New...need advice!

[treefrog89]

Hi! Only just found this site...but pretty glad I did!

I'm really struggling with uni atm...coursework and an essay due this week, 2 essays the following week, and another essay a few days later. I thought I was on top of my work...but suddenly i've realise just how impossible it seems. There just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day...and i'm not exactly doing a child friendly course. How do you all manage?

I was thinking of e-mailing my personal tutor or someone...just to explain the situation, possibly trying to get an extension for the wednesday deadline? Is it too last minute to do that? I don't even have a valid excuse.

Any help? Sorry it's turned into a long, whingey post, i'm just so stuck :(

I don't lol

I work FT, I'm doing a uni course and I am a single parent to 2 DD's.

My house is a mess.

I just didn't want your post to do unanswered - I have learned just not to sweat the house if there's a deadline looming - chips and beans and chicken nuggets once in a while won't kill anyone!

And as long as the clothes are clean they don't have to be ironed. Shake and fold, shake and fold.

Depending on your uni and your year it might not be too late for an extension and you might not need too much of an excuse - could you claim sleepless nights due to babies teething or something similar? Are there other student parents on your course? It might just be nice to talk to someone in a similar situation.

I agree with itsnot about not sweating the small stuff. Get someone else to help out with children if you can and prioritise everything. Make a list with small targets so you can tick them off and feel good.

Everyone finds study & children hard because it is, but hopefully worth it in the end.

Do you have a student adviser or someone non-academic for issues like this? If you tell them what you told us about the next two weeks work load he/she should be able to speak to your department(s) and arrange to spread it out a bit better. The only thing I say though is think about what you've got coming up next, you don't want to have this lot of work running into the next.

I think you need to talk to your personal tutor to flag up the issue, your course leaders for the essays you have in to see whether they can decide an extension and possibly consult someone in your SU Advice Centre about whether having children counts as an excuse!

Do you know what your departmental policy on extensions/mitigating circumstances is?

Thank for all the replies!

Ooops...didn't mean to post that just then, hadn't finished!

Went to see my persoal tutor this morning (who just so happens to be the head of department also!). He was really nice and understanding about everything, and has e-mailed all my tutors to request extensions, one (with the deadline for wednesday) has replied and everything is fine so far...so hopefully the rest will be too! Childcare arrangements will be a little better in the next couple of weeks anyway...and I have no more lectures, so can just spend time working!

Need to try and stay on top of things a little better in future! Thanks again :)