General Adulthood, Planning for the Future: Business, College, Budgeting, Investments, etc! $$$ - General

[QUOTE=RIPBILLYMAYS;49972382]I understand where you're coming from. Personally I don't like cold foods unless its specifically supposed to be served cold (salads for example) so I eat at the dining hall. Sandwhiches are gross, I don't like the texture of consistency of cold bread in my mouth. That said I sometimes view lunch as a means of holding me off until dinner rather than an actual meal. Salads are easy to make, store, and cleanup, and I like to put either olive oil or vinaigrette as a light, healthy flavoring. You can use a lot of different salad dressing in cold wraps, though like bread I don't like cold tortillas either. I take it you eat lunch at work, and that is the issue since there's no kitchen?[/QUOTE] yeah exactly, but I work in an agency located in a mall, so food options are pretty plentiful(relatively speaking) at our food court so i havne't felt the pressure to start making my own foods until this week where I've had some financial difficulties(My car keys need to be replaced because the fobs got washed in the washing machine, 200$, my PS4 fell down because I'm a clumsy git in the dark, 170$, and my phone bill was jacked up this month too) so I need to figure something out soon.

[QUOTE=TheFilmSlacker;49972377]I'd like this whole being an adult thing a bit more if I wasn't so goddamned busy doing shit I hate 80% of the time and being bored about another 10% when I'm free. I find that I can't savor much anymore because I always have "oh shit I need to get up at 4 AM tomorrow for work" in the back of my head. I'm just constantly thinking about work and it really sucks. Especially how I don't make enough to save literally any money at all. The only reason I am not bankrupt is because I live with someone who splits things 50/50 with me and I don't buy weed as much as I used to. Things will probably get better once I get a car, though. This apartment is super tiny and since I live in a rural area, there is literally nothing to do downtown unless you wanna get your hair cut or go walk through national parks.[/QUOTE] I have the same mentality except with college rather than work. I have no transportation off of campus and I feel irresponsible doing anything besides schoolwork because I am paying to be here and a few classes are kicking my ass. Also where do you work? All my classmates here hype up work life because once you leave work you are done for the day, there isn't any homework or anything.

Sandwiches dont always have to be cold, if you have access to a way to heat/grill them up at your workplace, you could simply bring along the bread and fillings/sauce separately, assemble them there, then grill/warm them through in the oven. Hey presto, instant hot meal.

[QUOTE=HumanAbyss;49972391]yeah exactly, but I work in an agency located in a mall, so food options are pretty plentiful(relatively speaking) at our food court so i havne't felt the pressure to start making my own foods until this week where I've had some financial difficulties(My car keys need to be replaced because the fobs got washed in the washing machine, 200$, my PS4 fell down because I'm a clumsy git in the dark, 170$, and my phone bill was jacked up this month too) so I need to figure something out soon.[/QUOTE] If I were you I would try to be sneaky and befriend some of the workers at the food court to get free or discounted meals. Even though food courts are normally filled with fast food restaurants that don't have any "real" cooking there should be a few actual chefs (at my mall they are at the Japanese BBQ, Korean, and Chinese restaurants) and you could ask them to make you a custom order. The nice thing about making friends is that you get different ways to repay people. My friend gives me rides to the airport worth around $30 on a taxi ride and I just help him study, keep trash out of his car, and play games with him.

[QUOTE=RIPBILLYMAYS;49972433]If I were you I would try to be sneaky and befriend some of the workers at the food court to get free or discounted meals. Even though food courts are normally filled with fast food restaurants that don't have any "real" cooking there should be a few actual chefs (at my mall they are at the Japanese BBQ, Korean, and Chinese restaurants) and you could ask them to make you a custom order. The nice thing about making friends is that you get different ways to repay people. My friend gives me rides to the airport worth around $30 on a taxi ride and I just help him study, keep trash out of his car, and play games with him.[/QUOTE] Yeah I've done this at starbucks and the local "Fresh Slice"(A local pizza chain specializing in cheap and fresh pizza, it's actually pretty fucking good) so now I get free black coffee's or 2$ for 2 slices of pizza because I never drink pop(soda) anymore. Definitely good advice, I just have to branch that out to some of the other stores here, but some of them are so mediocre it's really not worth it.

