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#university advice
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Hey lovelies this is a reminder to not listen to productivity influencers all the time. Please don't make every part of your day productive. You don't need to listen to self help podcasts while getting ready. You don't need to make all of your reading focused on mental health. You don't need to make a schedule to ensure that maximum productivity is reached. You aren't alive to rush to the grave babe.
Do listen to podcasts and music that make you happy and get you excited. Do read things you enjoy reading. Do make a schedule with rest time in it. Do take little breaks. Go feel the sun on your skin. I promise that taking time to actually exist and be alive won't somehow make you less productive. And in fact, you'll probably be more productive.
If you push yourself and focus on productivity and betterment constantly, you're going to burnout real quick. So take some breaks and go outside and stretch your arms and turn your head up and spin in the rain. Jump in the puddles and get those new shoes wet. End your study session early because you're frustrated and tired and make a cup of tea and get some cookies and watch a show. Read that fantasy book with moral lesson. Go take that night out with friends.
Please, please, please, PLEASE, P L E A S E don't let productivity be all you do. Live little. Relax. Really relax. Take personal days. Yes, get those grades and study and clean your house and stuff, but don't let it suffocate you. Ultimately this is your life love. Go live it. And don't feel guilty for living.
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being-addie · 1 year
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How to have a productive study session.
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When your finals are in 2 days, and you've definitely NOT studied enough, it's normal to panic. You sit down to study and get a solid 30 minutes of calculus done, then jump down the rabbit hole called YouTube. Soon enough the dread creeps up because you're still not done.
As a girl who doesn't attend school regularly due to coaching classes I go to (I'll expand on this later), it's pretty easy to forget to study for exams and projects.
But there's nothing better than getting 98% on that exam. So I'm writing this as someone who's been scoring straight As all my life. Here's how to have a productive study session:
Note: This isn't a guide for romanticising studies. This is meant for a serious, productive session. I will, however, be making a guide to help romanticise studies because I've found it helps a lot.
Before you study
Identify what your distractions are: Let's be real, almost everyone has their phone on hand during study sessions. Put your phone on Do Not Disturb and keep it in a corner of the room. Add a few selected contacts that can reach you while your phone is on DND. If you can turn off notifications entirely, do that.
Taking measures: After I keep my phone away, my brain turns to the next thing it could be distracted by. My laptop and tablet. Put those devices in focus mode, so you won't be tempted to use any other apps and use a Chrome extension like StayFocused or WasteNoTime to not get sidetracked.
Resources: Make sure you have all your material on hand. Video lectures, notes, guides, your formula sheet, and flash cards. Keep everything on hand so you won't have to rifle through papers to find that reference sheet.
Your space: Clean your desk. Keep only the things you need. Your pens and pencils, chargers, annotation material and water bottle. If you want, light a candle. Do not clutter it unnecessarily. Your desk is a sacred space. Treat it that way.
When you sit down
The checklist: Do you have all the material required? Electronics, chargers, a snack and a drink? Water bottle? Extra pen? If you have everything beforehand, you'll be less likely to lose focus because you forgot to charge your headphones.
Make a plan: I cannot stress this enough. You'll sit down and just start studying, and next thing you know, it's 7pm and all you've done is watch videos on celebrity drama. Make a goddamn plan. Write down a realistic number of chapters you can complete and then STICK TO IT.
Begin: Reread and review your notes. I usually like to rewrite my notes in neater handwriting, because my handwriting in class is appalling. To really solidify information, I recommend the 'Blurting' method. Read a paragraph, then close the book and say what you understood out loud. Reread to see what you missed and take note. I did this for my history exam and got a 100%. This shit works for a reason. Use the Pomodoro technique to maximise productivity. Set an alarm for 25 minutes, and do intensive study. Once that's done, take a 5-minute break. Return and repeat.
IMPORTANT
Take a break: Ah yes, if you don't get up every 40 minutes or so for a break, eventually whatever you're studying will start looking like garbage and you'll be back to square one. GET UP. Walk around. STRETCH. You've been looking like a croissant🥐. Eat something. Rehydrate.
