cards and leaf through them, just reinforcing their learning.

See Hipster PDA, for example.

Answer 2

Of course it's OK. Even leaving aside the psychic issues of what is your life for (is it to work or to enjoy), there is the concern that your efficiency drops if you are too tired. Several studies have been done showing that students who burn too many hours may get better grades if they spend less time. It's not a general thing and there are many who need to do more. But it is not uncommon either.

Actually my bigger concern is your efficiency and rest state DURING THE WEEK. You mentioned getting tired as the week goes on. A day off isn't probably the best way to recharge this. You need to keep strength up during the week. Try to think of how to use your time more efficiently (an easy one is to wolf lunch in 2 minutes and then use lunch for exercise or study).

You also need to think how to use the bus rides best. I think notecard drill is a GREAT suggestion. It's active enough (versus reading) that you won't get sleepy. But doesn't require huge concentration or a great writing surface. When I was younger, I could get regenerative sleep on the bus but as I age, I find this less good--have had jobs several times with 1 hour+ bus rides (one way). Don't know for you though. Maybe sleep one leg and drill the other? In any case, this is a problem to figure out. Even living on campus (or walking distance) might be an idea. I understand if money is the issue but if you are far away to be with buddies, I would ditch that. Commutes are a huge waste of time in the universe.

P.s. As far as the notecards, we didn't call it "hipster", but it was a common advice in the military to have a few note cards with you. You can take notes or write ideas. Can drill things (e.g. casualty immediate actions). The other thing is there is a STRESS REDUCTION aspect to having the cards. If you are trapped in a line at the provost, grocers, etc. instead of being POed and stewing, you pull out the cards to drill. Leaving aside the benefit of the drill (and there really is some), you have the stress reduction at not feeling trapped and angry at the time wastage.