Studying while working full-time

[gumbyj]

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If you are working full-time, how and when are you finding time to study?

I am thinking about studying 5:30am - 8:30 am, work 8:30am - 6:00pm, then maybe one more hour in the evening in between TV, gym, laundry/cleaning

How about everyone else

 

[CoolWhipp]

If you are working full-time, how and when are you finding time to study?

I am thinking about studying 5:30am - 8:30 am, work 8:30am - 6:00pm, then maybe one more hour in the evening in between TV, gym, laundry/cleaning

How about everyone else

I've done that schedule. The problem is, I'm not awake enough at that time in the morning. Opted for the normal after work schedule, it isn't optimal but it is what it is.

 

[MedPR]

If you are working full-time, how and when are you finding time to study?

I am thinking about studying 5:30am - 8:30 am, work 8:30am - 6:00pm, then maybe one more hour in the evening in between TV, gym, laundry/cleaning

How about everyone else

I work 5 days per week from 3pm-11pm and go to school 3 days a week from 11am-3pm.

I study after work for a couple of hours and sometimes during work. I rarely get up early to study. On weekends (or days off if I have to work the weekends) I study probably 10-12 hours. I started on December 17 or something and am taking the mcat on april 5. I just started doing FL, but I got a 33 on my first one, AAMC 3R. You can do it!

 

[UTsksk]

My full time schedule is a bit different.

Mon and Tues 8pm-5am, Sat and Sun 8am-11pm. I'll make it work, half way done with my content so far.

 

[ridethecliche]

I usually work 8-4:30 during the week. Study from 5-10ish with a few breaks for sanity.

Every now and then, I'll study for 3-4 hours and go out for the night.

 

[Class1P]

Depending where you are in life this gets difficult. I am 4 years out of college and working full time. I have taken the test before about 4 years ago so I know what it is like.

I have been studying the hour on the bus in the morning and evening on my way to and from work then a little each night. I also study a few hours a day on weekends at the least. I have been studying like this since last December and am taking the test in April 13th.

You just have to give yourself lots of time. I have a girlfriend I live with and cook dinner in the evenings and have social obligations. There just isn't a lot of time to do everything.

so far I have taken AMCAS practice tests: #7: (10,10,12), #8 (12,10,11), and #9 (11,11,13) with an average of 33.3.

That isn't amazing, but considering that I am not a genius it is decent. I hope to rock #10 and #11 and feel super confident going into the real thing.

 

[DMBSatellite]

It's nice to know that others are in the same boat as I am.
I work full-time Monday through Friday at a thinking-intensive job, so working out a schedule took a bit of getting used to. Since my exam will be in the morning, I've been studying in the early mornings before work and then using my commute as "break time." Sometimes I'll fit in a session after work for a few hours, although I'm pretty useless after 8 PM or so. Major progress is on the weekends.

I know I have less time than others, so when I'm studying, I'm STUDYING- no computer, distractions, other stuff that would make the process more fun. Seems to be working so far.

 

[chemhead123]

Sleep is so important. Hours spent is not all that important. Quality time is what. If you are getting less that 8 hours a night, that needs to be your first priority. What you are learning, your critical thinking, and reasoning abilities are severely impaired. I would suggest two hours of study during the week and 8 - 10 hours on Saturday and Sunday. Extend that date of when you want to take the MCAT if you can't study enough. This is still 40s a week of studying, which is pretty good by anyone's standards.

 

[gumbyj]

I am starting to think that even with pushing my MCAT back to June/July, I may not have enough time to study. I have been out of undergrad for 3 years, so I need quite a bi of content review.

I am traveling ~1x/week for the next 2-3 months and giving a presentation at a conference in Spain at the end of April and will be out of the country for two weeks.

Ug.

 

[Katatonic]

I'm having the same problem...leaving at 8am and getting home after 6pm 5-6 days a week. I've been trying to spend ~1-2 hours a night after work. I'm only 1 week in and already behind my schedule, so I need to figure something out soon. My thought right now is to let myself relax and eat dinner/clean the kitchen etc. after I get home, then spend 7:30-9:00pm studying, a bit more relaxing with the fiancee then that's a day. Rinse and repeat for the next 4 months.

 

[MedOldAge]

I am starting to think that even with pushing my MCAT back to June/July, I may not have enough time to study. I have been out of undergrad for 3 years, so I need quite a bi of content review.

I am traveling ~1x/week for the next 2-3 months and giving a presentation at a conference in Spain at the end of April and will be out of the country for two weeks.

Ug.

Will that be your first MCAT and you are at post undergraduate? 🙄

 

[Godric]

I used to work 38-45 hours/week but it involved either working early early in the morning or late at night, and classes in the middle of the day, I took a light load of classes and attempted to work the same, about a month in I couldnt do it, at least not for long term, so I cut back on my hours, about 16-20 now/week.

Its tough but some people can do it. I suggest testing it out, do a dry run, try waking up early and see if you can read a chapter of biology + passages + review them. Just tweak as you go.

