In need of advice

vCole

How do you all make time to study for your certs, work, and enjoy life while being in a relationship.
I get up at 5:15am everyday and work 730-5. I get home around 6p.m. By the time I eat dinner I'm exhausted, or when I get to my girlfriends, I eat and fall asleep.

Not sure how you guys get anything done. I have a hard enouhg time trying to stay awake or find time other then spending time with my girlfriend.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,
Fade

dynamik

I just think about all the people who have kids to deal with on top of it, and I realize my situation isn't half bad.

I just try to make baby steps during the week. 30-60 minutes/night and then hit it hard on the weekends. I find that if I overdue it during the week, I spend my Friday nights with beer and Halo until 3am, and then my Saturday goes down the drain.

Passing an exam every once in awhile helps because my motivation skyrockets after that. I start getting antsy 4-6 weeks later though (like I am now). If all goes well, I'll get another boost later this week

*fingers crossed*

Also, the thing that hurts me the most is being a perfectionist and setting unrealistic goals. That's a terrible combination that leads to a ton of unnecessary stress. Set goals and stick to them; just be sure they're realistic.

Daniel333

Based on your similar schedule to mine, you might just be setting your deadlines too quickly.

Personally, up at 4:45am hit the gym go to work, get home at 7pm. So you don't have much time on the week days. On the days I don't cook I go ahead and watch training videos on www.vtc.com during commercials while I watch TV or eat. Shockingly enough I can normally get through a chapter of videos in a work week that way.

During work, breaks and lunches I normally rock a podcast or two. Novell Open Audio, Linux Action Show, Itdiots, coffee break spanish or recently the Run your own server one. I try to go out to lunch with a different coworker though, at least once a week just to maintain cordial social relations.

Weekends are when I really get to study given all the above, I'm lucky to get a chapter done. I still get up at 5am and study normally until about 10am. Mainly running labs and experimenting, I do passive chores like laundry during this. Make sure to schedule passive chores.

And I'll repeat it again on Sunday as well. Assuming no parties or work calls or what not, I'll spend an entire weekend in.

My fiancee and I have Wednesday's and Friday (or Saturday) as date night set aside so she knows that is our time them. Salsa dancing for Wednesdays and what ever the other day.

It's very helpful that my fiancee is in school and spends even more time than me studying. As far as friends I have every other Friday set aside and D&D night and every other Sunday night set aside a bowling night for my two sets of friends. Everything else I just squeeze in.

With all that, I manage about 8-10 hours a week, but I mess with my labs way more than the certifications require. So it's been about 6 months per exam, give or take.

I know it isn't pretty, but that's life. With this method I've managed A+, Net+, CCNA, 70-270 and 70-290 since 2005. Not bad considering three job changes, moved, a massive family emergency and several work related projects.

Wow did that turn into a long post... wow.

What are your goals and deadlines?

HeroPsycho

Find time you can get a little bit done that adds up.

Bring study material when you're gonna be idle - waiting for doctors appointments, etc.

I also find it helps to get up 15 minutes earlier and read for 15 minutes. Read 15 minutes before you leave from work. Read for 15 minutes before you go to bed. That's 45 minutes right there. Every bit helps!

eMeS

On Sundays I usually make a list of everything that must occur that week or every goal that I want to achieve. This doesn't take long, and it makes me think about the week from a high-level perspective.

Then, every evening before I go to sleep, I make a list of the 20 things that must get done the next day. This prepares my mind for what I have to accomplish the next day.

20 items per day is about my capacity...if I have more than that, I either a) try to get to it, b) delegate it, or c) not worry about it. The items that I select are usually very atomic and achievable, and usually add up to some result. I don't sort any of this by priority.

I realize that this doesn't necessarily help you find more time in what sounds like an already busy day, but, sometimes changing the way you organize and think about what you have to get done helps recover missing time.

MS

coffeeking

I think if you manage to squeeze out couple of hours worth of study everyday, you won't have to do any massive study on certain days. You can have tons of free time for you on the weekends this way as well. I have found watching CBTs a great help in that sense, its a big time saver for me. If I can watch couple of videos a day for about 5 days a week, I think its good enough, doing more that this would wipe out the old stuff and then you have to watch them again. Personally, I get about 2 hrs a day, everyday, on average in one week. Somedays its 3 hours, somedays its 1 and then there are days when there is none.

Pash

Dont sweat it mate, everybody is in the same boat as mentioned above ^^. Also, if you are feeling tired, try three things first of all:-

1. Make sure your diet is good with the correct recommended daily balance of everything.

2. Put in 30 mins minimum of excersise a day.

3. Drink plenty of water to keep your brain hydrated.

Now your thinking your gonna feel even more shattered if you do a 30 min jog a day or something, coudlnt be further from the truth. It will actually help your energy levels a lot and not leave you so tired in the evening. Still get your 8 hours sleep a night, incredibly important.

These things helped me when i was having simular tiredness problems a few months back.

Just don't burn yourself out, take everything in moderation and enjoy it

vCole

I think part of the problem is my girlfriend wants be with me all the time. Even if I'm not at her house she's constantly IMing/Calling/Texting. I've tried to talk to her about it, but she just makes me feel bad. Saying that she just misses me, etc.

I want to start going to the gym, but by the time I get home, I'm exhausted. I literally eat, and pass out. I do drink tons of water, pretty healthy diet & take a multivitamin. I'm kind of at a loss right now on what to do.