Forgive yourself: If you couldn't hit your target, don't be harsh on yourself. Find out the cause: Were you distracted? Did something unavoidable come up? Then try to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Study buddy: This is a double-edged sword. Studying with a friend can either increase your productivity by a massive amount, or it can help you get absolutely zero work done. When revising with a friend, make sure you study with someone who has the same goals as you and won't get distracted by things.
It's 2023, procrastination is cancelled. Go drink some water, eat a granola bar and finish that assignment you've been delaying. Be the person who finishes all their work, on time and perfectly. You can do it.
<3
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college-hacks · 2 years
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Ok guys I know some of us are commuters to college and some travel fairly long distances so here's some tips!!
First things first is that you need a good backpack that has lots of room and is sturdy to last you a few years
You are an hour or two away from home so carry some medications like ibuprofen, pepto pills, allergy pills, etc I personally use a round pill organizer with compartments that screw together so it doesn't take up much room
Also a small first aid kit with some bandaids of different sizes, triple antibiotic ointment, the pill thing, pads/tampons if u have periods, a brace for any joint u have issues with (if applicable), etc
I try to bring my own snacks so I'm not stuck paying vending machine or fast food prices for a bag of chips
Carry everything you could need for class. I have my laptop, charger, a 5 subject notebook so I don't accidentally bring the wrong notebook on the wrong day, a pencil case with black pens, colored pens, highlighters (love the erasable ones), 1 or 2 sharpies, etc
I also carry ear buds, a phone charger + brick, mini stapler, tape, and anything else I might need for the classes I am taking
Give yourself about 15-30 extra minutes to get there, especially during construction season because u never know what construction could pop up
Buy the parking pass, I know it's expensive but good luck finding parking outside campus parking lots
Or don't, one of my friends said if she gets caught once a week and pays for the ticket it's still less than the parking pass but that's ur own risk
Make sure your textbooks are in your backpack before you leave. You do NOT want to be an hour away from home and find out your reading your textbook in class and it's sitting on your desk
Bring a mask even if your campus doesn't require one. When the person next to you is coughing all class you will probably want one and you can't just slip out for 10 minutes to walk to your dorm
That's all I have for now but I'm sure I'll think of more because I'm writing this on my lunch break :) have fun at college this summer/fall
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cyber-therian · 6 days
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seems my “plan D” for university has also failed… yeesh…
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Note to my Past Self: For all the times you doubted that pursuing your degree programs was worth it… it is. 💕
After 7 years of post-secondary education, and three degrees (soon to be 4 and a teaching credential), I finally got an interview for a full-time teaching position. In less than 24 hours, I was offered the position. I accepted.
The feeling of realizing you’re almost there, and that your hard work will be worth it, is an incredible feeling. And getting that phone call with the job position offer, makes your heart skip a beat, and leaves you overwhelmed with so many emotions. It’s such a surreal feeling and gives you so much energy and passion for your career path, even when it’s that time of year where you’re exhausted.
Keep going. It is so worth it when you can finally see the finish line. ✨👩🏼‍🏫
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amandaswork · 2 years
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ciaraloves · 2 years
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how to "get shit done": uni work addition
hi loveliest people so this is a sort of guide to how i get through uni work without going completely insane (make no mistake there is still some insanity present). I hope you find it helpful, or at least entertaining,
(disclaimer cause this is the internet: these work for me, they may not work for you)
table of contents:
a. date it
b. set reminders
c. how to stay on top of it
d. how to get on top of it if you aren't already
e. learn when your brain needs a break
f. uni is a full time job, treat it as such
A. date it
okay the first thing i do at the beginning of every semester is put uni dates in my calendar.
Term dates: when your term starts, when it ends, and your holidays. this is not just for information purposes but also so you have something to look forward to. additionally, it helps later on when you have to plan out assignment and test dates.
Assignment/ test dates: scour through the course outlines of all your courses and put every single date into your calendar. every assignment, every test, anything you have to submit goes in. that includes things like "weekly quizzes". make it a recurring date and chuck it in there.
