Anybody else working full-time this semester?

[298116]

It's April, and I'm tired!

I'm working full-time, and I'm only taking 1 class right now because I'm just so exhausted by the end of the day. I know others who are taking a full course load AND working full-time, and I just can't imagine that at all.

I'm trying to stay motivated, but some days it's just so hard... Anybody else struggling? How do you manage your time? What advice do you have for others in this same situation? Feel free to share your story here.

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[SoftwareKevin]

It's April, and I'm tired!

I'm working full-time, and I'm only taking 1 class right now because I'm just so exhausted by the end of the day. I know others who are taking a full course load AND working full-time, and I just can't imagine that at all.

I'm trying to stay motivated, but some days it's just so hard... Anybody else struggling? How do you manage your time? What advice do you have for others in this same situation? Feel free to share your story here.

I'm working 40 hrs/week, taking chemistry at night, volunteering once a week, and doing a research project a day a week. It *is* a lot of work. It's not easy coming home from work tired and then heading straight to class or doing homework/studying. What keeps me going is knowing what will be coming down the road some day. My best advice is make good use of your weekends. I'd rather work more on the weekend than stay up late during the week and be tired from lack of sleep. That doesn't do anyone any good.

Just keep working hard. Time flies by fast - especially when you're busy

 

[mspeedwagon]

I am currently taking Organic Chem II (without the lab for now) while working full-time (including travel) and part-time. It's a lot of work, but I know have always wanted to be a pediatrician and the thought of Dr. Mspeedwagon one day making kids smiles keeps me going. Hang-in there.

It's April, and I'm tired!

I'm working full-time, and I'm only taking 1 class right now because I'm just so exhausted by the end of the day. I know others who are taking a full course load AND working full-time, and I just can't imagine that at all.

I'm trying to stay motivated, but some days it's just so hard... Anybody else struggling? How do you manage your time? What advice do you have for others in this same situation? Feel free to share your story here.

 

[DrSmooth]

If you know this is what you want to do and that you can succeed, consider quitting and going to school FT for a year to knock everything out. Loans can cover your tuition and living expenses. I know many people are averse to debt, but this is what you'll be doing for 4 yrs of med school. Consider it a 5th year that will give you back like 3 yrs of your life (if you are really only taking 1 class at a time) and 3 extra yrs of MD salary, which should more than cover your loans. I did this and am SO glad I did. It's pretty easy to stay motivated for a yr. Not sure I could have stayed motivated for PREREQS longer than that. Remember, Med School is the starting line, not the finish line. Good luck though, whichever path you take!

 

[wagmanager]

I am currently working 40 hours, taking 12 credits( although those 12 credits are just eng I, gen chem I and stats) and have 3 kids. It's doable. I get 5- 6 hours sleep everyday and my house is a mess. Thank God my mum is coming in May cos I don't know how long I can keep this messy house up for. As for quitting work for one year not everyone has that option.
I just pray every day to God for strength and it is working.My favorite mantra is 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me'.
Right now I am considering taking ochem I, bio I and phys I( all with lab in the fall),now maybe this is crazy.

To the OP, you have to maximize your body's efficiency and that means eating healthily, exercising daily even if it is just for 20 mins.
Also dig deep in yourself and pull on that reserve of grit and will that we all have, you can do it. Good luck and God Bless

 

[sharmi]

I am a career changer from Engineering so right now have a career at a top hi-tech company. Work more than full-time (sometimes involves odd hours and weekends) and am taking 11 semester credits (3 courses - 2 with labs) this semester. Also, have 2 small kids. One thing you have to do is (a) have a supporting family and (b) come up with innovative ways to study. I tape some of my lectures and listen to them as I drive. Also, I can only study/do assignments over weekends/lunch @ work so try to study early morning or late at night. Obviously, I have got used to getting very little sleep. One of my children is just 8 months - so needs a lot of care! Thankfully, both me and my husband have very well jobs and can afford a nanny during the day.

 

[Kaisand]

I am currently chipping away at my prerequisites, working more than full-time and volunteering. It can be exhausting; I deeply admire the people who can pull this off AND have children! I have not been blessed with children yet..someday I hope!

As a previous poster mentioned, stay as healthy as possible. Try not to skip meals (sometimes it's so hard when you're busy!), and stay hydrated.