As far as my deadlines, I want to get my MCDST done by November, the VERY latest. My annual review is in December and it would be nice to have it before then. I start school again on September 3rd, and my best friend's wedding in October 4th, then everyone's birthdays (including mine, Nov 19th) and then there's Christmas. So Nov. would be the very latest to take the exam.

dynamik

FadeToBright wrote:

I think part of the problem is my girlfriend wants be with me all the time. Even if I'm not at her house she's constantly IMing/Calling/Texting. I've tried to talk to her about it, but she just makes me feel bad. Saying that she just misses me, etc.

Turn everything off and go to a coffee shop or library. Disappear!

FadeToBright wrote:

I want to start going to the gym, but by the time I get home, I'm exhausted. I literally eat, and pass out.

I go directly from work. Once I get home, I don't leave (this is especially true in the winter). I keep a PB&J sandwich in my car, so I can get something in my stomach between work and the gym. The key is success is leaving the sandwich in your car all day. It's all warm and gooey by the time you get to it mmmMMMMMmmmm

*Don't try this with deli meat

undomiel

I'm up between 3 & 4 am which is before my wife so that gives me some time to myself. I do some studying or just watch some anime while stretching. The wife is up at 4 so we go out for a run together and are back at 5 am. We eat breakfast together and usually watch something while eating. If I have an exam that week then I may opt to do some studying while eating instead. Off to work between 6:15 & 6:30. We take our lunch breaks at the same time and spend the time on the phone together then. We would do the same with our breaks as well but my work has basically banned my breaks. Then I'm on the phone while waiting for her to come pick me up which would be from 4-5 pm. Then it is back home to spend time together over dinner and then I might fit some study time in between 7 & 9 pm before bed. Though usually I just end up playing video games with the wife or watch some more anime. It really depends upon what she feels up to. Usually she's the one that ends up pushing me to do some studying.

It's harder when you don't life together. But I don't really know what it is like because the wife and I were in separate states back when we were dating. So it was basically IM & phone time. Usually lots of late nights and little sleep. I usually ended up running really late at night instead of really early in the morning. I would recommend switching to an earlier morning schedule. It is easier to get up and exercise than it is to exercise when getting back from work, in my opinion. Any chance you could get your girlfriend up to exercise with you?

nicklauscombs

FadeToBright wrote:

By the time I eat dinner I'm exhausted, or when I get to my girlfriends, I eat and fall asleep.

I guarantee if you start exercising (even if it is only walking around the block) for 30 minutes a day you will have so much more energy throughout the day and evening. Also like everyone else said time management is key and you have to make a study plan and stick with it no matter what.

Good luck!

jscimeca715

It's definitely a tough balance. Does your job give you any free time at all to study? I know it will look bad if you're reading, but if your boss sees that it's something that benefits the company then they shouldn't be too mad about it. I also like the lists thing mentioned above. I always make a list because if you scratch things off you feel accomplished, which is even more motivation. Good luck.

vCole

undomiel wrote:

I'm up between 3 & 4 am which is before my wife so that gives me some time to myself. I do some studying or just watch some anime while stretching. The wife is up at 4 so we go out for a run together and are back at 5 am. We eat breakfast together and usually watch something while eating. If I have an exam that week then I may opt to do some studying while eating instead. Off to work between 6:15 & 6:30. We take our lunch breaks at the same time and spend the time on the phone together then. We would do the same with our breaks as well but my work has basically banned my breaks. Then I'm on the phone while waiting for her to come pick me up which would be from 4-5 pm. Then it is back home to spend time together over dinner and then I might fit some study time in between 7 & 9 pm before bed. Though usually I just end up playing video games with the wife or watch some more anime. It really depends upon what she feels up to. Usually she's the one that ends up pushing me to do some studying.

It's harder when you don't life together. But I don't really know what it is like because the wife and I were in separate states back when we were dating. So it was basically IM & phone time. Usually lots of late nights and little sleep. I usually ended up running really late at night instead of really early in the morning. I would recommend switching to an earlier morning schedule. It is easier to get up and exercise than it is to exercise when getting back from work, in my opinion. Any chance you could get your girlfriend up to exercise with you?

My girlfriend lives about 30 minutes away, and doesn't drive. She also doesn't like to get up before 9am-10am, if she even gets out of bed till 11am-12pm. She doesn't work or go to school ( ) So getting her up and out of bed and slim to none, leaning closer to none.

undomiel

Then I guess it can be a 3 am run when you get out of bed and just before she goes to bed.

vCole

undomiel wrote:

Then I guess it can be a 3 am run when you get out of bed and just before she goes to bed.

Sadly, she goes to bed around 10-11pm and sleeps that long. It's quite ridiculous.

I'll just try to make things work.

cbigbrick

My girlfriend lives about 30 minutes away, and doesn't drive. She also doesn't like to get up before 9am-10am, if she even gets out of bed till 11am-12pm. She doesn't work or go to school ( ) So getting her up and out of bed and slim to none, leaning closer to none.

Your friend has nothing to do and wants you to provide entertainment and excitement.
I had friends like that but not any more.

I go to bed at 12 and get up at 7:30. I usually at work by 9:00AM. Home around 6:30 - 7PM. In the evenings, I try and study technotes. I leave the books and tests for the weekends. Reading a 3-12 pages technotes is easier than a boring and dry chapter for me during the week.

Finding a coffee house or library is a great idea.