B. set reminders
so i usually do this in my calendar but if you have a reminders app, or prefer other ways to set reminders then use that.
these reminders are not to make you feel bad for not doing work, it's to hold you responsible for your work. if you know you spiral at the idea of seeing a reminder when you haven't done work, this strategy may not work for you. don't give up, something will work. keep trying and have patience with yourself
if you know something is approaching it's easier to plan your life and your tasks around it. if you never know how long you have or you're always scrambling to figure out when something is due your mind is so focused on the dates it has no time for the work
Assignment reminders:
2 weeks before // 1 week before // 3 days before // 1 day before // 10 minutes before // on time of event
Test reminders:
1 week before // 3 days before // 1 day before // 1 hour before // on time of event
I know this may be excessive but if you're someone like me who constantly forgets things, it is very helpful to keep yourself on track
okay trust me you got this! i promise it's not as bad as it looks. right onto readings and assignments.
C. how to stay on top of it
do one reading per course per day: this is non-negotiable. trust me it is the easiest way to get through readings for a week.
if you have four courses of five readings each you will end up doing four readings a day from Monday to Friday. it is workable and you can do it. uni is fucking difficult and everyone has a story about why they're there but i promise you if you're there, the selection processes decided you were capable enough to handle it. and you are. if you can, start a week earlier so you're a little ahead otherwise it's totally okay.
2. start research for assignments 2 weeks before it is due. this will give you time and space to sort through what is relevant, useful, or should be discarded.
i have a folder for each assignment where all my research goes. within this folder there are three other folders: a. done and dusted b. too long/ not relevant c. could be helpful if i cared enough
and as i go through each paper/article/etc. i sort it into one of the three folders
while i am doing my research i also have a google doc open (shortcut that saved my life btdubs: "doc.new" directly into the browser search bar) that i write notes on.
a. things i think will help support my arguments b. things i found interesting c. themes that keep cropping up in the literature (advantages, disadvantages, limitations, concepts, theories, future directions) d. things i disagree with and will either argue against or find some way to bitch about (seriously have fun with your assignments) e. statistics
3. study notes should be your understanding of the topic:
it is beneficial to write the heading and then write as much as you can on what you know even if it's random words muddled on a page. then fill in using lecture notes, anything in your readings you found helpful, and obviously your course sources like textbooks.
the most important piece of advice i can give you for study notes is: MAKE THEM FUNNY AND WITHOUT FILTER you do not have to sound professional, you do not have to sound like you're writing a textbook. i am dead serious:
here's an excerpt from my clinical psychology study notes in 3rd year: Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder: set a boundary between what we would consider to be normal and appropriate grieving behaviour and what we could consider to be disordered or inappropriate grieving behaviour. (literally the dumbest thing i've ever heard? Who are we to tell people they’re grieving wrong????)
D. how to get on top of it if you aren't already
If you’re already behind but you’re attending class, leave the work you’re behind on in the past. (yes that was meant to rhyme).
Spend one weekend going through lecture slides and lecture content only. Don’t worry about the readings for the lectures, just leave those. If you don’t understand what’s happening then go and do readings. Skim the abstracts of those readings and if they look like they’re not going to help you don’t do them.
Reach out to your lecturer or tutor or supervisor and say:
“Good day [name/honorific] I am struggling to understand [this topic] despite working through the lecture notes and readings on it. Please may I have some guidance as to how I can better understand this. (alternative: please can I see you during your office hours for a brief explanation and further resources to help me better understand the topic) Hope to hear back soon! [sign off]”
then apply all this to the above on assignments and study notes.
E. learn when your brain needs a break
sometimes you really just have to shut down. sometimes your brain is saying "if you don't give me a break right now i am going to do it for us and it is going to get ugly". please listen. do whatever you need to.
a. sleep for an entire day, hell an entire weekend.
b. binge watch something
c. read something
d. go out
e. go on a hike
f. stay with a friend
g. visit your parents
F. uni is a full time job, treat it as such
i cannot stress enough that uni literally is a large, possibly the biggest part, of your life. it is very difficult to sideline it without getting overwhelmed.
however, that doesn't mean you don't deserve time off. give yourself insurance, free healthcare, an understanding boss. you are not a robot. you are living, and alive, and you need many things to keep you that way. work alone is not going to help. but play alone is not going to help either. find the balance that works for you by listening to yourself. and then stick to the balance.
goodluck beautiful beans. i believe in you wholeheartedly <3
if you have any questions my ask box is always open. and if you want more detail for anything let me know!