Okay, so I have a question regarding college and shit. Where I live, we have a grant that pays your college full ride as long as your family makes less than average, and you have no means of paying, which I do. Problem is, it will only cover so much and I'd only be able to afford to go to a community college. That's where the problem hits me. I want to become a Surgical Tech, and the college does provide some help with that career path, but I'd have to start out as an RN. I'm trying to get scholarships to cover university after college, but that's getting harder. What would be the best decision, going through college to become an RN, and build a stable income and go back to school for Surgical Tech. Or should I use the grant, and try to get as many scholarships as possible, and go through surgical tech classes that I'll need from the university that way I can get into Surgical Tech earlier? Because either way, I'll be strapped for cash, and I'll need to find a quick way to make money. And unfortunately, RN's where I live make jack shit in money, so it'll be a bumpy ride till I become what I want to do, if I even manage to.

[QUOTE=TheFilmSlacker;49972377]I'd like this whole being an adult thing a bit more if I wasn't so goddamned busy doing shit I hate 80% of the time and being bored about another 10% when I'm free. I find that I can't savor much anymore because I always have "oh shit I need to get up at 4 AM tomorrow for work" in the back of my head. I'm just constantly thinking about work and it really sucks. Especially how I don't make enough to save literally any money at all. The only reason I am not bankrupt is because I live with someone who splits things 50/50 with me and I don't buy weed as much as I used to. Things will probably get better once I get a car, though. This apartment is super tiny and since I live in a rural area, there is literally nothing to do downtown unless you wanna get your hair cut or go walk through national parks.[/QUOTE] If it helps, i've felt the same way sometimes, even though i'm personally motivated to get through each day the best I can. One thing I try to do is to compartmentalize how I live my life very carefully, when at work I try to do the best I can at work and make sure I do my job properly. When my shift ends, I shunt out anything that happened out there to the back of my mind, and look forward to having some fun at home playing video games/watching tv/running a D&D session with my group. No matter how tiresome our job, or no matter what happens during it, we shouldn't let it get to us, otherwise it starts to drain any happiness or excitement we might have even doing stuff that would otherwise be enjoyable. Whenever you catch yourself thinking about work, or something that happened at work, snap back to thinking about something else instead, like maybe the good lunch you had a couple days ago, or winning a match of CSGO deathless, or the nice time you had with your gf at the movies. Starting out on your own is a bit hard on the pocket, and you do need to budget your spending carefully, but that's something not many people feel they can easily manage with, and it's only natural because how expensive the cost of living is nowadays. It tends to ease off when you pay off most outstanding millstones like student loans or down payments on a house, and find a reasonably decent job.

[QUOTE=Zonesylvania;49972414]Sandwiches dont always have to be cold, if you have access to a way to heat/grill them up at your workplace, you could simply bring along the bread and fillings/sauce separately, assemble them there, then grill/warm them through in the oven. Hey presto, instant hot meal.[/QUOTE] I've stored salt and pepper packets you can get at any fast food joint just for that reason. I've also brought my own sauce into restaurants where they don't serve the kind I like as well, though I get some weird looks. I will say one of my engineering classmates (26) tries to avoid the expensive campus eateries and one day just brought a can of ravioli in his backpack and ate it [I]straight out of the can, unheated.[/I] [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN7KoXI9J0M] I couldn't believe he was actually doing this[/url].

This thread is about teaching people the things (American high) school never gave a shit about teaching them actually living they'll teach you about the difference between types of economies, they'll teach you math, they'll teach you all sorts of things, but none of its about things you need to do, like taxes. Hell, they won't even teach you how to fill out an application.

[QUOTE=HumanAbyss;49972320]Okay so I have two things to say in relation to this thread. I am an insurance professional, I do insurance for a living, and I actually enjoy my job. Insurance laws, and applications are different wherever you go, but for the most part some of the key features of them stay the same. I'd be happy to explain, or help explain or shed light on any situations related to insurance in this thread if needed. American auto insurance may be out of my grasp though unless I go look into your particular states laws but the general features of it are similar, and comparable. The second thing I have to say is I need some serious fucking help with meal plans and food spending. I'm a super picky eater(I try so hard to expand my food tastes, I really do) so making myself lunches, or meals to take to work is impossible so far. I am a good cook when it comes to making a hot meal for dinner, no problems there, but for lunches, I'm fucked. Cold sandwhiches are literally disgusting as fuck to me, no matter how hard I try and get over it. I get a fairly bad stomach ache when I eat foods I don't mentally agree with, I'm trying to get over that but it's really hard(I have had an eating disorder for a few years now). I read about how to make good leftovers, about good meal plans, about nutritious meals and etc, and honestly, as far as making a lunch I can take to work with me, I never see anything that appeals to me. So I spend money, 5$ on average, at lunch when I'd really rather be saving my money in the mean time. I just don't know what to do on that front.[/QUOTE] Pastas, Rice and Potatoes. Use those as a base for your meals, put in some chicken and beef, look a few recipes online, and you will start cooking nice meals in a few weeks

