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Best way to 'coast' in college??

Cause is Right

I have been quite inefficient over the years. I'd like to try and beat the system and save myself some stress for a change. I always have this idea that end of term is far away, and therefore to motivate myself to study, I try and immerse myself in a particular topic. Anything will become somewhat interesting once you get into it, but this method takes time. This reason combined with the fact that I don't study enough anyway, explains why there is often many topics uncovered nearing exams. Because the lecturers rarely refer to the exam papers, I get this idea in my head that I should try and learn, understand and memorise each lecture's material. But of course, it would be better to take an attitude of looking at the exam paper relatively soon, and choosing your answer from the information giving, as opposed to memorising the information given.

I also think it's really important to know how the marks are distributed within each module. For example, if you're getting really mixed with the results you've taken during a practical for a write-up, and if it's only worth 2%, then you can fudge, knowing that if you're disciplined later on in the year, you'll be just fine. But of course the interesting thing is that people who coast, usually aren't disciplined about matters anyway, so often end up showing up to class for the unimportant lectures, and missing the vital classes.

If you're studying a new topic, it may often be the case that once you've grasped the main concepts, you may not need to read any further. Although that may be the point when you're properly broken in, and may find it easy to motivate yourself to read more... because most of the procrastination is over starting a new topic. But, none the less, if you know that it's not important in the greater scheme of things, or if it's taking up you're time from other important things, or even if it's just causing you stress, then it's not important

I'm not sure whether I'm looking for advice from nerds, or coasters!! But if you do have any wisdom that is somewhat unique, that I mightn't have thought of myself, please share.

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Mahatma Geansai

Take a while out. It doesn't sound like you have the maturity to deal with college at present. There is no point going to college and scraping a degree just for the sake if it.

Cause is Right

Mahatma Geansai wrote: »

Take a while out. It doesn't sound like you have the maturity to deal with college at present. There is no point going to college and scraping a degree just for the sake if it.

For goodness sake, most people in college need maturing. I'm in 3rd, and have never failed an exam. I also got a 1st class honors from 1 year of another course before I packed it up. So I think that proves your point wrong.

Now back to where we were!

Hachiko

loads of people flunk thru college tbh that have not exactly killed themselves in the process, you just need to be coy about it.

and i dont mean scraping with a pass degree either...

Cause is Right

Hachiko wrote: »

loads of people flunk thru college tbh that have not exactly killed themselves in the process, you just need to be coy about it.

and i dont mean scraping with a pass degree either...

Now that's a little bit more like a response I was looking for!

Chimaera

Go to SAA, get an exit form and bugger off out of the place.

A university degree is a privilege many don't get the opportunity to acquire and it makes me mad as hell seeing the likes of you abuse the opportunity.

Cause is Right

Chimaera wrote: »

Go to SAA, get an exit form and bugger off out of the place.

A bit dramatic there!

Chimaera wrote: »

A university degree is a privilege many don't get the opportunity to acquire and it makes me mad as hell seeing the likes of you abuse the opportunity.

It's my right if I'm paying my own fees. Believe me, most are a lot more immature than me, and you know it. Lots of em fail exams, and even repeat years.

What's the point in knowing all the material, if the final job mightn't be that much related to it? It's not the main passion in my life. If I had my way I'd be a musician, so some study hours will have to be sacrificed for my hobby!

Popoutman

It's not your "right". Paying for it, or not, is irrelevant, as you've taken a place from someone far more deserving. Being in college is a privilege, and you're wasting the time and effort of others with your attitude.

You are typical of the short-sighted self-entitled milennials - do us a favour and get out of the place and give someone deserving the opportunity to better themselves - as you are plainly wasting your educational opportunity. Your attitude cheapens the accomplishments of those that worked for what they got.

Or at least get out and lessen the hassle that others have as a direct result of you and others like you.