 

[gumbyj]

Will that be your first MCAT and you are at post undergraduate? 🙄

????????

 

[ridethecliche]

????????

With you on that one.

The helicopter parenting thing has gone way too far with that poster lol.

 

[pfaction]

It's possible but more than likely you won't get anywhere. I'm doing pharmacy rotations at 40 hrs/week and I forget everything the next day. I usually even stay up until 3-4 AM just constantly reviewing and forgetting everything. Take at least two months off, you need to.

 

[gumbyj]

With you on that one.

The helicopter parenting thing has gone way too far with that poster lol.

Can you explain?

Maybe I am just missing something here, but I have no idea what MedOldAge's comment was getting at...

 

[MedOldAge]

????????

Sorry, I didn't read your original thread carefully. 😱👎

It sounds like, if I guess correctly, you prefer to get on this coming application cycle but concern about your score due to potential lack of preparation because of time constraint.

Situations similar like yours have been posted many times. The bottom line, in my 2 cents opinion, is not either asking how much time you will study or when you can find hours to study. That is the mechanical side. Schedule layout, schedule broken. It is meaningless if you can't stay with it. I beg you there can be a dozen opinions and options to be suggested to you by many SDNer fellows.

No one knows your environment better than yourself. There are lots of logistics issues impacting your daily lives that we are not aware of but you do.

There are many posts I have seen on the amount of time needed to study successfully from 1 year, 6 months, 3 months, or 2 months based on various assumptions.

I honestly feel that the challenge is on (1) how bad do you want to kill this MCAT beast (2) what is your study habit in the PAST (3) how well will you follow through your plan given your heavy work commitment on travel etc.

Once you answer the questions above, the following can be consider:

1. Take your time. I hate to make this non-constructive statement. If you are out for 3 years, what drives you to get in this crazy mad rush NOW for June/July? I assume that may be something you feel deeply but haven't said so.

Don't even think about the MCAT schedule. That creates stress for you. INVEST all the best material, for example, like those suggested by SN2ed, and prepare for the COMPLETE content review with patience.

2. In parallel, layout the study schedule the coming 3 months and TRULY review all contents. If you are out 3 years, you may need more time. Look at your draft schedule again, again and again. Ask youself if you can live with it.

The starting gate should be at the area when you are ready based on your own judgement of content review not on a pre-determined bar chart line in Microsoft Project or whatever. Don't start if you don't have the CONFIDENCE to succeed. Why bother if you end up months later coming to this forum asking the same question. Excuse my over direct expression.

2, 3, or 6 months SN2ed modified schedule? OK! The key is not execution, it is the planning and commitment.

I beg you that you will succeed on any of the above schedule once you get the ball rolling.

It is in your heart and not in the schedule on a piece of paper.

 

[gumbyj]

Sorry, I didn't read your original thread carefully. 😱👎

It sounds like, if I guess correctly, you prefer to get on this coming application cycle but concern about your score due to potential lack of preparation because of time constraint.

Situations similar like yours have been posted many times. The bottom line, in my 2 cents opinion, is not either asking how much time you will study or when you can find hours to study. That is the mechanical side. Schedule layout, schedule broken. It is meaningless if you can't stay with it. I beg you there can be a dozen opinions and options to be suggested to you by many SDNer fellows.

No one knows your environment better than yourself. There are lots of logistics issues impacting your daily lives that we are not aware of but you do.

There are many posts I have seen on the amount of time needed to study successfully from 1 year, 6 months, 3 months, or 2 months based on various assumptions.

I honestly feel that the challenge is on (1) how bad do you want to kill this MCAT beast (2) what is your study habit in the PAST (3) how well will you follow through your plan given your heavy work commitment on travel etc.

Once you answer the questions above, the following can be consider:

1. Take your time. I hate to make this non-constructive statement. If you are out for 3 years, what drives you to get in this crazy mad rush NOW for June/July? I assume that may be something you feel deeply but haven't said so.

Don't even think about the MCAT schedule. That creates stress for you. INVEST all the best material, for example, like those suggested by SN2ed, and prepare for the COMPLETE content review with patience.

2. In parallel, layout the study schedule the coming 3 months and TRULY review all contents. If you are out 3 years, you may need more time. Look at your draft schedule again, again and again. Ask youself if you can live with it.

The starting gate should be at the area when you are ready based on your own judgement of content review not on a pre-determined bar chart line in Microsoft Project or whatever. Don't start if you don't have the CONFIDENCE to succeed. Why bother if you end up months later coming to this forum asking the same question. Excuse my over direct expression.

2, 3, or 6 months SN2ed modified schedule? OK! The key is not execution, it is the planning and commitment.

I beg you that you will succeed on any of the above schedule once you get the ball rolling.

It is in your heart and not in the schedule on a piece of paper.

While I appreciate your two cents here, I was looking for information from those currently balancing working full-time in a demanding job and studying for the MCAT. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe you are the father of an undergrad? Have you taken the MCAT recently?

Thank you for your opinion, but I was merely looking for advice from those in a similar situation.