anyone in school / taking classes?

[spunky84]

I'm in my last semester for my associates.

I was at another school in early pregnancy with DS and then had him 4 weeks into my first semester in my current program. C section. Out for 3 weeks and have held onto a 4.0. Things were relatively easy with dd and ds so i thought I'd get through this ok.

Buuut i was wrong and it's seriously so difficult to get through. I'm less worked about maintaining my gpa as i am about just passing. If i don't get at least 12 hours of sleep i drag. This semester is only 12 weeks. 3 Clare's, 1 being an 8 hour credit.

The workload and 12 hour weekly clinicals are honestly killing me and this is only our 3rd week. I'm napping in a few so that i cam focus the rest of the night.

Anyone else going through school as well? How are you coping? Any suggestions?

 

[Ragnhild]

Hi spunky,
I'm in school too and reeeallly struggling. I see you're 8 weeks and I'm only 5 weeks right now and sleepy all the time and can't concentrate on a word i read
What do you think has really changed from the 1st two... is it the workload/school level/ just that this pg is more exhausting? maybe you did explain it but i'm not sure i got it. And sorry i have no suggestions for you and instead i'm hoping your experiences with the first two can help!

 

[sara1983]

I work full time, but I am also taking an intense accounting course part time that my employer wanted me to take. it's online, but requires 15 hours of reading/assignments per week. After I'm home from work and I put my daughter to bed, I literally don't have the energy for a single thing, let alone a course. My house is a complete disaster, but I don't care I just need my bed. Anyways, I got a note from my doctor and am trying to defer the course to the second tri, when I will hopefully be feeling a bit better. Could you do something like that?

 

[spunky84]

Hi spunky,
I'm in school too and reeeallly struggling. I see you're 8 weeks and I'm only 5 weeks right now and sleepy all the time and can't concentrate on a word i read
What do you think has really changed from the 1st two... is it the workload/school level/ just that this pg is more exhausting? maybe you did explain it but i'm not sure i got it. And sorry i have no suggestions for you and instead i'm hoping your experiences with the first two can help!

Ugh, I'm sorry I know it's really hard!

With my first I was working, and I actually had insomnia with her! I was still tired, but that was more from the lack of sleep and was able to catch up on the weekends (if I could sleep lol). Plus once work was done, my day was done.

With my second, I had hardly any symptoms. I was a little tired (a little more than my first), but it was nothing major.

This one, symptoms have been much stronger. Plus the course load is much, much more. I'm taking 14 credit hours (and can't really change any of it as everyone in the program goes at the same pace), and one class alone is 8 credit hours. So it's mostly increased symptoms and difficult work load.

How long do you have to go? Hopefully the exhaustion lifts soon!

I work full time, but I am also taking an intense accounting course part time that my employer wanted me to take. it's online, but requires 15 hours of reading/assignments per week. After I'm home from work and I put my daughter to bed, I literally don't have the energy for a single thing, let alone a course. My house is a complete disaster, but I don't care I just need my bed. Anyways, I got a note from my doctor and am trying to defer the course to the second tri, when I will hopefully be feeling a bit better. Could you do something like that?

Honestly, I give so much credit to those who work and take classes at the same time. Classmates always say they don't know how I do it with 2, but I definitely don't know how people do it and work!

Even if online, it's still a lot of extra work! I hope you're able to defer until second tri. I'm sure it'll still be hard juggling it all, but when you don't have the energy, it just makes it that much harder.

Unfortunately I can't defer. I'm in a program where everyone goes at the same pace. We all started together and then graduate together. Many already had the extra classes done. I only had 2 done and that was my first semester when I had DS.

I could, if it came down to it, I could do a medical withdrawal, but I wouldn't be able to re-start my last semester until next January, pushing graduation back a year. We're only on 1 income until I (hopefully) graduate and (hopefully get a job), so I really have to just push through if I can. Though I'm really worried about failing. It's only a 12 week semester (for actual classes anyway - my last 3 weeks I have my practicum, but I'll be in second tri by then).


My nausea is easing up some, but I'm pretty sure that's only from taking B6 and unisom at night (if I forget, I'm miserable the next morning), but the exhaustion hasn't even began to let up yet. I'm praying it does soon.