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etherealacademia · 3 months
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i go to uoft as well, im in my second year of undergrad. i feel the isolation due to commuting as well:( are there any specific things you did in your later years to make friends?
i think what helps is the fact that class sizes get smaller in upper year courses. take seminars with only a handful of students. if you're part of a department that has a lounge, go sit in it and read on a couch while eavesdropping on other students until they have no choice but to involve u in conversation (this is how i made acquaintances). go to department events. join a newspaper or any kind of extracurricular where u can do work remotely but that also requires you to meet people in person.
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onyxisnotuniqueenough · 4 months
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hey guys i admire more than anything projects like ITSV/ATSV, cuphead, TMNT:MM, brba/bcs, and i love murder mysteries, superhero stories (especially spider-man he is my life) and interesting theming for animated/tv/storytelling projects like dimension 20's mentapolis, wandavision (even if i'm not that into it, i still LOVED the theming), well, cuphead ofc.
i am so so interested in screenwriting and story telling and art and animation specificities that make projects look unique
i am studying the most unrelated thing ever in university and i want to change my life's trajectory and do something that i WANT to do!
i obviously love drawing and character designing, i always have, even if i'm not the best at it
so i am wondering : what degree/program should i pursue or look for if i want to work in the comic book/animation/story telling world?
i am not interested in animation or illustration
i am interested in writing/screenwriting and character design and production design (a bit less) (for live action stuff)
the people i admire in the industry all studied/have different degrees in the art/writing/film world, so i'm not sure which way to look.
any advice? any recommendations for resources?
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mujimilk · 7 months
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what i did during undergrad + grad
As I've recently just graduated from grad school with my Master's right after undergrad, I want to note what I did so that people can learn from my experience! I graduated from undergrad with degrees in Computer Engineering and Web Design and graduate school with a Master's in Engineering Management.
1st (freshman) year
Although I did some coding in high school, I still needed to learn the fundamentals and struggled through introductory programming. However, I was one of those people that banged their heads against the wall enough to where things started making sense. I also added a second major: Web Design, so I went into sophomore year being a double major in Computer Engineering and Web Design. I did join some clubs, including cultural clubs, but it did not align with my schedule and I eventually had to drop them.
2nd (sophomore) year
I got tickets from my university to Grace Hopper Celebration, which is the largest convention for women in computing. Here, I learned about applying to internships, how to prepare for interviews, and met so many people who were already working software engineers. This is when I started applying for internships. By chance, a friend reached out and asked me if I wanted to work on a website for a club for an event they were holding (and it would be paid) so this was the first time I had some experience that was outside of class projects. I also got lucky when one of my other friends asked me to replace him working for a professor on a different website. This gig lasted me all throughout senior year.
3rd (junior) year
It is typical for people to get internships this year for the summer as they get a full-time offer and then finish out their senior year without worrying about applications before starting to work full time. I didn't get an internship and decided to go for my master's anyway because it would give me some extra time to keep studying and applying. I also branched out and started doing some hackathons which are usually 48 hour coding events people do in groups in order to create something. Although I didn't win any prizes, it gave me the experience of coding in a group.
4th (senior) year
This was the year I aimed to get an internship for the summer after, since I knew it would be the last summer I would have the opportunity to intern before I started looking for a full time job. I was working 3 jobs in school, as a grader (for an introductory engineering class), as a teaching assistant (for a communications class) and being a website designer for the job previously mentioned. I wasn't able to keep the jobs due to a university working hours requirement. I'll go into how I got my internship another time, but I was successful by January of my senior year, and graduated from undergrad stress-free from applications. I also had an undergrad thesis to do, as well as taking the hardest classes for a computer engineering major.
