How many hours of sleep you getting?

[mushroomhead]

First year pharmacy student here. I am probably averaging 5 hours of sleep a day during the weekdays and prob 9 or so on the weekends. Just wondering how many hours of sleep others are getting especially in the 2nd or 3rd year students.

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[webbiest]

i get minimum of 8 hours during weekday and about 10 hours during weekend...i loooove my sleep..its the best time of my life

 

[RxWildcat]

I get about 6 on weekdays and about 8 or so on weekends, coffee is my friend.

 

[Knipps]

I get 8 during the week and 7-10 on weekends

 

[nnguyenc]

I get about 6 on weekdays and about 8 or so on weekends, coffee is my friend.

this is a good number...

if you sleep too little, you'll feel sleepy in class and won't pay much
attention

 

[SpenceRx]

Not enough. Maybe 5-6 on weeknights and 6-8 on weekends.

 

[Glycerin]

Not to rain on your parade, but it gets worse before it gets better -- usually. Develop and practice good time management skill now. The better you are at that, the more sleep you'll potentially get.

 

[Quiksilver]

Not to rain on your parade, but it gets worse before it gets better -- usually. Develop and practice good time management skill now. The better you are at that, the more sleep you'll potentially get.

amen. It was surprising to me that if I got studying done in the middle of the day between classes I had more time to utilize at night/screw off. So far, 7 weeks into it, I am still rested, I am ahead of schedule or on time with my studying for various courses and my grades are up, even though I am a P2. Life is good so far. Time management is so instrumental in a lower stress level and more time to do whatever!

 

[monsterbrain]

Not to rain on your parade, but it gets worse before it gets better -- usually. Develop and practice good time management skill now. The better you are at that, the more sleep you'll potentially get.

It's these kinds of comments that make me just want to quit now and not waste any more money. I'm sorry, but time management doesn't have anything to do with it. The workload is what it is. I don't care how organized you are, certain tasks take a lot of time; and when you multiple those tasks times the number of classes, that equates to more homework/studying feasible within a 24-hour period. Not one person in my class (that I know) has been able to work ahead...impossible.

To answer the OP's question, I get maximum 6 hours weekdays and about 8 hours weekends. Those numbers shrink drastically if I have more that a total of 4 quizzes and/or tests in a week (I've discovered that is my sleep threshold).

 

[confettiflyer]

It's these kinds of comments that make me just want to quit now and not waste any more money. I'm sorry, but time management doesn't have anything to do with it. The workload is what it is. I don't care how organized you are, certain tasks take a lot of time; and when you multiple those tasks times the number of classes, that equates to more homework/studying feasible within a 24-hour period.

I agree but I disagree. There's such a variety in how people handle things, I see people struggling AND breezing through given the same workload.

One thing I had to change was study habits. If I had 2-3 hours between classes before, I would just go online and goof off (as an undergrad) or go take a really long lunch (or go shopping or something). Someone said it above, but yeah it is surprising how much 2 hours here and 2 hours there really adds up when it's crunch time and an exam is bearing down on you.

And to answer the question, I get about 7hrs on weeknights and 9 on the weekend, drops to 5-6 if I've been taking above said extended lunches (I haven't broken the habit in its entirety yet )

 

[Quiksilver]

It's these kinds of comments that make me just want to quit now and not waste any more money. I'm sorry, but time management doesn't have anything to do with it. The workload is what it is. I don't care how organized you are, certain tasks take a lot of time; and when you multiple those tasks times the number of classes, that equates to more homework/studying feasible within a 24-hour period. Not one person in my class (that I know) has been able to work ahead...impossible.

ahh but it is possible, albeit it was harder in P1 to do with the volume of tests, but really screwing around online is what I did with my down time during the day and I justified it that I needed a break to get work done. Far from the truth, I used my time effectively and I got more and more done during the day
In some classes and sometimes keeping up is a losing battle, but if you stay ahead or keep up for at least 1/2 the semester (which shouldn't be hard considering the stuff that comes early is either review or easy or both) you should at least build up enough padding in your grade early so that the next half of the semester is not as stressful if you hit a cold streak and your grade slides a little bit. Don't take the early part of the semester for granted and don't approach it like it is as easy as you may think it is. After about 11 semesters of schooling, I figured that little secret out.

Also gauge from upperclassmen what they thought were the harder classes were. That way you try to remain more focused, more intent on learning material in those classes. Fear of a class will spur you to pay attention more and grab those pearls in class that will be on the test.

do that, and no matter how hard your semester is, you will get by.

 

[Glycerin]

It's these kinds of comments that make me just want to quit now and not waste any more money. I'm sorry, but time management doesn't have anything to do with it. The workload is what it is. I don't care how organized you are, certain tasks take a lot of time; and when you multiple those tasks times the number of classes, that equates to more homework/studying feasible within a 24-hour period. Not one person in my class (that I know) has been able to work ahead...impossible.