 

[Ragnhild]

Thanks spunky... unfortunately deferring isn't an option for me either, and at this moment i'm really tempted to go on medical leave. I completely understand your feelings about that option too... with increased expenses only one income can really be a strain. Sure hope you can finish the workload somehow and then land a job soon!

For me a medical leave comes with strings attached too but i simply don't think i can cope. I'm looking at an intense summer course option also when i will be in the 2nd tri and even though i will be behind it seems to be the only choice for the moment.
We've started looking for a new house now, and honestly it's impossible for me to manage more than one thing a day... really hope the exhaustion goes away soon. I'm so excited about this baby lol and all I want to feel is happy but the body has its own needs and rhythms!

 

[spunky84]

Thanks spunky... unfortunately deferring isn't an option for me either, and at this moment i'm really tempted to go on medical leave. I completely understand your feelings about that option too... with increased expenses only one income can really be a strain. Sure hope you can finish the workload somehow and then land a job soon!

For me a medical leave comes with strings attached too but i simply don't think i can cope. I'm looking at an intense summer course option also when i will be in the 2nd tri and even though i will be behind it seems to be the only choice for the moment.
We've started looking for a new house now, and honestly it's impossible for me to manage more than one thing a day... really hope the exhaustion goes away soon. I'm so excited about this baby lol and all I want to feel is happy but the body has its own needs and rhythms!

I think at the end of the day you have to do what's best for you and your health. As much as I wouldn't want to push back graduation a year, if it really came down to it, I would.

That sounds rough to be looking for a house at the same time! I definitely get not being able to manage more than one thing a day.

School has been a nightmare since starting again 3 weeks ago. I missed soooo much content my first week, and it's very difficult content at that. I always learn best by just being there, so that really hurt. I did the worst I've ever done on an exam this last week.

I had to get an assignment turned in by Thursday evening. Monday night was a huge mess that set me back a lot. There was no way I'd be able to get it done and basically just started bawling in front of one of the instructors. They were nice enough to give me an extension (but I think a lot of that had to do with me proving myself since the first semester).

But I'm really anxious about being able to do it. Requiring 12 hours of sleep a night to function doesn't really mesh with this program (For about 6 months I had averaged 2-4 hours of sleep, from about May until mid October where I actually started skipping some nights of sleep all together).

 

[Ragnhild]

Thanks spunky... unfortunately deferring isn't an option for me either, and at this moment i'm really tempted to go on medical leave. I completely understand your feelings about that option too... with increased expenses only one income can really be a strain. Sure hope you can finish the workload somehow and then land a job soon!

For me a medical leave comes with strings attached too but i simply don't think i can cope. I'm looking at an intense summer course option also when i will be in the 2nd tri and even though i will be behind it seems to be the only choice for the moment.
We've started looking for a new house now, and honestly it's impossible for me to manage more than one thing a day... really hope the exhaustion goes away soon. I'm so excited about this baby lol and all I want to feel is happy but the body has its own needs and rhythms!

I think at the end of the day you have to do what's best for you and your health. As much as I wouldn't want to push back graduation a year, if it really came down to it, I would.

That sounds rough to be looking for a house at the same time! I definitely get not being able to manage more than one thing a day.

School has been a nightmare since starting again 3 weeks ago. I missed soooo much content my first week, and it's very difficult content at that. I always learn best by just being there, so that really hurt. I did the worst I've ever done on an exam this last week.

I had to get an assignment turned in by Thursday evening. Monday night was a huge mess that set me back a lot. There was no way I'd be able to get it done and basically just started bawling in front of one of the instructors. They were nice enough to give me an extension (but I think a lot of that had to do with me proving myself since the first semester).

But I'm really anxious about being able to do it. Requiring 12 hours of sleep a night to function doesn't really mesh with this program (For about 6 months I had averaged 2-4 hours of sleep, from about May until mid October where I actually started skipping some nights of sleep all together).

Wow that sounds intense!! Sure hope you can manage but like you said, health and baby come first. At least your instructors seem understanding, whatever their reasons may be. I get the part about being anxious and not performing your best, but it's hard to ignore the needs of your changing body... this weekend I really tried to relax, not think about workload, deadlines etc. I've still been tired but it's much lesser than at school so that's definitely a factor. Oh well counting the days till 2nd tri when hopefully I can catch up on the work I miss now.