Hello 
.
So I recently got my first 9-to-5 job and I realized that practice is much harder than theory when it comes to fitting my study program in the day. I've mostly skipped or had ~30 min study days ever since I got the job, and cramming in my free days just isn't going as well as it did at first (I did get on the computer to start studying, but somehow the mood was a killer and I got even basic stuff wrong, took me ages, etc.) Been having trouble adapting my sleeping schedule to the job, so that may be one reason for this but still...
So I was wondering if there's anyone here that does a full-time job+crazy study schedule combo and could give me a few pointers. Do you do your reps in the morning? Breaks? How do you manage?
inb4 common solution: I only spend ~20mins on the way to work, more than half of which is walking+waiting for the bus, so no time for reps in the bus, and anyway my phone apparently hates japanese; no time for properly reading more than a page or two either. Been trying to fit in podcasts, but they're never as loud as I need them to be and I can't focus properly because of all the noise around me. Can't fit in anything at work since we're kinda supervised and we can't really sit at the computer during the lunch break... so aside from podcasts everything has to fit in before or after work. Can't really listen to music at work either.
quark
Member
From: Canada
Registered: 2011-10-11
Posts: 201
Trying to do as many SRS reps in the morning before you leave really helps. Even if you only manage to do 10-20, that's 10-20 less than you have to do when you get home and are tired.
Back in the olden days when I was working for money, I would get up 2 hours early so that I could work on my Anki reps, enter new cards, and try to squeeze in an episode or two of anime (or Japanese children's shows back when we had the Japanese TV channel). It was a great feeling knowing that there were no Anki reps waiting for me when I got home.
Breaking up your study in small chunks and spreading them throughout the day is good too. If you study a little in the morning, a little when you get home (if you're not too tired) and then a little after dinner it makes it a lot easier. Or maybe try to use some of your downtime after work to watch an episode or a drama or a variety show in Japanese.
With a bit of planning, you should be able to come up with a schedule that works for you.
I had a similar problem as far as balancing my job, some semblance of a social life, and study.
What I've been doing since April is taking a little time in the morning to do anki, even if it's just 5 minutes, then use my lunch break to do my RTK reviews.
I try to do a little more Anki before I go to bed but my main goal is to not have more than 100 outstanding cards in any one deck.
Then weekends I put in serious study time in the afternoon at my favorite coffee shop, usually 2-3 hours minimum and clear out any outstanding anki cards. The time after that is my own and I do some badly needed socializing with friends.
May seem like a lot but if you're really serious about learning a language, putting in the time and being patient are the keys.
Set realistic goals and don't expect to be fluent in 6 months.
It take years of good study habits and a bit of brute force.
Aoshiroi
New member
From: Bulgaria
Registered: 2012-07-14
Posts: 7
Hi Zgarbas,
I've been trying to balance work and study for a while too. We are working in shifts so I found it helpful to take an earlier shift (7am - 4pm in my case). This way, after I get home, I still have time left before my mind switches off (typically after 8pm). My current RTK sessions take from 40 to 60 mins if I'm not too tired. I aim to add 25 new items per day but if I'm too drained to make it, I just finish my reviews and go to bed. Then I try to distribute the rest between the following days and catch up without too much extra stress.
When I was studying for my biology exam, I was using my lunch break for study but now I choose to just read an interesting book (not in Japanese) instead. Time to unwind is crucial after all. Or I take my iPod with me and listen to a Japanese book if I feel like it. I might start using the lunch break for serious studying again but that's still in the future.
I'm mainly working on the phone so I've used the time between calls for study. This might sound crazy but, thanks to the interruptions, my study gets naturally divided in small chunks and my mind has time to assimilate it in the background. We are supervised too but as long as I take my calls and do my work, there's no trouble. Then there's also the work load distribution during the week, the beginning of the week being the most stressful time and Friday presenting better opportunities to go online and work your way through a Japanese article. I've also found that there are almost no calls between 7am and 8am on most days and I use the time to review a significant amount of my cards.
Lastly, my morning alarm is set to 5am and sometimes I do a 30-minute study session. Or just stay in bed a little longer if I feel too tired. Basically, there are many time pockets I could use and surely you can find some as well.
And most importantly: one step forward is better than no progress at all. It's hard but if you want to do it, nothing can stop you.
Last edited by Aoshiroi (2012 July 28, 5:57 am)
Zgarbas wrote:
... Been trying to fit in podcasts, but they're never as loud as I need them to be and I can't focus properly because of all the noise around me. ... so aside from podcasts everything has to fit in before or after work.
For the podcasts, in case the source volume of the audio files is the only problem, it's possible to increase it in a computer using MP3Gain with a higher dB value for the track gain, or some other software depending on what audio format you're using and what your player supports. If the problem is the noise around you, you could try one of these Etymotic earphones [Noise Isolation: 35-42 dB*, Maximum Output (SPL): 120 dB)], and perhaps even use a HeadRoom headphone amplifier fed by a battery in case your player doesn't have sufficiently good output (many fit this, distorting the sound and making everything unpleasant to hear when you increase the volume). There's also one option that I've seen being rejected for some reason or another, which are those bulky but great headphones with active noise-cancelling such as the Sennheiser PXC 450. If you believe you wouldn't hear anything well even with one of those then, well, nothing else in this area could help.
* The highest noise isolation of any earphones or headphones on the market today, as they say.
jankensan
Member
From: England
Registered: 2011-05-26
Posts: 42
I also find this very hard to balance study with work. Before I went back to uni part time I was working full time + overtime and had an entrance exam to study for, a total nightmare. Now I still have similar problems fitting in Uni, study and work. Especially in the holidays when I basically work full time.
I'm not going to pretend there is an easy solution, because there isn't. All the advice here is great, but personally I just set my alarm early and try to get my study in before work, and before my partner gets up for work. Otherwise after work there is housework and cooking dinner to do, and by the time that's all done all I want to do is relax. The house is also quiet on a morning, so there aren't as many distractions. If you're a morning person it might be worth trying it out, 30 minutes early for a week or so and once you get used to it move it earlier so you have 90 minutes or so. You might even get to like the peace and quiet of early morning!
