1st Post: Overwhelmed & Anxious for Master's Schoolwork

[lmf107]

I have read through many others' posts; however I don't feel as if my anxiety or depression is affecting my life as much as others. My issues and problems may sound "childish" compared to what everyone else is going through. I still feel this group will be beneficial to me.

Right now I feel as if I can barely keep my head above water with all that is going on all at the same time. I am really freaking out mostly about my master's program. I have the same professor for both courses and we are required to do a tremendous amount of reading in such a sort time. I am not the best or fastest reader and I have always struggled with comprehension and vocabulary growing up. I work really hard and maybe I am too much of a perfectionist that it is right now weighing me down. I have over 100 pages to read by Wednesday!! I work full time and try to make time after for self-care, but I feel those are hours I should be doing school work. It takes me all day to write papers and I'm tired.

Alright, that is my vent for right now. I need to get a move on with this reading which is going to be half-fast since there isn't enough time for me to actually read everything; it'll be only what i need to answer my discussion questions.

[Windy101]

I'm in a master's program too, and could have written your post! I don't have any answers but just to push through the best you can. I have a professor who is such a perfectionist and piles on the busy work. Everything has to be done just so or she isn't happy. With all my classes I feel like I'm constantly speed-reading. Apparently this is just the life of a master's student but the stress can be pretty bad. Most of my classmates seem to feel the same way, and one told me she just accepts that she cannot do a good job with all of it - that she has to pick and choose priorities and let some of it go. I guess we just have to hang in there and remember that the sky isn't falling. We'll be celebrating when the semester is over, and hopefully the next one won't be so bad.

Best of luck to you and be proud that you're doing all this while working fulltime. That's a big achievement!

[lmf107 in reply to Windy101]

Thank you so much for your post. Sometimes it is definitely easier said than done to push through, but that's all I can do at this point! I usually don't speed-read because I can't; I won't grasp anything I have read. I guess that it what I have to do as well, just accept I can't always do my absolute 110% best because there isn't enough time. I can't wait for Dec 15th to be here!! My school runs on quarters so it is 10 weeks of school then 3 week break. I'm just very tired of it all right now!!

Thank you again. I greatly appreciate it.