Am I over my head?

[sunrat39]

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I'm currently working my new job (associate chemist) full time at 40 hours a week. My schedule is from 2pm until 1030pm and takes me about 30 minutes to get home.

The college I go to is about an hour away. I am currently taking 6 credit hours. Monday and Wednesdays my classes are from 8 til 10. Tuesday it's from 9 til 12pm. Thursday no class. Friday is just from 9 til 10 am.

My schedule seems hectic, as I usually get about 5-6 hours a sleep a night (except Thursday mornings). Has anyone done anything similar or if they managed something like this or not?

Monday: I wake up around 6 am and get ready to go to class. I come home around 11am then work at 2pm til 1030 pm. Don't go to bed til midnightish.

Tuesday I wake up around 8 am and get out of lab and head home to change and go to work Cher home at 1030 pm.

Wednesday same as Monday.

Thursday I can sleep in or study or workout.

Friday I wake up around 8 am get home around 11 and head to work at 2 til 1030.

Weekends I have off except every fourth weekend. I'll get the Friday and Monday off revolving my weekend.

I'm already burnt out and maybe it's the driving. Any suggestions or tips? In thinking about dropping my classes (these are GPA boosters) and just studying for the MCAT and do some volunteer work?

Thanks.

 

[anguisette]

I'm currently working my new job (associate chemist) full time at 40 hours a week. My schedule is from 2pm until 1030pm and takes me about 30 minutes to get home.

The college I go to is about an hour away. I am currently taking 6 credit hours. Monday and Wednesdays my classes are from 8 til 10. Tuesday it's from 9 til 12pm. Thursday no class. Friday is just from 9 til 10 am.

My schedule seems hectic, as I usually get about 5-6 hours a sleep a night (except Thursday mornings). Has anyone done anything similar or if they managed something like this or not?

Monday: I wake up around 6 am and get ready to go to class. I come home around 11am then work at 2pm til 1030 pm. Don't go to bed til midnightish.

Tuesday I wake up around 8 am and get out of lab and head home to change and go to work Cher home at 1030 pm.

Wednesday same as Monday.

Thursday I can sleep in or study or workout.

Friday I wake up around 8 am get home around 11 and head to work at 2 til 1030.

Weekends I have off except every fourth weekend. I'll get the Friday and Monday off revolving my weekend.

I'm already burnt out and maybe it's the driving. Any suggestions or tips? In thinking about dropping my classes (these are GPA boosters) and just studying for the MCAT and do some volunteer work?

Thanks.

I had a similar schedule with 12 credit hours and nighttime/weekend classes instead of morning. I also commute about an hour each way to work.

I'm not gonna lie--it was tough. I cut out all the fluff in my day, usually didn't have enough sleep, and spent all my time being super efficient with work and school (and learning to eat all my meals while driving). The main thing that got me through it was that I did well in my classes and I knew it was only going to last a semester. I don't think I could have studied for the MCAT while doing that schedule. Do you need the classes as a GPA boost? If they won't make a big difference, I'd focus on the MCAT first.

 

[lunalight]

I'm currently working my new job (associate chemist) full time at 40 hours a week. My schedule is from 2pm until 1030pm and takes me about 30 minutes to get home.

The college I go to is about an hour away. I am currently taking 6 credit hours. Monday and Wednesdays my classes are from 8 til 10. Tuesday it's from 9 til 12pm. Thursday no class. Friday is just from 9 til 10 am.

My schedule seems hectic, as I usually get about 5-6 hours a sleep a night (except Thursday mornings). Has anyone done anything similar or if they managed something like this or not?

Monday: I wake up around 6 am and get ready to go to class. I come home around 11am then work at 2pm til 1030 pm. Don't go to bed til midnightish.

Tuesday I wake up around 8 am and get out of lab and head home to change and go to work Cher home at 1030 pm.

Wednesday same as Monday.

Thursday I can sleep in or study or workout.

Friday I wake up around 8 am get home around 11 and head to work at 2 til 1030.

Weekends I have off except every fourth weekend. I'll get the Friday and Monday off revolving my weekend.

I'm already burnt out and maybe it's the driving. Any suggestions or tips? In thinking about dropping my classes (these are GPA boosters) and just studying for the MCAT and do some volunteer work?

Thanks.

I had a psycho schedule like this for a while except I worked during the day and took classes at night. I think what kept me from burning out was that I eased into it. Took one class for a summer then 3 in fall (2 repeats and 1 new) then 4-5 classes from spring term onward. I didn't add in studying for the MCAT until I had been back at school for a year.

If I were to cut anything from that schedule it would be volunteering, followed by MCAT studying (assuming you really need the GPA boost). Even if it means delaying your application for a year. Not worth the stress, burn out and potential bad grades/MCAT score IMO.

 

[sunrat39]

My GPA is about a 3 and I don't know if these 6 credit hours are worth it. Now, that I have this new job that pays better, I believe I can afford the private university that is in town and not drive an hour to a public university and then drive an hour back and 30 minutes to work.

However, I wouldn't be able to start that til summer or fall. I would probably take about 6-9 credit hours during fall with a closer university. I feel like I want to get this MCAT out the way so I can just worry about GPA bumping.

I don't want to drop these classes but I don't want to kill myself either. Thanks for your reply so far and insight.

 

[lunalight]

I feel like I want to get this MCAT out the way so I can just worry about GPA bumping.

I don't want to drop these classes but I don't want to kill myself either. Thanks for your reply so far and insight.

