We’ve all had a heavy course load at one time or another. Whether you were adjusting to college your freshman year or had to take more courses to graduate on time, it really depends on you. I had a terrible course load last semester and here are the reasons why I would NEVER do it again.
- It’s terrible for your mental health
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Finals week of last semester, I cracked. By cracked I don’t mean slightly stressed. You will bury yourself in a pile of snow to just feel something besides pain. I personally get overwhelmed easily but even the strongest people have a breaking point so don’t push yourself.
- You’ll burn out
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My motivation went down the drain. What’s the point of being motivated if your life is just an endless loop of doing work? You stop caring about anything but sleep and that’s when you really need to reconsider your life choices.
- You’ll stop being passionate
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I love problem-solving and computers with my whole heart, body, and soul. That doesn’t mean that a schedule consisting of nothing but problem-solving is going to be fun. After a while, you’ll just get sick of it. Try to mix things up a bit!
- Your grade point average will tank
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There’s nothing cool about taking all weed-out courses if you’re on the brink of being weeded out. A class you could have easily gotten an A in, time permitting, might make it to a B if you decide to have a bad semester.
- Forget about a social life
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Studying 20 hours a day? Eating meals during lectures? You’re not going to have time to Facetime your friends. Human beings are social so no matter how introverted you are, you’ll feel lonely after a while.
- It’s not your major – it’s your lack of planning
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With proper planning, you should be able to squeeze in some fun classes. There’s no such thing as a weed out major, just weed out classes. If you know you’re going to have a tough class, take it with some easy electives to give you space to breathe.
- Your immune systems will suffer
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I’ve gotten around 3-4 colds during my semester from hell and it just makes everything worse.
- You may develop bad habits
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It might include a terrible sleep schedule or not eating. It’ll only slow you down because your brain needs food and sleep! How are you supposed to thrive in college if you barely have the bandwidth to think?
Do yourself a favor and give yourself a little bit of love!