[QUOTE=J!NX;49972465]This thread is about teaching people the things (American high) school never gave a shit about teaching them actually living they'll teach you about the difference between types of economies, they'll teach you math, they'll teach you all sorts of things, but none of its about things you need to do, like taxes. Hell, they won't even teach you how to fill out an application.[/QUOTE] Hey, canadian schools also utterly fail in teaching life skills. Sure, I remember all the atrocities that happened to the Metis, I can recall the majority of our prime ministers BUT I CAN'T DO MY TAXES WITHOUT TALKING TO AN ACCOUNTANT God damn it schools you're fucking useless.

[QUOTE=HumanAbyss;49972479]Hey, canadian schools also utterly fail in teaching life skills. Sure, I remember all the atrocities that happened to the Metis, I can recall the majority of our prime ministers BUT I CAN'T DO MY TAXES WITHOUT TALKING TO AN ACCOUNTANT God damn it schools you're fucking useless.[/QUOTE] "We'll teach you how to survive after school and give you all the skills you need" *gets tax return* "what the fuck is this? Do I wipe my ass with it?"

[QUOTE=TheFilmSlacker;49972377]I'd like this whole being an adult thing a bit more if I wasn't so goddamned busy doing shit I hate 80% of the time and being bored about another 10% when I'm free. I find that I can't savor much anymore because I always have "oh shit I need to get up at 4 AM tomorrow for work" in the back of my head. I'm just constantly thinking about work and it really sucks. Especially how I don't make enough to save literally any money at all. The only reason I am not bankrupt is because I live with someone who splits things 50/50 with me and I don't buy weed as much as I used to. Things will probably get better once I get a car, though. This apartment is super tiny and since I live in a rural area, there is literally nothing to do downtown unless you wanna get your hair cut or go walk through national parks.[/QUOTE] I felt exactly the same way. I've been independent for the last five years, and I found that even as I got better jobs and started enjoying more money, and the stress of worrying about paying my bills on time was largely surpassed, I was still very unhappy with my general circumstances. I hated waking up, going to work, spending all day doing things I didn't enjoy, and coming home with only a few hours of personal time before I had to go to sleep to do the same thing again the next day. I'm sure this sounds a bit dramatic, but I just felt like I was a slave to my paychecks, you know? Like, "what else am I doing with my life other than working for money?" If you have ever felt that way, read this book: [url]http://www.amazon.com/dp/1612680011/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=47136620808&hvpos=1t3&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15005095425325812856&hvpone=5.99&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_3pynxtfcxh_b[/url] Rich Dad Poor Dad. It's only six dollars. Changed my life completely. It taught me an entirely different way to look at money and work and life in general, and made me realize that I was walking down a path that was totally wrong for me. I changed everything! And now, not even a year later, I'm on the brink of starting my own business in real estate. Within ten years, following the path that this book helped lay down the first flagstones on, I will be completely independent of a paycheck, making $5,000/month+ of completely passive income from my property investments. It's no get rich quick scheme. Just the opposite. It shows how wealth generation is slow, deliberate, and not nearly as difficult or risky as you might imagine.

[QUOTE=oskramorir;49972477]Pastas, Rice and Potatoes. Use those as a base for your meals, put in some chicken and beef, look a few recipes online, and you will start cooking nice meals in a few weeks[/QUOTE] yeah it's not meals that get me, it's lunches that usually get me left over pasta's are fine, same with rice most of the time, i've just been trying to cut down on carbs where I can. Wraps as previously suggest may work, may even do lettuce wraps.

