How much are you actually meant to study?
I just started my second year of a law degree and I'm already exhausted.
My tutor's recommend to study 8 hours a day 6 days a week, but with the lectures that she "strongly recommends going to" and the tutorials that are mandatory, those 8 hour days would become more like 12.
To be honest I'm not doing that well, I haven't had the mock exam/collection I did in first week back yet but my scores on the summer work assignments were 64 and 66, which is about what I usually get.
If I ask my tutor for advice, she basically just suggests working harder and putting in more hours.
So what's the solution? Putting in 12 hour days until I burnout? Missing lectures and studying 8 hours a day? Or going to lectures and studying more like 4 or 5 hours a day? And would it be possible to eventually get a 1st if I chose the last option?
My tutor's recommend to study 8 hours a day 6 days a week, but with the lectures that she "strongly recommends going to" and the tutorials that are mandatory, those 8 hour days would become more like 12.
To be honest I'm not doing that well, I haven't had the mock exam/collection I did in first week back yet but my scores on the summer work assignments were 64 and 66, which is about what I usually get.
If I ask my tutor for advice, she basically just suggests working harder and putting in more hours.
So what's the solution? Putting in 12 hour days until I burnout? Missing lectures and studying 8 hours a day? Or going to lectures and studying more like 4 or 5 hours a day? And would it be possible to eventually get a 1st if I chose the last option?
Degrees are designed with a notional 10 hours of study per CATS credit. So 1,200 hours over a full year or for a 30 credit module 300 hours.
Unless you’re studying somewhere with short term dates then that shouldn’t mean more than ~35 hours a week (including scheduled and unscheduled study hours).
64 and 66 are generally a 2:1 so a good result. Have you looked at your course and module handbooks and learning outcomes to better understand what you need to demonstrate to get up to a first? That’s what your tutor should be working with you on not just saying to work more.
Unless you’re studying somewhere with short term dates then that shouldn’t mean more than ~35 hours a week (including scheduled and unscheduled study hours).
64 and 66 are generally a 2:1 so a good result. Have you looked at your course and module handbooks and learning outcomes to better understand what you need to demonstrate to get up to a first? That’s what your tutor should be working with you on not just saying to work more.
(edited 6 months ago)
Original post by Username123ab
I just started my second year of a law degree and I'm already exhausted.
My tutor's recommend to study 8 hours a day 6 days a week, but with the lectures that she "strongly recommends going to" and the tutorials that are mandatory, those 8 hour days would become more like 12.
To be honest I'm not doing that well, I haven't had the mock exam/collection I did in first week back yet but my scores on the summer work assignments were 64 and 66, which is about what I usually get.
If I ask my tutor for advice, she basically just suggests working harder and putting in more hours.
So what's the solution? Putting in 12 hour days until I burnout? Missing lectures and studying 8 hours a day? Or going to lectures and studying more like 4 or 5 hours a day? And would it be possible to eventually get a 1st if I chose the last option?
My tutor's recommend to study 8 hours a day 6 days a week, but with the lectures that she "strongly recommends going to" and the tutorials that are mandatory, those 8 hour days would become more like 12.
To be honest I'm not doing that well, I haven't had the mock exam/collection I did in first week back yet but my scores on the summer work assignments were 64 and 66, which is about what I usually get.
If I ask my tutor for advice, she basically just suggests working harder and putting in more hours.
So what's the solution? Putting in 12 hour days until I burnout? Missing lectures and studying 8 hours a day? Or going to lectures and studying more like 4 or 5 hours a day? And would it be possible to eventually get a 1st if I chose the last option?
Hi there
As a law student I understand that second year can be quite challenging. I would not say there is a set amount of time that you should be working for. Rather, I would recommend attempting to complete your seminar preparation to the best of your abilities (and allowing yourself adequate breaks where allowed).
Initially, I did try working 9 hours a day for 7 days, but this left me really burnt out. I also found myself staring at the time a lot and ending up procrasinating. (So whilst setting a time limit to study may work for some people, it did not work too well for me.)
However, If a time limit works better for you, I would still recommend it!
University is all about figuring out what works the best for you. Though I recommend not skipping lectures. Going to lectures requires you to complete the session within an hour instead of listening to recordings (where you can drag it out over a long period of time). How many hours you put into your studies afterwards really depends how fast you can get through the course material, and how much detail you choose to study in. When I did not set a time limit for myself, I would focus on completing my work to the best of my abilities (without regard to time taken), and relaxing after my tasks had been completed for the day. This really helped to channel my focus and study in an efficient manner.
Getting a first may not just be about working for a "longer period of time". Rather, I think that learning what the markers want to see in essays is important. Perhaps ask your tutor to go over the feedback from first year essays with you, and try to improve on those.
I hope this helps.
