School hours suck!

[S-Mart]

---

Members do not see this ad.

My class schedule this semester is not looking promising. I've only got school 4 days/week but 3 of those days - if you include commute time - are from 8AM to 6PM. To make sure I don't get left behind in lectures I'm up at 6AM studying. On weekends I'm usually busy doing lab write-ups and such, not to mention volunteering. Anyway, I'm not here to complain. I was just wondering if this is the type of schedule everyone else has and if so, how do you make sure you're using your time effectively?
I'm dying here.
😎

 

[CycleCA]

My class schedule this semester is not looking promising. I've only got school 4 days/week but 3 of those days - if you include commute time - are from 8AM to 6PM. To make sure I don't get left behind in lectures I'm up at 6AM studying. On weekends I'm usually busy doing lab write-ups and such, not to mention volunteering. Anyway, I'm not here to complain. I was just wondering if this is the type of schedule everyone else has and if so, how do you make sure you're using your time effectively?
I'm dying here.
😎

You live in Sacramento? I'm assuming Sacramento, CA. I live in Sacramento, too. If you live here what I can suggest is relocating to a closer area (because I know the freeways here) and find a volunteer slot somewhere that can work around your schedule. I also volunteered at both UCDMC and Sutter Davis hospital. I also moved from Folsom to Sac to make the commute easier on myself, since 50 sucks. That should free up some time. Where do you go to school? Where do you volunteer? What part of town do you live in? I'm not asking for a date, here, I'm just saying I've probably done what you're doing.

 

[S-Mart]

You live in Sacramento? I'm assuming Sacramento, CA. I live in Sacramento, too. If you live here what I can suggest is relocating to a closer area (because I know the freeways here) and find a volunteer slot somewhere that can work around your schedule. I also volunteered at both UCDMC and Sutter Davis hospital. I also moved from Folsom to Sac to make the commute easier on myself, since 50 sucks. That should free up some time. Where do you go to school? Where do you volunteer? What part of town do you live in? I'm not asking for a date, here, I'm just saying I've probably done what you're doing.

The commute is not that bad considering I catch the light rail. I usually do flash cards and or skim over the chapters that we'll be covering in lecture that day.
I go to Sacramento City College. I transfer to Davis next Fall. For some reason SCC condensed its calendar so that we only go to school four days a week. So as a result all my lab classes are longer and my lectures and quicker. Can't say I'm a fan of the new policy, but I suppose if you're a non-science major life just got easier.
I volunteer at Mather VA hospital. They're great there, very helpful. Whenever things slow down in the ED, the Charge Nurse usually explains the cases in detail and brings us up to speed with the patients.
I'm not sure what part of town I fall into, but it's basically where 50 meets Watt. American River Drive, if you want to be specific. Nice area.

So what about you? Is your schedule similar to mine? I'm just wondering if this is the type of schedule I can be expecting for the next several years. What school do you go to? Davis? Sac State?

 

[Haemulon]

I feel for ya about the hours. However if you want to feel better about it, it is nothing compared to the hours that you will be putting in during medical school. While everyone is different and people can get away with varying amounts of studying, it is the norm for me to be at school in class or studying from about 8:00 am until around 10:00pm or 11:00pm during the week (not including commute time), plus another 6-8 hours per day for weekend days. There is a crazy amount of material to cover. So strap yourself in and maybe think of it as a preview of things to come 😉

 

[spicedmanna]

I feel for ya about the hours. However if you want to feel better about it, it is nothing compared to the hours that you will be putting in during medical school. While everyone is different and people can get away with varying amounts of studying, it is the norm for me to be at school in class or studying from about 8:00 am until around 10:00pm or 11:00pm during the week (not including commute time), plus another 6-8 hours per day for weekend days. There is a crazy amount of material to cover. So strap yourself in and maybe think of it as a preview of things to come 😉

Oh so true.