[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;49972490]I felt exactly the same way. I've been independent for the last five years, and I found that even as I got better jobs and started enjoying more money, and the stress of worrying about paying my bills on time was largely surpassed, I was still very unhappy with my general circumstances. I hated waking up, going to work, spending all day doing things I didn't enjoy, and coming home with only a few hours of personal time before I had to go to sleep to do the same thing again the next day. I'm sure this sounds a bit dramatic, but I just felt like I was a slave to my paychecks, you know? Like, "what else am I doing with my life other than working for money?" If you have ever felt that way, read this book: [url]http://www.amazon.com/dp/1612680011/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=47136620808&hvpos=1t3&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15005095425325812856&hvpone=5.99&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_3pynxtfcxh_b[/url] Rich Dad Poor Dad. It's only six dollars. Changed my life completely. It taught me an entirely different way to look at money and work and life in general, and made me realize that I was walking down a path that was totally wrong for me. I changed everything! And now, not even a year later, I'm on the brink of starting my own business in real estate. Within ten years, following the path that this book helped lay down the first flagstones on, I will be completely independent of a paycheck, making $5,000/month+ of completely passive income from my property investments. It's no get rich quick scheme. Just the opposite. It shows how wealth generation is slow, deliberate, and not nearly as difficult or risky as you might imagine.[/QUOTE] I read that book as well, but I was given it by a person I know who runs an Amway business, and sells amway products through their own web portal. That method that he was using didn't seem like it would fit my life at all, it just seemed like far too much time out and about trying to meet new people and convince them to be clients. How are you using it for real estate and how did you start doing that?

[QUOTE=Pascall;49971865]Another issue that comes with the apartment bit is that when I move out, I have two pets I need to take with me, I can't get a roommate because I'll likely need office and storage space for what I do and having a roommate that meshes with my style of living is going to be a job and a half anyway. And there are veeery few apartments around here that allow pets for anything less than like 50+ extra dollars a month per pet which is kind of a lot.[/QUOTE] Adding $50 per month for a pet seems high.

[QUOTE=OvB;49972527]Adding $50 per month for a pet seems high.[/QUOTE] It is. Prices fluctuate of course depending on the area but like.. nicer areas will almost always charge way too much. Unrelated to that, but does anyone else find it exceedingly difficult to mentally and emotionally handle school AND work at the same time? I'm down working only one day out of the week (mostly only being kept around because of the administrative work I do for the after school program I work for) and even that feels like a colossal amount of strain while I'm also going to school. Makes me feel kind of shit in comparison to people who can juggle a job or two along with college. Like I'm not cut out for the work force or something.

[QUOTE=Rocko's;49972447]Okay, so I have a question regarding college and shit. Where I live, we have a grant that pays your college full ride as long as your family makes less than average, and you have no means of paying, which I do. Problem is, it will only cover so much and I'd only be able to afford to go to a community college. That's where the problem hits me. I want to become a Surgical Tech, and the college does provide some help with that career path, but I'd have to start out as an RN. I'm trying to get scholarships to cover university after college, but that's getting harder. What would be the best decision, going through college to become an RN, and build a stable income and go back to school for Surgical Tech. Or should I use the grant, and try to get as many scholarships as possible, and go through surgical tech classes that I'll need from the university that way I can get into Surgical Tech earlier? Because either way, I'll be strapped for cash, and I'll need to find a quick way to make money. And unfortunately, RN's where I live make jack shit in money, so it'll be a bumpy ride till I become what I want to do, if I even manage to.[/QUOTE] Well I am a Nuclear Engineering student, but my best friend (who is actually a lot more studious and smarter than I) is going into nursing. I will tell you what I have learned so far: The university you attend, and the content you study, is almost completely irrelevant if you plan to attend graduate school or get additional schooling after college (unless there is a qualification type exam you need to get into the grad school). Engineers go to law school, a Nuclear Propulsion Officer I talked to in the Navy had a Bachelors in education and did the Navy equivalent of a Master's in Nuclear Engineering. Obviously a degree in the life sciences would help if you plan to enter a career in the healthcare industry but it's not required. My friend is doing an accelerated 2-years Associates in Nursing, and at the end of it she will take the same Boards Exams as the 4-year bachelors students. Additionally, her school is paid for because she went to a university that gave her (nearly) a full ride. She will start working after she gets her boards done this summer and completing her Bachelors online while working. If your only other option is to become an RN for a while (which doesn't sound fun to you it seems), I would suggest taking the grant and getting surgical tech classes asap. Also a big piece of advice: If you find your degree takes a lot of time to succeed outside of class, [I][B]Do not get a side job just to make money.[/B][/I] I complain about debt all the time since I'm paying my own way through college and people ask me why I don't have a job, and its because what I'm doing is [I][B]HARD[/B][/I]. Adding a job I don't care for except about the money would make it harder and if I have to take another year to graduate then any money I made becomes worthless.