Chloe
-University of Kent student rep
Original post by PQ
Degrees are designed with a notional 10 hours of study per CATS credit. So 1,200 hours over a full year or for a 30 credit module 300 hours.
Unless you’re studying somewhere with short term dates then that shouldn’t mean more than ~35 hours a week (including scheduled and unscheduled study hours).
64 and 66 are generally a 2:1 so a good result. Have you looked at your course and module handbooks and learning outcomes to better understand what you need to demonstrate to get up to a first? That’s what your tutor should be working with you on not just saying to work more.
Unless you’re studying somewhere with short term dates then that shouldn’t mean more than ~35 hours a week (including scheduled and unscheduled study hours).
64 and 66 are generally a 2:1 so a good result. Have you looked at your course and module handbooks and learning outcomes to better understand what you need to demonstrate to get up to a first? That’s what your tutor should be working with you on not just saying to work more.
Thanks for the reply!
I'm not sure what CATS credits are lol because I've never heard them mentioned at uni but my uni has three 8 week terms so 1,200 hours would be 50 hours a week in addition to lectures and tutorials.
Guess it's 12 hour days for me after all
Original post by Username123ab
Thanks for the reply!
I'm not sure what CATS credits are lol because I've never heard them mentioned at uni but my uni has three 8 week terms so 1,200 hours would be 50 hours a week in addition to lectures and tutorials.
Guess it's 12 hour days for me after all
I'm not sure what CATS credits are lol because I've never heard them mentioned at uni but my uni has three 8 week terms so 1,200 hours would be 50 hours a week in addition to lectures and tutorials.
Guess it's 12 hour days for me after all
That's assuming no work during holidays or reading weeks or revision or exams weeks.
The actual term dates at Oxford are 33 weeks per year, 36 hours a week on average.
(edited 6 months ago)
Original post by Username123ab
I just started my second year of a law degree and I'm already exhausted.
My tutor's recommend to study 8 hours a day 6 days a week, but with the lectures that she "strongly recommends going to" and the tutorials that are mandatory, those 8 hour days would become more like 12.
To be honest I'm not doing that well, I haven't had the mock exam/collection I did in first week back yet but my scores on the summer work assignments were 64 and 66, which is about what I usually get.
If I ask my tutor for advice, she basically just suggests working harder and putting in more hours.
So what's the solution? Putting in 12 hour days until I burnout? Missing lectures and studying 8 hours a day? Or going to lectures and studying more like 4 or 5 hours a day? And would it be possible to eventually get a 1st if I chose the last option?
My tutor's recommend to study 8 hours a day 6 days a week, but with the lectures that she "strongly recommends going to" and the tutorials that are mandatory, those 8 hour days would become more like 12.
To be honest I'm not doing that well, I haven't had the mock exam/collection I did in first week back yet but my scores on the summer work assignments were 64 and 66, which is about what I usually get.
If I ask my tutor for advice, she basically just suggests working harder and putting in more hours.
So what's the solution? Putting in 12 hour days until I burnout? Missing lectures and studying 8 hours a day? Or going to lectures and studying more like 4 or 5 hours a day? And would it be possible to eventually get a 1st if I chose the last option?
@Username123ab
You do need to schedule time into rest. Sleep is not enough! You do need to actively make time where you can switch off from your studies and give yourself that break from work.
It might be worth blocking out times during the week which are rest times e.g. when you will watch a movie, read a book for fun, go do sport or meet up with a friend/s or go to that society etc.. You then need to see those times as fixed in your diary so that you don't feel guilty about taking a break and have time to feel refreshed. I also think you should take at least one full day off in the week so that you have a longer time to rest from your studies.
I could be wrong but I don't think you are supposed to add four more hours to your work. I think the lectures and the tutorials are part of your eight hours a day. I think you need to subtract and to use the remaining time after your lectures and tutorials to work so eight hours should be eight hours and not 12!
More hours does not equal more productivity and if you are already tired you are going to end up wasting your time if you try and work more. It might not be about working harder ( it sounds like you are working hard e.g. putting in the hours) but you may need to work better. Maybe that's not reading everything word for word but learning how to skim read so that you can spend time on the papers that matter. Maybe that's learning how to search better so that you can find the right articles quicker. Maybe it's finding out if your work better in the mornings or evenings. Maybe it's as simple as not having music on when your work or changing your location. Maybe it's focusing on the things that are new rather than going over the things you already know. Maybe it's as simple as being more realistic about what you can do in a day and what's something that needs to be spaced out over a few weeks.
You will need to think about how you are working and what you might need to change so that you are getting things done, but whatever you decide, it's important to try and form good habits. If you can get into good working patterns now, then it help you going forward.
Take a break,
Oluwatosin – 3rd year student – University of Huddersfield
Original post by Username123ab
I just started my second year of a law degree and I'm already exhausted.