To the OP: one of the keys is scheduling your time, not forgetting to schedule some for self-care type stuff.

 

[CycleCA]

The commute is not that bad considering I catch the light rail. I usually do flash cards and or skim over the chapters that we'll be covering in lecture that day.
I go to Sacramento City College. I transfer to Davis next Fall. For some reason SCC condensed its calendar so that we only go to school four days a week. So as a result all my lab classes are longer and my lectures and quicker. Can't say I'm a fan of the new policy, but I suppose if you're a non-science major life just got easier.
I volunteer at Mather VA hospital. They're great there, very helpful. Whenever things slow down in the ED, the Charge Nurse usually explains the cases in detail and brings us up to speed with the patients.
I'm not sure what part of town I fall into, but it's basically where 50 meets Watt. American River Drive, if you want to be specific. Nice area.

So what about you? Is your schedule similar to mine? I'm just wondering if this is the type of schedule I can be expecting for the next several years. What school do you go to? Davis? Sac State?

You live right down the street from me... I'm on Fair Oaks and Howe. I go to CSUS (I'm in their BSN [bachelor's nursing] program), and transfered there from Sac City where I took all my nursing prereq's. I also used to live in Davis, and I think you'll like it there. I know I did. My nursing schedule isn't as demanding as yours, it seems. Mondays I have class and patient meetings until 2pm, tuesday clinical hours at the hospital 8hours, wednesday same as tuesday, thursday off, and friday class and clinical conferences until 1:30pm.

 

[S-Mart]

Thanks for the posts. I'll just have to get used to it.

 

[waytogo]

Hate to say it but I would have loved that schedule. Two years of grad school and I was in 6-8 AM every day and on average I left between 7-11 PM. All of this is without my commute time. When I got home, I studied.

Last year, I had a month that began right before finals that I was in the lab for 14 hours of work every 3-4 days. This continued through winter break. I celebrated the New Year in the lab. The school was closed and grad students were suppose to be off for two weeks but my adviser did not care. I also had 3 bio labs to teach and I was also a lecture assistant in addition to my 3 graduate classes that semester. Finals were not easy.

My advise: Don't complain. If you focus on the positive, it will be easier to keep working. Schedule everything and stick to it. Remember, you planned your schedule so do it. I picked the lab I wanted to be in knowing the type of things that can happen - that is why I followed through. Even though my adviser has only done this to one other person, it helped to not think about that until it was over. I am fine and there are people who have worked more than I did. I hope this helps. It sounds like you still have adequate time to go to the gym and get enough sleep - that is really good. Hang in there.

 

[sean1984]

I'd have to agree with waytogo. Right now, I get up around 8, im at school by 9, and study or teach until 6. Then I go home, eat, watch tv for 2 hours, then study/do homework for another 3-4. But if you are finishing up your undergrade, that is pretty tough.

Some suggestions for using your time wisely:

Mix things when you can. For example, I read/study while I walk on the tredmill at the gym. I also have some MCAT tapes that I listen to on my commute and if I'm driving by myself, I try to recall my notes and say them outloud while driving. But careful to still pay attention to the road. You also get smarter and need less sleep if you do some physical activity everyday, so that helps.

 

[Blade28]

I feel for ya about the hours. However if you want to feel better about it, it is nothing compared to the hours that you will be putting in during medical school.

Or residency. 🙂 Weekends? What are those?

Christmas break? Thanksgiving? Spring Break? Summer? Three-day weekend? Huh?

 

[kronickm]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D42UEi_Uc14[/YOUTUBE]

 

[S-Mart]

[YOUTUBE]http://youtube.com/watch?v=Oagr6Ydjzdw[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Truth74]

I love Bruce Campbell.

 

[kronickm]

Easily the best part of that movie is at the end when they start tossing skeleton dummies at him and he just grabs one and breaks it over his knee. Couldn't immediately find it on youtube...if someone else wants to make the effort...😀