As someone who is heading off to college for my freshman year in 2016, I have several questions: 1. Is Ramen a good choice of extreme budget food? 2. After I get through freshman year, is it worth it to move into a house/apartment or is something else better? 3. What are good financial investments in general to make in college?

[QUOTE=J!NX;49972465]This thread is about teaching people the things (American high) school never gave a shit about teaching them actually living they'll teach you about the difference between types of economies, they'll teach you math, they'll teach you all sorts of things, but none of its about things you need to do, like taxes. Hell, they won't even teach you how to fill out an application.[/QUOTE] The assumption is that some things (finances, filling out forms, cooking) are so obvious that most people can teach themselves, or that they can learn from other sources (i.e. parents who have to do these as well). The issue I've found is that American parents don't teach kids life skills for one reason or the other. Someone else will do it (sometimes for a price), parents are busy with their own stuff, ect. Kids really only have to get through school as long as they have the support system at home taking care of everything else. Honestly the most practical life skill I've learned from school is how to use a condom and that's rare in American schools.

[QUOTE=joshuadim;49972576]As someone who is heading off to college for my freshman year in 2016, I have several questions: 1. Is Ramen a good choice of extreme budget food? 2. After I get through freshman year, is it worth it to move into a house/apartment or is something else better? 3. What are good financial investments in general to make in college?[/QUOTE] Ramen will keep your pockets happy but that much sodium on a regular basis is certainly not good for you. If nothing else, throw in some fresh vegetables and protein like actual chicken or beef along with the noodles and broth that way you're actually getting some means of nutrition rather than just broth and noodles.

Important thing to remember about ramen is that one of those blocks is actually [I]two[/I] full servings of food. So if you're eating all of it you're eating a crap load of sodium and other shit that's going to work against you in the long run. If you must, don't use all of the spice packet as that's where all that sodium is coming from.

[QUOTE=joshuadim;49972576]As someone who is heading off to college for my freshman year in 2016, I have several questions: 1. Is Ramen a good choice of extreme budget food? 2. After I get through freshman year, is it worth it to move into a house/apartment or is something else better? 3. What are good financial investments in general to make in college?[/QUOTE] ramen's not good for you but it's what most college students live on. Best bet is to buy ground beef, or chicken thighs, fry those up with some spices that work with ramen and some veggies too from time to time depending on your budget, and that's going to be a lot better for you and give you the nutrition to actually survive college. My best friend left college with a UTI due in large part to having to eat like shit for those 4 years of law school prep. Don't be him. He still deals with those problems years down the road.

Put in a soft-boiled egg too. That definitely ups the nutrition level of ramen and is also pretty tasty!

[QUOTE=joshuadim;49972576]As someone who is heading off to college for my freshman year in 2016, I have several questions: 1. Is Ramen a good choice of extreme budget food? 2. After I get through freshman year, is it worth it to move into a house/apartment or is something else better? 3. What are good financial investments in general to make in college?[/QUOTE] 1. Get bowls or cups of ramen, not packets. Eating at the dining hall has weird restrictions (x amount of meal credits per week, can only use one credit per dining time [breakfast/lunch/dinner], different operating hours ect.). I eat ramen sometimes because I'm doing something that makes me get home after the dining hall closes. Also unless you feel like walking to the communal kitchen, you'll be washing everything in a small bathroom sink filled with shaved facial hair. Getting cups of ramen simplifies disposal and cleanup. Also, if you have to dump soup or food in the bathroom, [B]FLUSH IT DOWN THE TOILET[/B]. I can't stand seeing noodles, sardines, beans, and facial hair in the same sink. 2. If you are going to college with a career/degree well set in mind, just make sure you live on campus. I recommend apartments more than dorms, I feel like I have no space for my own stuff. The only upside to a dorm is that you have housekeeping (which is necessary when there's 1 shower for 7 guys). Typically dorms are kept quiet by RAs so everyone can study, and the proximity to classes will determine your morning routine (closer = more sleep). Typically off-campus housing, apartments, and houses are where parties are if you're into that. 3. Not sure where you're going but the best investment you can make is to make sure you are #1) learning #2) getting good grades. American colleges cost a lot so I don't have money to invest, other than the investment I've put into education. I will say invest in a form of personal transportation (skateboard, [B]bike[/B], or even a car/motorcycle if you can afford it). Transportation also determines how much you get to sleep.

