College writers and studies.

[OscarTlau]

It's been a while since I posted anything, let alone have the time to write anything. But since I'm coming back here, I wanted to ask. If there are any writers that go to college or even school. How do y'all balance your writing and studies?

For me it's pretty unbalanced since by the time I am free from my studies, my energy gets too low to even have the motivation to write. But sometimes I do it anyways or even sacrifice my study hours to write even just a few hundred words.

 

[CinnaSloth]

Save offline. Pull up word, or notebook. Have a dedicated "This is where I write" spot at home. No youtube, no lingering on other sites while sitting there. put on some music if that's what you like to do while working, anything to get comfortable. write a bit. You aren't writing to post THAT day. Don't worry about look back over it to edit this or that unless you had a really great idea. just write.
If you're doing schooling, do your studies, do homework do everything else needed first. I get home tired, and sleepy, sometimes even forget to eat. there's no point on slugging yourself through classes if you're just going to fail them. if you INTEND to fail them, drop out and save yourself the sanity. If you really do intend to pass, and slug through, make sure to make it worth your while. passing classes comes first. that's just the way it is. Do the work..
If, and when, you're done with school work for the day (which it feels like it never ends, i know), take a second to stretch, and move around. then sit in your writing corner. as long as you enjoy what you're writing, it'll flow through you. give yourself an hour or two if you have the time, time limit yourself as to not burn yourself out. eat. go to bed at a decent time.
Leaving off at a part where you have ideas moving forward, gives you motivation to come back and continue writing. saving offline makes sure you aren't opening up your browser to accidently catch a glimpse of something else to get distracted.
It's just you, and the blank page, that's all you need to write. Anything else is bonus content you need to pay for with attention.
If it's only a few hundred words, or a thousand, that's progress. Personally, I shoot for 2k words per update, (give or take a few couple dozen). When you have your personal updatable amount of words, save, update. open up a new doc, new page, next chapter. rinse repeat.
writing should be enjoyable. if you aren't feeling it one day and would rather sleep, sleep is important.
but try to get at least 2 updates per week. maybe one Monday, the other Thursday. schedule yourself, but don't overwhelm yourself.
This is for fun. It should be fun.

 

[Golden_Hyde]

If there are any writers that go to college or even school. How do y'all balance your writing and studies?

already graduated from college, but back in the first semester, I used to write a lot of fanfictions back in the day, though the frequency of me writing starts to dwindle due to studies and most of all, gaming, until tragedy hits and it became hard to stay consistent.

 

[OscarTlau]

Save offline. Pull up word, or notebook. Have a dedicated "This is where I write" spot at home. No youtube, no lingering on other sites while sitting there. put on some music if that's what you like to do while working, anything to get comfortable. write a bit. You aren't writing to post THAT day. Don't worry about look back over it to edit this or that unless you had a really great idea. just write.
If you're doing schooling, do your studies, do homework do everything else needed first. I get home tired, and sleepy, sometimes even forget to eat. there's no point on slugging yourself through classes if you're just going to fail them. if you INTEND to fail them, drop out and save yourself the sanity. If you really do intend to pass, and slug through, make sure to make it worth your while. passing classes comes first. that's just the way it is. Do the work..
If, and when, you're done with school work for the day (which it feels like it never ends, i know), take a second to stretch, and move around. then sit in your writing corner. as long as you enjoy what you're writing, it'll flow through you. give yourself an hour or two if you have the time, time limit yourself as to not burn yourself out. eat. go to bed at a decent time.
Leaving off at a part where you have ideas moving forward, gives you motivation to come back and continue writing. saving offline makes sure you aren't opening up your browser to accidently catch a glimpse of something else to get distracted.
It's just you, and the blank page, that's all you need to write. Anything else is bonus content you need to pay for with attention.
If it's only a few hundred words, or a thousand, that's progress. Personally, I shoot for 2k words per update, (give or take a few couple dozen). When you have your personal updatable amount of words, save, update. open up a new doc, new page, next chapter. rinse repeat.
writing should be enjoyable. if you aren't feeling it one day and would rather sleep, sleep is important.
but try to get at least 2 updates per week. maybe one Monday, the other Thursday. schedule yourself, but don't overwhelm yourself.
This is for fun. It should be fun.

I actually like this. I normally aim for atleast 750-1k words when i usually write. But it's hard to focus when you have your phone with you.

already graduated from college, but back in the first semester, I used to write a lot of fanfictions back in the day, though the frequency of me writing starts to dwindle due to studies and most of all, gaming, until tragedy hits and it became hard to stay consistent.

consistensy is my main enemy, because I overgame or overstudy sometimes and leave no other room for writing

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Don't worry - it gets worse once you're out in the "real" world working one (or more) job(s)...

 

[OscarTlau]

Don't worry - it gets worse once you're out in the "real" world working one (or more) job(s)...

I'm a med student. So, I hopefully won't be working in more than 1.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

I'm a med student. So, I hopefully won't be working in more than 1.

A friend of mine back in college had parents who were each on the board of directors at three different hospitals and working hours (one was a physical therapist, the other a plastic surgeon - never found out which was which) at two of those as well. When their first kid was in his second year of grad school, their youngest of three started college - and that impacted their finances enough that the oldest had to get a job to pay for his apartment because they couldn't cover everything else.

 

[OscarTlau]

A friend of mine back in college had parents who were each on the board of directors at three different hospitals and working hours (one was a physical therapist, the other a plastic surgeon - never found out which was which) at two of those as well. When their first kid was in his second year of grad school, their youngest of three started college - and that impacted their finances enough that the oldest had to get a job to pay for his apartment because they couldn't cover everything else.

I see what you mean...My brother actually finished his Bachelor's last year. And I just went into college this year, so the fees aren't too big. Plus, my father prepared himself after my middleschool years. But I get their struggles, college (especially privates) fee are ABYSMAL.

 

[CinnaSloth]

I'm a med student. So, I hopefully won't be working in more than 1.

lol. I have family in med fields. And you might be working only one job, but those days also run from 6-18 hour days, and that's a normal day, not emergency situations when there are fires or hurricanes or other situations.
Consistency is the least of your worries. Scheduling. Get used to it, because otherwise reality will hit hard the moment you aren't in school. School is the easy part.

 

[OscarTlau]

lol. I have family in med fields. And you might be working only one job, but those days also run from 6-18 hour days, and that's a normal day, not emergency situations when there are fires or hurricanes or other situations.
Consistency is the least of your worries. Scheduling. Get used to it, because otherwise reality will hit hard the moment you aren't in school. School is the easy part.

Haven't plan on wheather to work in private or goverment but I will prepare myself for those 6-18 hours incase the choose the former.
I mean, I already spend 6-14 hours of studying at home right now, so it shouldn't be THAT hard.

 

[CinnaSloth]

Haven't plan on wheather to work in private or goverment but I will prepare myself for those 6-18 hours incase the choose the former.
I mean, I already spend 6-14 hours of studying at home right now, so it shouldn't be THAT hard.

No, no no. It's not hard. it won't be difficult. This is what you're studying for. What the job entails is why you're going to school for. It's the life of it moving forward when you're in the field. That's what'll be exhausting, time consuming, stressful, and incredibly mentally draining. It'll HIT hard. It just won't be Hard. lol no. like I said, studying and going through school is the easy part. you will WISH you can return to this part where juggling, scheduling, and balancing: school, studying, homework, videogames, sleeping, eating, and writing are the things you're sacrificing one over the other. In the field, you will be sacrificing either time, sleep, money, or lives. unless you're going into pharmacy then you're just risking someone else health with the wrong pills.