Cause is Right

Popoutman wrote: »

It's not your "right". Paying for it, or not, is irrelevant, as you've taken a place from someone far more deserving. Being in college is a privilege, and you're wasting the time and effort of others with your attitude.

You are typical of the short-sighted self-entitled milennials - do us a favour and get out of the place and give someone deserving the opportunity to better themselves - as you are plainly wasting your educational opportunity. Your attitude cheapens the accomplishments of those that worked for what they got.

Or at least get out and lessen the hassle that others have as a direct result of you and others like you.

Get out and do what? go on the dole. Ha, it is so assuming to hear other people's point of view sometimes. I'll be just fine buddy. The reality is that my grades are better than most of the other's in the class. Remind me why I don't deserve to have it

barneystinson

Popoutman wrote: »

It's not your "right". Paying for it, or not, is irrelevant, as you've taken a place from someone far more deserving. Being in college is a privilege, and you're wasting the time and effort of others with your attitude.

You are typical of the short-sighted self-entitled milennials - do us a favour and get out of the place and give someone deserving the opportunity to better themselves - as you are plainly wasting your educational opportunity. Your attitude cheapens the accomplishments of those that worked for what they got.

Or at least get out and lessen the hassle that others have as a direct result of you and others like you.

What utter tripe, third level education is the new 2nd level education - it's a means to an end for the vast majority of people, not an end in itself like you're trying to make out.

That end is a paying job, out of which to pay taxes that'll pay for the type of people who believe farting around in university is the end...

OP I've now coasted through 2 degrees and a professional accountancy qualification (the latter 2 whilst working full-time), and without wanting to appear bigheaded its only possible because i'm usually one of the smartest students in a class and good at cramming, so can afford to put in a lame effort - but it gets more difficult and stressful as you get older - if you can at all, I'd advise you to keep working on applying yourself!

Jester252

Is it any wonder why 3 level degrees are becoming useless.

How long can the argument for free fees last with 3-level being over-populated with people who don't care about or are lazy regarding their education.

Agent_99

Obviously the OP is not a good musician or hasn't the confidence to peruse that career and is under pressure to fulfill a university course in order to receive 4 years of funding from the bank of mum and dad. Scraping by for a college degree will only put them back 4 years until they decide what they wanted to do in the first place. C's get degrees but 1st and 2:1's get careers. Someboby out there is now sitting unhappy in their 2nd or 3rd CAO choice because this eejit wants an easy life.

barneystinson

I think ye are misunderstanding what the OP is asking lads - the height of yer horses in relation to 3rd level education is quite hilarious.

The OP isn't struggling, their grades are fine, they're asking how do people who coast to good grades without having to expend huge effort all year, do so. We all know those people, there are one or two in most classes.

Usually the answer is that they're intelligent, they've a good aptitude for the material, they go to enough lectures to ensure they remain up to speed with the material, and critically they're very good at cramming for exams. Not everyone can do that, but some can, and they can coast to a 2.1, whereas if they actually wanted to, they'd get a first with good application. Such is the way of the world.

I just went back to finish an undergrad degree, in my 30's doing it part-time in conjunction with a demanding full-time job with a long commute. I had no real option but to coast this time round, a first would've been nice, but totally unnecessary - for the purpose I undertook the course a 2.1 will do me fine.

Cause is Right

Agent_99 wrote: »

Obviously the OP is not a good musician

It's about more than being a good musician. There's a difference between having the balls to go after hat you want, and just being plain stupid.

Agent_99 wrote: »

hasn't the confidence to peruse that career and is under pressure to fulfill a university course in order to receive 4 years of funding from the bank of mum and dad.

Hmmm, pretending you think it's mom and dad paying. Am I now supposed to be offended

Cause is Right

barneystinson wrote: »

I think ye are misunderstanding what the OP is asking lads

I think they must all be either lecturers, or mature students!!!

I mean, think about it. If you were to actually study as hard as a lecturer recommended, we'd all be getting 1st class honors!! Do they recommend we study more, because they know we'll barely study at all??

