Family don't understand why my studying is important

[Rivetting]

I'm currently doing an access course and it's work, work, work, assignment after assignment. At the moment I have 7 assignments to get done within two weeks PLUS a TCA resit that I failed miserably due to stress and not enough time to revise. Yet every week my family are moaning that I don't go down to see them. They basically want me to go down, sit in the house drinking tea and listening to them slag people off or go on about curtains and other trivial shite that I just don't have time for. They KNOW I'm studying and have piles of work but they don't seem to care. Even when I say I have 7 assignments to do in two weeks and only have thursdays and fridays at home to do them they say "well you can do the work one day, and visit us the next". Its driving me mad because I feel I have no support and they don't seem to care whether I pass or fail.

AIBU here or what?

Well, it's a shame they don't understand that it's two weeks not seeing you vs your prospects for the rest of your working life, but you know it's important so... the good old assertiveness broken-record technique. "I will come to see you after I have done these assignments." "I am looking forward to de-stressing with you when the assignments are over." "I love you all and will see you just as soon as I have finished these assignments." "I cannot spare the time to socialise until these assignments are done." Just polite, flat statements. It's no good reasoning with people who aren't interested in listening to reason. They will just knock your arguments on the head and then you'll either give in and do what they want or feel bad when you don't.

Family is important, of course it is, but this work is urgent.

I agree, just say firmly and politely that this is a critical time for your studying and you're not able to come and see them for a couple of weeks. Then put them out of your head and focus on the work.

To be honest I think they have a bit of a problem with letting go, if they can't go a few weeks without seeing their adult offspring. They need to accept that you have your own life now that doesn't entirely revolve around them.

Good luck with the assignments!

Is this out of character for you? Do they think you may leave them behind if you do well for yourself?