Also, something that has helped me is to turn my relaxing time into review time, like hiding vegetables in a picky kid's food-if I can't cram any more textbook information into my head, I take a break and watch a documentary from Netflix that pertains to the material somehow. That way, I can still let my brain rest a bit, have a snack on the couch, let my workday go, etc., but don't feel the guilt that is sometimes associated with resting (I feel guilty for resting sometimes). It's not a substitute for studying, but it can help the "efficiency" of your downtime, so to speak.

Best wishes!

 

[298116]

Wow. Thanks for sharing your ideas. Best of luck to everyone!

Some of my background:

I just started a new full-time job at a doctor's office as a medical assistant. For a career-changer like myself (from film/ entertainment industry to medicine!), I need this job. Not just for financial reasons, but I think working in a private practice is really giving me a chance to experience what being a doctor will be like. I"ve really only been at this new job for a week if you count shadowing, and I've already experienced quite a bit.

I think I'm just overwhelmed having to learn everything there is to know at a doctor's office, in addition to taking physics I with lab. I've never even volunteered at a hospital. (It's not like I didn't try -- they just didn't have room for any new volunteers this semester.) The language and the science is still pretty foreign to me.

Today was a bad day too. The doctor tried to teach me something that I just couldn't grasp, which made her half an hour late to see the first patient of the day. I could tell that I really disappointed her. I also put her in a bad mood, which affected the rest of the office. Then I had to go to my Physics exam, which I started preparing for over the weekend. I was hoping to get as close to a perfect score as possible, since I am taking it at a community college, but I had a hard time concentrating after this morning's event at work. When I came back home today I had a good cry, so I'm feeling better. But I do feel like I need to go for a run ...and vent here on SDN...

At least, if all goes well, I can start applying in 2011. Taking Physics II this summer, Bio and O Chem I in the fall, O Chem II in the Spring, followed by MCAT and applications in the summer. I will take last few classes (Calculus/ Statistics, Biochem, Anatomy) by the time I would enroll in med school.

 

[298116]

I do agree about eating healthy, not skipping meals, and exercising. It's really hard to make time for these things, but on the days that I can manage to do 'em, I feel a lot more sane.

And please don't deprive yourselves of too much sleep. I'm a firm believer in sleep!

 

[southerngrl]

It's April, and I'm tired!

I'm working full-time, and I'm only taking 1 class right now because I'm just so exhausted by the end of the day. I know others who are taking a full course load AND working full-time, and I just can't imagine that at all.

I'm trying to stay motivated, but some days it's just so hard... Anybody else struggling? How do you manage your time? What advice do you have for others in this same situation? Feel free to share your story here.

I am working 40 hours week; physics class on Saturdays; spouse, 2 kids. i study at night when the kids sleep and during my lunch break everyday. It is tough but I motivate myself with the thought of getting in somewhere in 2011. Also volunteering on weekends and squeezing in shadowing 1 day per month by taking a work vacation day.

 

[southerngrl]

I am currently working 40 hours, taking 12 credits( although those 12 credits are just eng I, gen chem I and stats) and have 3 kids. It's doable. I get 5- 6 hours sleep everyday and my house is a mess. Thank God my mum is coming in May cos I don't know how long I can keep this messy house up for. As for quitting work for one year not everyone has that option.
I just pray every day to God for strength and it is working.My favorite mantra is 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me'.
Right now I am considering taking ochem I, bio I and phys I( all with lab in the fall),now maybe this is crazy.

To the OP, you have to maximize your body's efficiency and that means eating healthily, exercising daily even if it is just for 20 mins.
Also dig deep in yourself and pull on that reserve of grit and will that we all have, you can do it. Good luck and God Bless

 

[ruiner]

Yes and I am so ready to quit. I was fortunate enough to get in to a school I was interested in in mid October, so I at least knew I was going somewhere, but that had made it so hard to keep on working.

 

[eablackwell]

I work full time as a high school chemistry teacher. I'm also taking orgo II, physics II w/ calculus, and Calc III this semester.

Last semester I took orgo I, physics I w/calc, and Calc II. I ended up pulling 2 As and 1 B. I'm likely to get the same this semester. Upset with the B, but there are only so many hours in the day.

I just took my MCAT last week and my head is about to explode. This year has been TIRING to say the least. I cannot wait until the application cycle begins because I have everything ready to go so I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

I do have a question. No matter how I tried to fit it into my schedule the past 2 years, I have not been able to get a bio II class that meshed with my schedule until this coming summer. Is that going to be a blemish on my app? I will already have all other prereqs complete with very good grades.

 

[mspeedwagon]

It doesn't matter. You will just have to take it before you matriculate (for most places) or before a certain deadline (for a few).