On the contrary, time management is most of it. Sure, everyone will have evenings here and there where he or she will have to stay up later than usual to study or to complete an assignment. But, trust me, most of the people I know in pharmacy school--and I'm one of them--usually stay(ed) up late more times than they should due to lack of planning and not utilizing time wisely. Sometimes, you just need a break from studying, and the free time now is worth stay up later. But, to do that all the time? That is indeed a time management issue.

I also stand behind my statement that it gets worse before it gets better because the OP is just a P1. P1 year--and I don't care how difficult it may seem to current P1s--is cake compared to P2 and P3. The workload will increase and the content will become much more difficult.

My comment wasn't to be a negative one; it was simply put there to explain to the OP and others who may not be getting enough sleep during the week to budget their time well, and by doing so, they should be able to average in more sleeping hours. I've been there and done that.

 

[Chiyo]

I also stand behind my statement that it gets worse before it gets better because the OP is just a P1. P1 year--and I don't care how difficult it may seem to current P1s--is cake compared to P2 and P3. The workload will increase and the content will become much more difficult.

I agree. It is about efficiency and time management. I always slept 7+ hours during weekdays, and I never pulled an all-nighter before exams. (I don't have a 4.0 though, but I kept my GPA good enough for scholarships ). You can't study and remember 100% of the material for exams. Try to focus on the most important concepts first (80/20 rule) and try to understand the material well. School will be more demanding as the year progresses, but it will actually not become much harder since the things you will learn in P2-3 will base off on concepts learned in pre-pharm and P1. Good luck!

 

[ItsOverZyvox]

8 to 9 hours..

 

[Knipps]

I definitely need to manage my time better, I feel exhausted after each round of tests and before I know it the next test is around the corner and I'm behind where I should be again. This constant game of catch up can't go on forever.

 

[jackal head]

I agree but I disagree. There's such a variety in how people handle things, I see people struggling AND breezing through given the same workload.

One thing I had to change was study habits. If I had 2-3 hours between classes before, I would just go online and goof off (as an undergrad) or go take a really long lunch (or go shopping or something). Someone said it above, but yeah it is surprising how much 2 hours here and 2 hours there really adds up when it's crunch time and an exam is bearing down on you.

And to answer the question, I get about 7hrs on weeknights and 9 on the weekend, drops to 5-6 if I've been taking above said extended lunches (I haven't broken the habit in its entirety yet )

You have no idea how valuable that post was to me, I've been noticing how time just keeps slipping away from me but I never stopped to think about it until now.

 

[cycloketocaine]

8 to 9 hours..

You don't count.

 

[mushroomhead]

A lot of 2nd and 3rd years tell me 1st year is easy and take advantage of the time you get to party and stuff. I do agree that 1st semester of pharm school is basically just undergrad but we are already registering for 2nd semester here and the schedule is looking soooo crappy. No more nice lunch breaks or getting outta school at 11 on thursday and fridays. So I've decided to take a easy my 1st semester, while still getting good grades, and just party every night when there is an easy week. I feel bad for all the 20 year olds in my class w/o fakes cause everyone is going to be so much more studious next year....

 

[Glycerin]

I feel bad for all the 20 year olds in my class w/o fakes cause everyone is going to be so much more studious next year....

Classy.

 

[skeksis]

i get around 5 or 6 hours a night - if it's not early morning construction, it's the train whistle... if it's not the train whistle, it's the heavy feet upstairs on creaky floor boards... if it's not that, it's the friggin dumpster truck.... it's hardly ever the school work, go figure.

glycerin -- hope rotations are going great for ya!

 

[Sparda29]

5-6 hours at night and 1-2 hours during the day.

 

[confettiflyer]

i get around 5 or 6 hours a night - if it's not early morning construction, it's the train whistle... if it's not the train whistle, it's the heavy feet upstairs on creaky floor boards... if it's not that, it's the friggin dumpster truck.... it's hardly ever the school work, go figure.

sounds like that cheap rent is coming back to bite you in the ass, hahah

 

[skeksis]

sounds like that cheap rent is coming back to bite you in the ass, hahah

I wish it was a cheapo, but I live alone in a "nice" apartment, just north of $800/mo. The better, more expensive complex is right beside this one, so they get most of what I hear as well - come to think of it, it's THEIR friggin dumpster truck I hear. No worries though - I'll be out of here and rotating in May...

 

[confettiflyer]

I wish it was a cheapo, but I live alone in a "nice" apartment, just north of $800/mo. The better, more expensive complex is right beside this one, so they get most of what I hear as well - come to think of it, it's THEIR friggin dumpster truck I hear. No worries though - I'll be out of here and rotating in May...

haha oh nice...grab a cheap pair of ear plugs, those just might work. Or run an electric fan/other source of white noise.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I get about 3-5 on my work days, 10-12 on my off days. I guess it all evens out.