Jester252

Cause is Right wrote: »

I think they must all be either lecturers, or mature students!!!

I guess you didn't read the rest of his post or you wouldn't have used mature student as a vague insult, seen as one of the only people here to back you up is a mature student.
I also guess most people have an issue with a wannabe coaster because your lazy attitude is the bane of anybody who has done a group project.

I mean, think about it. If you were to actually study as hard as a lecturer recommended, we'd all be getting 1st class honors!! Do they recommend we study more, because they know we'll barely study at all??

No because they know there are people like you who don't care and who will hold back the class looking for the lecture to spoon feed them every little detail.

No wait you're smart. How else could you have pulled this off.

Cause is Right wrote: »

I also got a 1st class honors from 1 year of another course before I packed it up.

I'm surprised it didn't make the news been able to condense a 3/4 year degree into 1 year and still get the top honours.

Cause is Right

Jester252 wrote: »

I also guess most people have an issue with a wannabe coaster because your lazy attitude is the bane of anybody who has done a group project.

I'm afraid you're wrong with that one

Jester252 wrote: »

I'm surprised it didn't make the news been able to condense a 3/4 year degree into 1 year and still get the top honours.

I meant that my average grade was over 70% for that year before I packed it up. Maybe that's not the correct way of saying it, but I'd rather have the 2:1 and not know the correct terminology for my grade, than vise versa

Jester252

Cause is Right wrote: »

I'm afraid you're wrong with that one

How so? You clearly don't want to put in any effort.

I meant that my average grade was over 70% for that year before I packed it up. Maybe that's not the correct way of saying it, but I'd rather a 2:1 and not know the correct terminology for my grade, than vise versa

You're so lazy you rather not take five minutes to understand how you are getting marked? Do you even know what a 2.1 is or do you what it because you know someone who has one and you're jealous?

Chimaera

The major problem I have with this is the message it sends to students generally. There are always the handful of people who can do well with little effort but most people can't. The attitude of the OP and others here comes across as an attempt to legitimise laziness/lack of effort with the end result being that a certain percentage of the students who need to make the effort won't, and will complain when they get bad marks. It's another facet of the entitlement culture that's emerged here over the last 10-15 years.

Ave Sodalis

Jester252 wrote: »

I'm surprised it didn't make the news been able to condense a 3/4 year degree into 1 year and still get the top honours.

I have nothing really to say on the subject but I do have to make a point that this is actually common in America. I know someone who can't afford 3 years of college so is doing the whole course in a year, and is getting top marks. Doesn't make the news there because a lot of people condense their courses.

[Rasta]

Chimaera wrote: »

The major problem I have with this is the message it sends to students generally. There are always the handful of people who can do well with little effort but most people can't. The attitude of the OP and others here comes across as an attempt to legitimise laziness/lack of effort with the end result being that a certain percentage of the students who need to make the effort won't, and will complain when they get bad marks. It's another facet of the entitlement culture that's emerged here over the last 10-15 years.

If you're at university and you know you're struggling it should be obvious that you need to do more work than those one or two in the class who get good marks without much effort. It just comes down to what you're willing to put in, and blaming your laziness on other people is a waste of time.

Saying that a person who doesn't feel the need to do much work to achieve decent results is entitled is poor form. Just because you take something for granted doesn't mean you shouldn't be allowed have it. We are lucky to have such great access to third level education and hounding someone because of their laziness just makes no sense. You might say someone else would have deserved their spot more, but then it comes back down to why that person didn't make enough effort to ensure they got what they wanted in the first place.

And simply giving people places in college because they don't come across as entitled or don't take it for granted is silly. You could say the same things about secondary school, but we are living at a time where secondary school is a given yet you don't see people hounding the lazy people for taking things for granted. I'm sure there was a time where people would have been mad at the fact that going to secondary school would be taken for granted. But we have to just accept that things change, and something that would have seemed like a privilege is simply now something that just is being taken for granted.