My tutor's recommend to study 8 hours a day 6 days a week, but with the lectures that she "strongly recommends going to" and the tutorials that are mandatory, those 8 hour days would become more like 12.
To be honest I'm not doing that well, I haven't had the mock exam/collection I did in first week back yet but my scores on the summer work assignments were 64 and 66, which is about what I usually get.
If I ask my tutor for advice, she basically just suggests working harder and putting in more hours.
So what's the solution? Putting in 12 hour days until I burnout? Missing lectures and studying 8 hours a day? Or going to lectures and studying more like 4 or 5 hours a day? And would it be possible to eventually get a 1st if I chose the last option?
My tutor's recommend to study 8 hours a day 6 days a week, but with the lectures that she "strongly recommends going to" and the tutorials that are mandatory, those 8 hour days would become more like 12.
To be honest I'm not doing that well, I haven't had the mock exam/collection I did in first week back yet but my scores on the summer work assignments were 64 and 66, which is about what I usually get.
If I ask my tutor for advice, she basically just suggests working harder and putting in more hours.
So what's the solution? Putting in 12 hour days until I burnout? Missing lectures and studying 8 hours a day? Or going to lectures and studying more like 4 or 5 hours a day? And would it be possible to eventually get a 1st if I chose the last option?
I assume you're at Oxford/Cambridge given what you've said about your degree. Its definitely harder work than other unis but doing so much work that you burn out this soon after term starts is not sustainable. I think it is often a case of finding smarter ways to work than just doing more work. Stuff like being more selective about what you read based on your interests/the essay title rather than just reading everything, taking notes more efficiently and things like that. It sounds like the way you are studying might not be working as well for you as it could be, so have a think and have a read of some study skills advice to see if there are any changes you could try. Also 64 and 66 are not bad marks at all - you're in an academically competitive environment that can make you feel like a 2.1 isn't good enough but it usually is - obviously depends on exactly what you want to do but there are plenty of paths into a legal or other career with a 2.1, especially if there are networking opportunities at your uni (and if you are indeed at Oxbridge, there certainly are).
With lectures, I don't think you have to go to all of them if they aren't compulsory - if it isn't interesting to you or directly relevant to some work you have to do then it isn't worth your time and you might be better off doing extra independent study instead. Also if your tutor is seriously recommending to students that they should study 8 hours a day 6 days a week on top of tutorials and lectures you may want to speak to a member of welfare staff at the uni/your college - that is a ridiculous recommendation and it has clearly adversely impacted your wellbeing trying to achieve it.
Original post by Username123ab
I just started my second year of a law degree and I'm already exhausted.
My tutor's recommend to study 8 hours a day 6 days a week, but with the lectures that she "strongly recommends going to" and the tutorials that are mandatory, those 8 hour days would become more like 12.
To be honest I'm not doing that well, I haven't had the mock exam/collection I did in first week back yet but my scores on the summer work assignments were 64 and 66, which is about what I usually get.
If I ask my tutor for advice, she basically just suggests working harder and putting in more hours.
So what's the solution? Putting in 12 hour days until I burnout? Missing lectures and studying 8 hours a day? Or going to lectures and studying more like 4 or 5 hours a day? And would it be possible to eventually get a 1st if I chose the last option?
My tutor's recommend to study 8 hours a day 6 days a week, but with the lectures that she "strongly recommends going to" and the tutorials that are mandatory, those 8 hour days would become more like 12.
To be honest I'm not doing that well, I haven't had the mock exam/collection I did in first week back yet but my scores on the summer work assignments were 64 and 66, which is about what I usually get.
If I ask my tutor for advice, she basically just suggests working harder and putting in more hours.
So what's the solution? Putting in 12 hour days until I burnout? Missing lectures and studying 8 hours a day? Or going to lectures and studying more like 4 or 5 hours a day? And would it be possible to eventually get a 1st if I chose the last option?
Hi there!
For my degree, I have to balance full time placement as well as studying so I definitely understand where you are coming from!
I have found that I am a lot more productive if I study in shorter, active bursts rather than trying to sit down for hours at a time just to 'make up the hours'. How much you need to study will be different for everyone but I would recommend trying to talk to some of the 3rd years as they'll have been in the same position as you and will be able to give you an idea of what they did!
For me personally, I do a couple of hours in the evening during the normal year and then up this when it gets closer to exam time. I find this helps to keep it ticking over during the year but it also stops you getting burnt out!
Don't forget to make time for a rest / break and time to socialise as well! For some people, this might be going to the gym, for others this can be sticking on a boxset and just switching off! A rest can do you the world of good and it can make you more productive in the long run!
I hope this helps you!
- Rebecca, 4th Year UCLan
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