 

[Alby]

I get 5-6 during the week, a full 9 on weekends. If I get too much sleep I am unmotivated and lazy during the day!

 

[iphetamine]

I get 5-6 during the week, a full 9 on weekends. If I get too much sleep I am unmotivated and lazy during the day!

A cup or two of coffee to suffice.

 

[Glycerin]

glycerin -- hope rotations are going great for ya!

Thanks! Hope exams aren't too bad for ya this year.

 

[Nezutora]

I go to a 3-yr program and usually average 7 hours for a weeknight, and up to 12 hours during the weekends. Time management/keeping up with the material really is key.
Did I mention that I looooove to sleep?

 

[monsterbrain]

I'm just coming back to this time management concept because many people keep bringing it up. Please understand that I am not trying to be argumentative, but just looking for a different perspective.

I just finished a week with 6 exams and/or quizzes (at least one everyday) and a 5-page paper that was due. What is your time management plan when you have weeks like this? I spent every moment outside of class studying, including time between classes and lunch (without TV or computer distractions). The sad thing is all of those study hours only earned me 1 A, 2 B's, 1 C, 1 D, and 1 F. So I feel like if I studied less, my grades would have been even worse. Actually this kind of schedule is really not out of the norm for us. We usually have 4-5 tests/quizzes every week (but I suspect this is not different from any other school).

So there must be one of two things going on:

1. I am too stupid to be in pharmacy school.
2. I am studying incorrectly.

I certainly hope it is #2 because that one might be fixable. As a P1 I am open to any type of concrete suggestions you veterans might have.

 

[confettiflyer]

It might be #2... I know people who study 8 hours who barely get B's and others who review the material for 2 hours and score solid A's. I've had my days where I'd sit for an hour and manage to get a page of notes in my head, other times where I'd master three weeks worth of crap in an hour. Just depends how your head is sometimes.

Time management isn't just about physically shifting time around, it's how effective you are taking material and putting it inside your noggin. Some people are more consistent with this than others.

 

[monsterbrain]

Time management isn't just about physically shifting time around, it's how effective you are taking material and putting it inside your noggin. Some people are more consistent with this than others.

I totally agree with this, but HOW one does this is the question. I think this is where the "too stupid for pharmacy school" comes in. Any ideas?

 

[ethyl]

3rd year student. I get 8 hours every day especially before exams or verbal defense. I learned my lesson after trying an all-nigther for a final exam during my first year and it was my worst grade of the year. If you accept the possibility of getting a B instead of all A's, you can go to sleep early without absolutely knowing 100% of the material front and back. l find myself better able to dig into the deeper levels of memory during an exam or verbal defense when I'm well rested... and presto I get A's and B's.

 

[Qwerty Man]

My schedule:
1-2am goto sleep
7am wake up
8-10am class
1030am-1230pm nap time
1-3pm class
330-530pm nap time
6pm-2am everybody loves raymond, ps3, seinfeld, hang out with gf or friends

study for exam or do paper day before and im still top 5% in my P3 class.
Just find what works for you and don't stress,
when you graduate, noone will give a crap about your grades
just get the pharm.d and enjoy your life
and a crucial tip: get a GF in your class that keeps up with both of your stuff!

 

[k0ni]

7 - 8 hours of sleep a night. I imagine this will go down some when I get to P2 year.

 

[Sparda29]

You have to prioritize your classes and not study equally for every class.

Personally, I find Physiology, Public Health, and Pharmacy Practice, and Pharmaceutics to be pretty easy. Thus, I only those for like 3 hours/week each.

I've found Medical Microbiology to be a really challenging course, harder than Organic Chemistry. I'm studying that 10+ hr/week.

 

[twester]

7 - 8 hours of sleep a night. I imagine this will go down some when I get to P2 year.

Not necessarily, it depends on how well you memorize and regurgitate material. I've been fairly sleep deprived for the last couple of years. Not so much because I was studying 24/7, but because I'd study quite a bit then insist on having some kind of life. So it wasn't unusual for me to get home at 8PM, recreate until 1AM, go to bed, get up and do it all again.

Now I've cut back on the study time (it made no impact on my grades, still an average student), get the same amount of free time nearly every evening, but get a couple hours more sleep. I'm a much happier person. I'm even known to blow off studying all together, which contributes to my happiness.

I came to the realization that I can either drive myself into the grave by striving for perfection or I can live a happy life, get my PharmD, and move on into a great job and a nice life. So I advocate less study and more sleep.

Today is not a day I will blow off studying. Three-day weekend means catchup time for me. Got to go get to it.