Cause is Right

Jester252 wrote: »

How so? You clearly don't want to put in any effort.

You're right, BUT when it comes to sacrificing other people I take an entirely different approach, and make sure to pull my weight like I should. I'm a slacker, not necessarily a quality that goes hand in hand with being an a$shole!!!

Jester252 wrote: »

or do you what it because you know someone who has one

Learn to write!! Uncalled for nastiness, I'd expect nothing less!

Cause is Right

Chimaera wrote: »

The attitude of the OP and others here comes across as an attempt to legitimise laziness/lack of effort with the end result being that a certain percentage of the students who need to make the effort won't, and will complain when they get bad marks.

Let em rot

Chimaera wrote: »

It's another facet of the entitlement culture that's emerged here over the last 10-15 years.

I imagine you're referring to the politicians and bankers feeling entitled to syphon extra money off the tax payer. The difference here is that my study methods have no effect on the other students

Beargrylls01

Stay in, I need you to skew the curve.

It has proved very useful over the years, maybe unfortunately.

Cause is Right

Beargrylls01 wrote: »

Stay in, I need you to skew the curve.

But what difference does it make to you?

barneystinson

Chimaera wrote: »

The major problem I have with this is the message it sends to students generally. There are always the handful of people who can do well with little effort but most people can't. The attitude of the OP and others here comes across as an attempt to legitimise laziness/lack of effort with the end result being that a certain percentage of the students who need to make the effort won't, and will complain when they get bad marks. It's another facet of the entitlement culture that's emerged here over the last 10-15 years.

I hope this isn't aimed at me - the bottom line is, unless you aspire to a life in academia your time in uni is simply a means to an end, which is going out and joining the real world and the workforce at the end of it.

I don't know where you're getting this entitlement culture crap from - the OP is simply asking for tips to work cleverer rather than longer, and there's nothing wrong with that.

To me, learning how best to apply yourself to get the best outcome with the minimum effort/resource applied is a pretty damn important capability to pick up and one that can be applied out there in the real world.

Seems to me theres some serious Swot Snobbery going on here TBH. :rolleyes:

I suppose it's inevitable; you have your music snobs, movie snobs, literary snobs, it pervades all areas, so why would third level education be different...

Education is just a step on the road to a career (either related or unrelated to the area of study), for all but the few lucky enough to have the inclination and opportunity to get to spend their lives on a campus. So cheer up guys, all this thread means is that once the OP graduates there'll be one more chump out there slaving and paying taxes to sustain your existences in the coffee-scented ivory towers of academia

jackboy

People might not like it but the truth is working hard is irrelevant. College and the workplace are all about results achieved. Working crazy hours is not sustainable in the long term.

Jester252

Cause is Right wrote: »

You're right, BUT when it comes to sacrificing other people I take an entirely different approach, and make sure to pull my weight like I should. I'm a slacker, not necessarily a quality that goes hand in hand with being an a$shole!!!

At least an a$shole puts in effort

Learn to write!! Uncalled for nastiness, I'd expect nothing less!

Might want to re-read your post.

Jester252

Cause is Right wrote: »

But what difference does it make to you?

Just take 5 minutes to understand how you're graded

Cause is Right

Jester252 wrote: »

At least an a$shole puts in effort

No jester, you misunderstand me once again. What I was getting at was that an asshole wouldn't care for others so therefore wouldn't put in the effort unless he believed he's benefit.

Jester252 wrote: »

Might want to re-read your post.

You wrote 'what' instead of 'want' a while back when you were referring to the 2:1(for the 3rd time). Just a bit tedious to read

Cause is Right

Jester252 wrote: »

Just take 5 minutes to understand how you're graded

This seems like another randomly mentioned statement, which is trying to insinuate something?? You clearly don't have anything of substance to say at this point in time. Go along troll, get out!