Which classes are you taking? Certain classes will help you if you take them prior to the MCAT, so you might be better to get the GPA bumping out of the way so you can just worry about the MCAT. 😉

 

[sunrat39]

They are instrumental analysis and intro to neurobiology. I have all the exam krackers books and tbr just have to use them more lol. These are upper level courses and I had studied for the MCAT but when I was training for the new job, I lost my study habits (swing shifts are a killer).

 

[anguisette]

If your GPA is above a 3, I'd just focus on studying for the MCAT for now. A 0.05 GPA boost or so from 6 credits won't really help your application as much as a great MCAT score.

 

[sunrat39]

I believe it's a 2.97 actually. Hopefully, it rounds up. Probably a bit higher for DO application.

 

[Temperature101]

I believe it's a 2.97 actually. Hopefully, it rounds up. Probably a bit higher for DO application.

If it is above 3.0 for DO and you are applying to DO, you should concentrate on the MCAT....A good mcat score(29+) might compensate somewhat your lackluster GPA.

 

[MedPR]

I'm currently working my new job (associate chemist) full time at 40 hours a week. My schedule is from 2pm until 1030pm and takes me about 30 minutes to get home.

The college I go to is about an hour away. I am currently taking 6 credit hours. Monday and Wednesdays my classes are from 8 til 10. Tuesday it's from 9 til 12pm. Thursday no class. Friday is just from 9 til 10 am.

My schedule seems hectic, as I usually get about 5-6 hours a sleep a night (except Thursday mornings). Has anyone done anything similar or if they managed something like this or not?

Monday: I wake up around 6 am and get ready to go to class. I come home around 11am then work at 2pm til 1030 pm. Don't go to bed til midnightish.

Tuesday I wake up around 8 am and get out of lab and head home to change and go to work Cher home at 1030 pm.

Wednesday same as Monday.

Thursday I can sleep in or study or workout.

Friday I wake up around 8 am get home around 11 and head to work at 2 til 1030.

Weekends I have off except every fourth weekend. I'll get the Friday and Monday off revolving my weekend.

I'm already burnt out and maybe it's the driving. Any suggestions or tips? In thinking about dropping my classes (these are GPA boosters) and just studying for the MCAT and do some volunteer work?

Thanks.

Too much time spent commuting imo. Find a closer college.

Edit: I did something very similar last Spring, but I didn't sleep a lot because I was studying for the MCAT. My daily commute was <3 miles each way, which resulted in access to much more usable time than is available to you. Not having much of a commute is a huge help.

 

[squat]

In response to "Am I in over my head?"...I'd say about 90% of nontrads are. And there are schools that like us for precisely those reasons. I'd cut back on volunteering until after the MCAT is all said and done. I'd also probably drop the course that is worth fewer credit hours.

 

[Shjanzey]

I wish I had such a relaxed schedule. Count your blessings, that isn't too bad in my book.

 

[HesyRa]

I'd say that you know your limits a lot better than the rest of us. If you think you can handle the schedule, do well on the MCAT and get GPA boosting grades then stick with it. If you think you are compromising your performance on any of the above, then you need to figure out which is the most reasonable to cut down on/ drop.

If you can handle the schedule, it is only 15 weeks. They'll be over before you can blink.

 

[sunrat39]

I wish I had such a relaxed schedule. Count your blessings, that isn't too bad in my book.

Curious to know what your schedule is like? If this is relaxed then wow.

I decided to drop the courses. I need to get this MCAT taken care of so I can focus solely on classes afterwards.

Summer or fall ill go to a nearby (a lot more expensive) university so the commute is better.

 

[Shjanzey]

Curious to know what your schedule is like? If this is relaxed then wow.

I decided to drop the courses. I need to get this MCAT taken care of so I can focus solely on classes afterwards.

Summer or fall ill go to a nearby (a lot more expensive) university so the commute is better.

I have a similar schedule, but it is Work from 8:00 - 5:00 every day.
Class Mon - Thursday 7:00 - 7:50am. I get up at 6:00 to make it on time.

After work, I slam down my dinner and then I study until 11 - 12, until I go to bed.
Weekends I study for MCAT from 8:00am - 11:00pm.

Basically every second I am not at school or at work, I am trying to study for my class or MCAT. There is literally no time for anything else. I still feel like I don't have enough time to finish my MCAT review :'(

I also have to figure out how to fit shadowing into all this.

Basically my purgatory is self-imposed.

-S

 

[nontradnyc]

I totally feel you about possibly being 'in over my head'. I'm taking 10 credit hours to boost my GPA and working full-time.

My schedule is this:
Mon and Wed: Class 930-1045 AM, Work 1130 AM - 730 PM
Tues and Thurs: Class 930 AM-1045 AM, Work 11:30 AM - 7:30 PM, Class 8 PM - 9:40 PM
Fri: Class 930 AM - 1020 AM, Work 11 AM - 7 PM

Door to door Tues and Thurs I'd say I leave my house in the morning at 8:45 AM and get home at night at 10:15 PM. Good luck to you - I think we non-trads needing GPA boosts while working full-time could all use some...

 

[jl lin]

This reply may or may not be helpful, but I might as well keep it short.

In over your head?

Um, we all are. . .even those that have already been through it. Nature of this beast.

 

[wholeheartedly]

In over your head?

Um, we all are. . .even those that have already been through it. Nature of this beast.

Lol, you totally beat me to it. Exactly what I was going to say.

As usual OP, the others have made great points. My only thoughts are how are you feeling? and how long do you have to do this for?, cuz burnout sucks. I say that from experience, last semester just about killed me. Just be honest with yourself and don't burnout. Hard work and keeping up a crazy pace is one thing, but the other is a completely different beast.