I work full time as a high school chemistry teacher. I'm also taking orgo II, physics II w/ calculus, and Calc III this semester.

Last semester I took orgo I, physics I w/calc, and Calc II. I ended up pulling 2 As and 1 B. I'm likely to get the same this semester. Upset with the B, but there are only so many hours in the day.

I just took my MCAT last week and my head is about to explode. This year has been TIRING to say the least. I cannot wait until the application cycle begins because I have everything ready to go so I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

I do have a question. No matter how I tried to fit it into my schedule the past 2 years, I have not been able to get a bio II class that meshed with my schedule until this coming summer. Is that going to be a blemish on my app? I will already have all other prereqs complete with very good grades.

 

[ElliottB]

In undergrad I was working full time, going to school at least 16 credit hrs/sem, AND running my own business.

Now I'm spoiled being in grad school, working full time, and studying for the MCAT. I now have at least 2 hours of recreation a month. I spend those 2 hours crying about my lack of free time.

 

[shauna]

TXgrad I applaud your effort and know what you mean by exhausted. In the past I've had ultra busy FT jobs but the one I have now is slower paced. Thus I find I have time/energy to take more classes. Is it possible to get a slower paced FT job, which will leave more energy for your studies?

 

[Fox800]

I work 48 hours per week as a paramedic.

The good? I can study at work when I'm not on a call. My employer will reimburse me up to $2000/yr for classes that are pertinent to my position (which includes pretty much any biology or chemistry class). I get to meet plenty of paramedics, nurses, and physicians with similar interests. I get plenty of experience handling stressful situations and leading a team.

The bad? My sleep schedule is all jacked up. Working a night shift and then going to class 3 hours later isn't fun.

 

[TreeOfSouls]

I'm working on a doctorate while taking the med school pre-reqs, in 2 research labs, and teach 3 college classes on 3 different campuses (last semester, I taught 5). It's HARD but I have to believe in the light at the end of the tunnel. What I miss most: 1) sleep, 2) exercise, and 3) time to cook healthy meals.

 

[Nontrad Dad]

I am a career changer from Engineering so right now have a career at a top hi-tech company. Work more than full-time (sometimes involves odd hours and weekends) and am taking 11 semester credits (3 courses - 2 with labs) this semester. Also, have 2 small kids. One thing you have to do is (a) have a supporting family and (b) come up with innovative ways to study. I tape some of my lectures and listen to them as I drive. Also, I can only study/do assignments over weekends/lunch @ work so try to study early morning or late at night. Obviously, I have got used to getting very little sleep. One of my children is just 8 months - so needs a lot of care! Thankfully, both me and my husband have very well jobs and can afford a nanny during the day.

I'm in a similar situation. Project Manager at a top hi-tech company. Work 50+ hours a week and will be volunteering for 4 hours/week and shadowing for 4 hours/week beginning May. I start my pre-reqs this summer with Chem I. Oh, and my wife and I have two dogs and are expecting!!!

Needless to say, I'm anxious, excited, and nervous about all these things...but I also know myself well enough to say I work best under pressure and when I multitask.

Personal opinion is knowing yourself and how you perform within certain environments is key. I get bored easily and probably wouldn't be successful if I were to quit my job and focus solely on classes. Then again, I could quit my job, focus on school, and load up on EC's to keep me busy!

 

[goblue1980]

I'm in the same boat as most of you. Have done really well in my career, work about 50 hours a week, and am taking one class (w/ lab) at night. Sometimes I love it, b/c I've done well at my job, it can be rewarding, but actually losing sleep to both work and do school is really really hard. These past couple weeks the lack of sleep has really messed up some of my school work. Luckily, I am such a workaholic that I've built up a lot of leave, and I plan to start using it to catch up on sleep .

Also, b/c I do have extra cash, I'm trying to reward myself with things that will help make my life a bit easier....

Now to just find some more volunteer/job shadowing opportunities....

Good luck everyone.

 

[298116]

I was happy to see that people have continued to post on this topic. It's a support group for all of us. We are not alone!

Best of luck to everybody on these last few weeks. The semester is almost over. Then we can all sleep.

 

[Naritus]

I'm working full-time, taking classes full-time, and volunteering at a cancer hospital 10-15 hours a week. Sometimes I even get to sleep!

 

[Fox800]

I was happy to see that people have continued to post on this topic. It's a support group for all of us. We are not alone!

Best of luck to everybody on these last few weeks. The semester is almost over. Then we can all sleep.

For two weeks until summer school kicks in

Genetics + physics 1 + physics 2 = death