5th (master's) year
My university has a 4+1 program, where I could start my Master's program during my senior year and finish it out the year after. However, I didn't take any graduate classes my senior year because I was so busy, but I still aimed on graduation in a year instead of delaying it another year. This was probably the most stressful time of my life since I was taking twice as many classes as someone else in this program with me as well as balancing being a teaching assistant (this time holding labs for introductory programming students). My time management skills were tested during this time, as I would usually show up to classes at around 7am and not leave campus until after 9pm. Having a full-time offer for a job was extremely helpful and I was able to focus on school and work instead of applications and interviewing.
Final Thoughts
I was able to do all of this due to a really strong work ethic which I'm super proud of myself for. Engineering is known as the hardest school at my university and there were so many other accomplished students, which I had to learn very quickly not to compare myself to. Feel free to ask me any questions or comment on anything about my journey!
x, Muji
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Fun ways to help stay focused while studying
Aromatherapy/diffusers/candles. You can get diffusers with timers you can set and use different scents to help with focus and concentration!
Apps! There's sooooo many super cute study apps that reward you for study time! There's also apps that reward you for being productive in general!
Nap breaks! Nothing is better than a nice little nap after a hard study session and this motivation is what helps my cousin study for a couple hours uninterrupted.
Play background noise on an app that you can't minimize or the music stops, like YouTube without premium. This forces you to not use your phone.
Make small, achievable goals with little rewards!
Set a timer on your phone and put it in another room. When the timer goes off, reward yourself with a fun activity.
Teach the material to a pet, stuffed animal, or younger sibling or a plant!
Turn it into a game. Instead of using flashcards the boring way, turn it into a matching game. Play hangman to teach yourself how to spell complex words or make an crossword for foreign language practice!
Make it a self care act. Self care always feels nice. Treat studying how you do any other self care activity. Maybe even do a hair and face mask while you study and listen to zen music.
Give yourself new goals to keep it exciting. Study times and information retention should be your focus and rewards can be anything you like!
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i-rationality · 2 years
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Please help me mathblr :,)
I’ll be starting my degree in applied maths and computation in less than a month. Apparently, in my college, Linear Algebra and Integral and Differential Calculus are two of the hardest courses (I am unsure if it’s because of the complexity of the subjects or the lack of care by the teachers, although I’m willing to bet it’s both). Does anyone have any resources (Books, YouTube channels, online lectures, etc.) that could help me out? I’d really appreciate it!!
Content related to other subjects are also welcome, along with general advice about pursuing a (math) degree!!
Im terrified to start uni, can you tell?? Also excited tho
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college-hacks · 1 year
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Find a hobby besties. Literally anything that isn't staring at a phone screen. It does wonders for your mental health. I learned to spin yarn on a drop spindle (you can make your own for cheap, I got mine for 5$ at a local reenactment, bought wool from the ladies at said reenactment and now am part of the reenactment lol) and you never know what other doors may open for you! It's a great way to make friends who are also into the hobby. It doesn't have to be anything artsy, it could be reading, taking walks, seeing how much litter you can pick up, collecting fall leaves that are pretty
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fixomnia-scribble · 8 months
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On Starting University
Dear students starting university alarmingly soon:
You're going to be fine.
It's going to be okay.
You absolutely don't need to have your whole path mapped out. Or your faculty. Or whether you graduate or not. Life changes fast. Interests and opportunities come up out of nowhere, and you can fall out of love with a subject too. You may learn you are neurodivergent, or are carrying trauma around, or need accommodations for anything at all, and that doesn't make you belong any less, whether you ace a course or re-take it later. You might find that trying to make your square pegs fit the round holes of academia is too high a cost, and that's totally legit. Noping out through self-awareness can save you a pile of trouble.
First week and first month are a roller coaster. Go to the Orientation sessions and the Welcome events and at least look into free workshops on studying, time planning, budgeting, safe relationships, essay-writing and all that. Even if you pick up just a grain or two or new information, they're led by people who know their stuff. And if you are a deep introvert (like me) these events are a good way to be near people and start to make contacts without having to actively Network With People. You can learn a ton by being there and listening - and some schools give you Co-Curricular credit just for turning up to these developmental sessions.
