How much classtime+studyingtime per week as a DPT student?

[BranBran]

Hello! I'm curious to see how much time per week people spend on their coursework in PT school. Most schools do class 8am-5pm Monday to Friday. I'm guessing a few hours of studying after. And then more homework and studying on the weekend. I know it will be different for everyone, but I'm trying to get a grasp on what my life will be like starting next fall. I feel like in undergrad I spend an average of 25-30 hours per week on school(class time+studying/homework); granted some weeks are more some weeks are less. And depends on the semester.

I'm hearing that a lot of DPT students are in the 60-70 hours per week range, including the ~40 hours per week in class. i'm curious! Trying to make a schedule that will at least give me 2-3 hours of free time per week lol. There's also eating, hygiene, etc as well on top of course. I know it depends on the student, semester, week, etc, but i'm trying to get a ball park range for reference.

Let me know what your DPT schedule is/was like! Thanks so much!

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[NewTestament]

You should be in class, practicing, or studying about 50-60 hours a week, maybe more during mid-terms and finals. It's definitely manageable. You should never have to study all night or sleep <6 hours. PT school is much more humane than medical school. I always had time to work out, read a book before bed, and take a shower.

 

[Kuhdaytee]

I just finished my first semester. We had class from 9-3:30 with 1.5-2 hour lunch breaks from Monday-Thursday, and then Anatomy Review on Friday for 1.5 hours. It felt like 50 hours/week I suppose. Some weeks I didn't study as much, some weekends I studied a lot. I always had plenty of free time to cook, watch tv shows, exercise, call my family, etc.

You'll absolutely have more free time than 2-3 hours/week. Even when we had multiple exams during the week, I still had time for myself.

I wouldn't worry about making a schedule right now. When you know your class schedule, maybe, but even then, you won't know how much time you'll need to study for each class until your classes even begin. Just enjoy your time off right now!

 

[GoSparta]

Just finished first semester in a 2-year program. I had class from 800am - 530pm with 1 hour lunch between. Mon-Thur, with a few clinicals on Fridays. I would either workout, work, or play intermurals until about 800pm and start studying. Usually slept at 2am, but I probably could sleep sooner if I was exhausted and was more efficient in studying. At least one of the days during the weekend I would relax and not touch the books (talked about content with roomies, but that's it). Agree with above about 60 hours a week of any school related work including actual class time.

It was stressful and not easy, but it's not impossible to have a normal healthy life. You should actually make it a priority to exercise and have fun a few hours a week to unwind. Probably only finals week hit me hard with only 4-5 hours of sleep a night (still made time for the gym and work).

 

[starrsgirl]

I generally try to study 2 hours every night Mon to Thursday (I do 8pm - 10pm). On Friday nights I generally put in 3-4 hours since I could stay up a little later (8pm to midnight). I take one weekend day totally off (usually Saturday). Then Sunday is really variable. It could be as little as 2 hours or it could be a full day at the library (8 hours).

 

[BranBran]

I generally try to study 2 hours every night Mon to Thursday (I do 8pm - 10pm). On Friday nights I generally put in 3-4 hours since I could stay up a little later (8pm to midnight). I take one weekend day totally off (usually Saturday). Then Sunday is really variable. It could be as little as 2 hours or it could be a full day at the library (8 hours).

Thanks for the good info everyone! Hmm this seems nice and structured and manageable. it's different for everyone but I think I can manage it.

 

[starrsgirl]

Thanks for the good info everyone! Hmm this seems nice and structured and manageable. it's different for everyone but I think I can manage it.

It has been for me! I might go a little nuts right before a test and pull a longer day or 2 or study on a Saturday but I've been fine. One thing I do well is high yield studying. For instance, I never study with the tv on, I never simply open my textbook and read. I make sure I'm in active learning mode as much as possible.

 

[engmedpt]

I'm 60 on average

 

[Corks]

Definitely depended on the week. I had some weeks where I knew I had no practicals, homework, or tests coming up so I honestly just went to class and that was it. There are other weeks where I had practicals (which was the most cumbersome task) and I was there practicing for hours after class ended every night until 10pm, and I still never felt 100% confident. It's in how it was presented to us. It's the professor's job to try to challenge you and give you situations where you may not feel 100% comfortable in, so most of my practicing time was spent thinking up different situations where one may use special test X, or need to measure ROM/Strength Y. All in all, study more your first semester just to be on the safe side. The worst case scenario then is that you are more prepared, and then just study less from that point on!

 

[DPT_powelift]

In class time: 15-20 in class room hours scheduled but I missed as many classes as possible. Its not my optimal learning environment.

Outside class time: 0-10 hr/wk doing school work

Self study: 15-25 hr/week on PT related topics, reading books that interest me, listening to podcast ect..

the answer to this is going to be highly dependent on your school curriculum.