STUDENTS, Exams, and Ukuleles

Beginning of this week was the start of EXAMS!!!! the dreaded finals urghh!!!

Anyways when i'm at the university library studying I find myself not studying "good". I would much rather be near an instrument.

Is it just me or does playing the ukulele or any other instrument help you focus a whole lot more??? it sure has been the case for me!!!! I find that the ukulele and UU have been my outlet to reality while burying myself in textbooks and lecture notes!!

Thank goodness to the mighty uke!!!

(ps i should be studying right now )

I pulled out my uke to play in the middle of my homework today. I am stressed out of my mind b/c of this ridiculous saturday program I'm in (in addition to a max credit load). My regular courses aren't that bad, but this saturday thing is ridiculous. I couldn't take it anymore, and just pulled out my uke...around 1am and started playing for about 30 min...then got back to work. And am still working...or actually procrastinating again...uggh.

I feel you there, I've got a full time job, a course load and a half worth of college credits plus I'm also donating 10 hours a week with local law enforcement to help them aquire and process digital evidence (mostly for crimes against children) so my stress levels are thought the roof.

The uke has been my new stress management program even though I barely started playing and my rhythm is a bit spastic yet it just calms me down. Plus in my mind I can be a rock star as long as no one else hears me play

I'm actually thinking about picking up a fluke for my "car uke" because I'm barely home enough to play the one I have now and don't think the wood of my current uke would fair well with the crazy temp changes we have here.

wildhunter said:

I'm actually thinking about picking up a fluke for my "car uke" because I'm barely home enough to play the one I have now and don't think the wood of my current uke would fair well with the crazy temp changes we have here.

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just a word of caution, flukes aren't impervious to heat damage. the previous owner of my fluke stored it in the closet with his water heater(smart move) and the bridge slightly separated from from the soundboard. i still play it just fine but i wouldn't recommend you use that as your "car uke" if you get crazy temp changes. flukes ain't cheap. get a beater uke for that.

russ_buss said:

just a word of caution, flukes aren't impervious to heat damage. the previous owner of my fluke stored it in the closet with his water heater(smart move) and the bridge slightly separated from from the soundboard. i still play it just fine but i wouldn't recommend you use that as your "car uke" if you get crazy temp changes. flukes ain't cheap. get a beater uke for that.

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Good to know, in MN here we go from -20 to 110 degrees over the course of the year thought most often (9 months out of the year) it tends to the cooler end of the spectrum. I was just thinking plastic would be less likely to warp than wood and I wouldn't have to be quite as careful with it knocking around in the car..

Maybe this should be in it's own thread but what would you suggest? Ukes aren't exactly lining the streets up here so I'd probably have to order most anything online. I think a fluke would run me just a little more than a pair of kala's, so if it would last longer and or withstand being kicked around better I'd lean in that direction.

I feel the same way. This week is also FINALS week for me too. I always play my ukulele when I need a breather. It helps me to relieve some stress.

shoot man ive got finals tew! blah no biggie thou! life is to short to tress out! wut happens happens! as long as you've got wut my sig says plus a uke ur good 2 go! behind all this economy crap in America everyone seems to 4 get the simple things in life and panic. just hang in there my friend and worry about things little and laugh about life more! thats what keeps me going! even with no job!

I hear what you are saying, there is almost nothing that relaxes me as much as spending time playing my uke.

The ability to play your own music is one of the best highs there is. It's hardwired into the human animal. Pick up that instrument, play some stuff you love, and all problems fade. In fact, I would go as far as to say that the world would be a better place if every individual in it took the time to learn to play an instrument.

The unfortunate fact of life is that music is not all that it takes to live so unless you are one of the lucky few with unbelievable talent and luck, you have to educate yourself to a point where you can make a decent living in a field that you can stand spending 30 or 40 years spending a fair majority of your time in. The alternative sucks.

Never give up your music. I did for about 20 years and am now fealing a bit of remorse over it. I never stopped listening but I did stop playing. The abilty to play music is a gift that most in this world never put enough time and effort in to enjoy.

But, school is in the long run more important. Suck it up and do the work. Take breaks, play your instrument, do whatever you need to do to keep sane. You will be happier in the long run if you finish.

And, who know's....maby somewhere down the line you will find money as a Uke player. Odds say no, but anything is possible.

Best of luck on the tests and keep strummin.

Yeah same here. I find the ukulele one of the best sources of relaxation possible, for a couple reasons.
1. It takes your mind off of other things and makes you focus on the dulcet tunes that you yourself create.
2. It sounds amazingly soothing.
3. It sounds incredibley soothing.
4. It .......well im done. you get my point.


So whenever I get pished off i just go up to my room, lock myself in, and either listen to my suite 409 cd or my gently weeps cd.

which in the end makes me madder cuz i take an hour deciding which one i want to listen too.(they are both amazing lol)

but any who, ukulele is awesome.


btw. this comment is so long because im really hyper. its 12:30 in the morning here and i just chugged a Monster "BFC". I will probubly have a heart attack. so please pray for me.

In the spirit of school work and research papers that have us all on edge here's a quote with citation:

"When the music listened to is soothing, it can reduce blood pressure, diminish feelings of depression, improve self-esteem and even enhance spirituality. An interesting study even found that when music was played in neonatal intensive care unit, premature infants had increased oxygen saturation level, increased weight, and shorter hospital stays."

Greenberg, Jerrold, S. (2008) Comprehensive Stress Management. New York: McGraw-Hill

Maybe we can get doctors to start prescribing Ukes and write UAS off to medical expenses.

i was printing the other day in the library, forgot i was in there, started strumming like i was a rock star and was kinda screaming... but in a low tone.

and my uke got confescated. (sp?)

wildhunter said:

In the spirit of school work and research papers that have us all on edge here's a quote with citation:

"When the music listened to is soothing, it can reduce blood pressure, diminish feelings of depression, improve self-esteem and even enhance spirituality. An interesting study even found that when music was played in neonatal intensive care unit, premature infants had increased oxygen saturation level, increased weight, and shorter hospital stays."

Greenberg, Jerrold, S. (2008) Comprehensive Stress Management. New York: McGraw-Hill

Maybe we can get doctors to start prescribing Ukes and write UAS off to medical expenses.

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wow. thats incredible lol. I always knew it was a soothing technique but it reduces blood pressure!


you sir, made me just pick up my uke and strum away.