Ask the silly questions in tutorial. Guaranteed, someone else wants clarification too.
Look out for freebies. Many schools have food pantries, free produce pick-up days, birth control, emergency funding through Financial Aid...look around. Going to events or focus groups just for the free pizza is a time-honoured tradition.
Keep your head screwed on tight and your heart in the right place, breathe deep every night before you crash, and trust your guts.
(Most importantly: love school all you want, but know that institutions don't love back. Learn about your rights and policies and self-advocate like hell.)
It's going to be okay.
Love, Your academic auntie
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cyber-therian · 28 days
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I want to switch my major from Accounting to something related to wildlife or natural resource conservation. I always planned to be in a math-based job because of my fear of not having enough money. However since getting into university for accounting my mental health has taken a steep decline and I can’t help but feel trapped and hopeless; accounting is just not the thing for me. I have so much passion in nature, and I want to have a job like that.
I never took biology, which is required for courses that deal with biology, obviously. The deadline for applications at my university are at the end of the month, and the program I want to be in is highly competitive. I don’t think Im gonna be able to pull off taking biology before the deadline, and I can’t register for summer school beforehand because my school hasn’t posted the applications yet, so I cant prove to the university that Im enrolled in it.
We have already paid some of my student fees, we have already spent thousands planning the trip and getting shelter while we go there. I dont want to stay back a year or go to a different university, it would disappoint not only my family but also myself. However I also dont want to waste the money on attending the first year as an accounting student, when I know its not what Im sticking to.
I feel so guilty & like my timing was just barely off. I dont know what to do.
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benevolentbirdgal · 7 months
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things your t.a. in college wants you to know, in no particular order:
it is my job to help you, not to chase you down or endlessly follow up when you miss something. it is your job to reach out to me or the professor when you miss something or what something changed or whatever.
I want to help you, but how much I care is DIRECTLY tied to how much you do. I can't care for both of us. I will sit with a student for an hour speedrunning the notes they missed or reschedule a makeup exam three times if they're communicative and follow policy. I will not spam everyone who missed class or the exam with demands they rectify that.
If there's an issue - you think I've bungled attendance, a contradiction in class, something not clear in the notes, an exam question that contradicts the textbook - the quicker you email me, the more options I have. I have more options to help you two days after you missed class than two weeks or two months.
for the love of all that is good, holy, and student funding related: don't hit on me. I'm not hitting on you. I know I'm probably only -1 to 3 years older than you in many cases, and in another life we might have met in a bar. in this life I am not your peer, at least for the semester(s) I'm a T.A. for you.
I cannot override the professor's policy's. If they don't believe in extra credit or have a cutoff for non-ADA makeup exams, I have no control over it. Hell, depending on the policy, it might even be a university-wide thing, outside of their control.
The syllabus probably says how quickly we'll get back to you. It depends on the professors, but 24-72 hours during the business week (i.e. not weekends or holidays) seems the norm. My experience and that of my peers has been a usually more expedient response, especially for quick questions. But if you email me at 8:49 on a Friday evening I'm of no obligation to write you back immediately.
Relatedly, if there's something you've been specifically told in class and/or the syllabus to email the T.A.(s) about, emailing the professor will probably delay your response because they'll forward it to us and then we'll reply.
Also: the syllabus and prof will probably tell you the turnaround time on exams. It might be quicker (esp for multiple choice), but emailing won't get you bumped up "in line" or whatever to get graded (there is no line to be bumped up within).
Please include your section number when you email us. It'll be on the syllabus and canvas/blackboard/whatever - if you're in Tumblr 200: Introduction to Blorbos, Section 7, you're looking for something like TMBR - 200 - 07. The prof and T.A.s probably have multiple intro to blorbos sections, so including the number is helpful!
Depending on your uni/department, we might have office hours! If this is the case, it'll say on the syllabus when you can swing on by without having to email ahead of time.
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