What are better, cheap alternatives to ramen that's still delicious and not gonna fuck your bowel up? [editline]20th March 2016[/editline] Actually, what's you guys' recommended diet for a student?

[QUOTE=Limed00d;49972647]What are better, cheap alternatives to ramen that's still delicious and not gonna fuck your bowel up? [editline]20th March 2016[/editline] Actually, what's you guys' recommended diet for a student?[/QUOTE] Anything cheap will fuck your insides up unless you learn how to cook for yourself, which is an issue of its own (time, storage space, cooking knowledge, ect.). Learn how to cook or eat from the dining halls. There's no recommended diet as long as you know how to keep your body healthy. I avoid soda, fat-rich sauces and dressings, fried foods, and so on. As long as I avoid those and try to eat a variety of foods I keep myself in shape. My one weakness is desserts.

Since this is a gaming (and general "waste your life away on this website") forum, I'd like to ask, did you guys end up having trouble managing your time in college/university? I don't have any issues getting to my classes on time, but I go to bed way too late, and I basically read at totally random times. Having one class at 8:00 and one at 16:00 helps, because then I basically just sit on campus and read between those two, but when I'm at home (which is maybe half the days) I can't really focus on reading. What did you guys do? Simply find somewhere other than home to read? For the record, I don't currently have any trouble following what's going on, but I don't think this will hold up in later years. Also, it seems like almost everyone else is reading more than me, or at least spend more time doing so. Did you guys have that feeling too? Also I should be reading for my lab tomorrow right now, so thanks a lot facepunch.

[QUOTE=GoDong-DK;49972891]Since this is a gaming (and general "waste your life away on this website") forum, I'd like to ask, did you guys end up having trouble managing your time in college/university? I don't have any issues getting to my classes on time, but I go to bed way too late, and I basically read at totally random times. Having one class at 8:00 and one at 16:00 helps, because then I basically just sit on campus and read between those two, but when I'm at home (which is maybe half the days) I can't really focus on reading. What did you guys do? Simply find somewhere other than home to read? For the record, I don't currently have any trouble following what's going on, but I don't think this will hold up in later years. Also, it seems like almost everyone else is reading more than me, or at least spend more time doing so. Did you guys have that feeling too? Also I should be reading for my lab tomorrow right now, so thanks a lot facepunch.[/QUOTE] When I was actually in school, yeah, I had some time management issues, but I went to an art school for film, so nothing felt super serious because nothing ever seemed that related to what I'd be doing when I went to work, the relevance always felt low so the pressure to work felt low too. But now that I've gone through several years of "adult life", and have my own place, and pay rent and work a salaried job, time management is a non issue. I chock this up to being a personal thing though because my girlfriends reaching a similar place in her life, and she's not nearly as anal about time as I am. I personally am weirdly obssessed with time management, I hate wasting time, and if I have to kill time between disparate events that's always a piss off to me but I just try and think of things that I need to get done, that I might be able to do in that time period. Then I do whatever I can. I know when I have courses to take, they're usually about a week long, and trading all my free time for studying for a week here or there is perfectly fine to me now. Probably would have hated that 8 years or so ago.

[QUOTE=GoDong-DK;49972891]Since this is a gaming (and general "waste your life away on this website") forum, I'd like to ask, did you guys end up having trouble managing your time in college/university? I don't have any issues getting to my classes on time, but I go to bed way too late, and I basically read at totally random times. Having one class at 8:00 and one at 16:00 helps, because then I basically just sit on campus and read between those two, but when I'm at home (which is maybe half the days) I can't really focus on reading. What did you guys do? Simply find somewhere other than home to read? For the record, I don't currently have any trouble following what's going on, but I don't think this will hold up in later years. Also, it seems like almost everyone else is reading more than me, or at least spend more time doing so. Did you guys have that feeling too? Also I should be reading for my lab tomorrow right now, so thanks a lot facepunch.[/QUOTE] Do your assignments and go through your material whenever you get them, really helps cutting down procrastination and having work pile up.