what do you do besides classes? need tips/tricks

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Rosekiki

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Hi all,

Just out of curiosity, what do you guys do besides classes (if you're still in school), and how do manage to achieve a high GPA despite the busy schedule? I have a friend who works on research projects in a lab, compete in the equestrian team and independently, AND she's taking like 4 classes (one of them being ochem lab), and she manages to maintain good grades and high performance in all the stuff she does.

On the other hand, I'm taking 3 sciences and a seminar, working on research projects (about 10-20hrs a week, occasionally more), going to church on Sundays, and I'm already having a hard time keeping up with everything. I'm so perplexed; if you guys have heavier loads than I do, how do you guys do it??? Any tips and tricks would help. THANKS so much in advance 👍
 
I am a Highly Scheduled Human Being.

I work full time (35-40-some hours a week), currently taking 1 upper level bio class and an online AnNutrition class, dogsitting/housesitting on the side (if I go a week without a dogsitting job, it's rare), and I have a horse who I ride 4-7 days a week and compete independently. Plus like, life.

The key, I've found, is knowing your limits. As an english lit student in undergrad, I was able to work a ton - at one point I had 6 jobs. Six. Seriously. I know myself well enough to know I can't carry a heavy course load with lots of work, so I don't. I also schedule myself. I have designated times set aside for studying that are untouchable by any of my other stuff. I also make time to relax so that I don't go completely nuts.
 
Whyevernot55 said:
I am a Highly Scheduled Human Being.

I work full time (35-40-some hours a week), currently taking 1 upper level bio class and an online AnNutrition class, dogsitting/housesitting on the side (if I go a week without a dogsitting job, it's rare), and I have a horse who I ride 4-7 days a week and compete independently. Plus like, life.

The key, I've found, is knowing your limits. As an english lit student in undergrad, I was able to work a ton - at one point I had 6 jobs. Six. Seriously. I know myself well enough to know I can't carry a heavy course load with lots of work, so I don't. I also schedule myself. I have designated times set aside for studying that are untouchable by any of my other stuff. I also make time to relax so that I don't go completely nuts.
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Wow I wish I could be as energetic as you are! I just feel so... "defeated" kind of everytime I find out that other people's limits are higher than mine =( it makes me feel like I'm especialy incapable or something. Have you ever had to deal with this?

by the way, my friend was explaining how her shows work, it seems super cool and interesting!
 
I'm a multitasker haha. Even when I'm studying (as I am right now, midterm tomorrow ugh), I'm eating, pacing my room, checking Facebook etc. It sounds very unproductive but it's what works for me. Being in a room with no distractions actually makes me focus less.

I'm a full time 3rd year student taking 5 courses, doing a thesis project on genetics and microbiology, have tons of PBL group projects going on simultaneously, VP on the animal welfare club, committee member of Doctors without Borders club, model and hair/makeup assistant in my program's charity fashion show, anddd and I go out clubbing once a week with my friends haha.

It sounds like a lot now that I typed it all out but I usually do a lot of things at once. Like when I'm in the research lab waiting for my assays to run for my thesis project, I'll go on my laptop and do some research for a group project/do homework. I study on the bus ride/walk to and from campus. I study in between classes (and during classes).
 
SocialStigma said:
I'm a multitasker haha. Even when I'm studying (as I am right now, midterm tomorrow ugh), I'm eating, pacing my room, checking Facebook etc. It sounds very unproductive but it's what works for me. Being in a room with no distractions actually makes me focus less.

I'm a full time 3rd year student taking 5 courses, doing a thesis project on genetics and microbiology, have tons of PBL group projects going on simultaneously, VP on the animal welfare club, committee member of Doctors without Borders club, model and hair/makeup assistant in my program's charity fashion show, anddd and I go out clubbing once a week with my friends haha.

It sounds like a lot now that I typed it all out but I usually do a lot of things at once. Like when I'm in the research lab waiting for my assays to run for my thesis project, I'll go on my laptop and do some research for a group project/do homework. I study on the bus ride/walk to and from campus. I study in between classes (and during classes).
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my goodness I don't know how you guy do it!
 
I'm taking 18 hours this semester - all science classes, one of which is Biochemistry. I also am a lab TA one day a week, work 5-7 hrs a week as an office assistant for an animal science professor, and I am a vet tech at a after hours emergency clinic, clocking 15-25 hours each week.

I also spend time with my dog, watch a lot of TV, take a nap almost every day, and my boyfriend comes to visit every two weeks for 4 days during the week.

I manage to get everything done, but I don't study 2 hours for every lecture hour like recommended.

What works for you will be unique, and you just have to find that balance. It can take a few years to figure out, but you'll eventually get it.

Good luck!
 
This semester is pretty calm compared to some in the past. I'm only taking 13 hours, though one is biochem and another is organic II and I'm working more with organic II to prove to myself that I can do organic chemistry (I got a C in organic I). I am also the president of the pre-health organization, and am involved in the National Residence Hall Honorary and Phi Sigma. I shadow ~15 hours a week, once each weekday.

That's pretty much it, but I'm making time for my friends because after this year, we're all parting ways and I want to spend as much time as possible with them. My fiance is in med school now, so I'm also trying to devote time to talk to him every day (sounds bad, but I'm not really a phone person).

As far as keeping on top of stuff, have you tried a to-do list or a planner to keep track of everything? It helps me to see all the stuff I have to do, and then I plan out when I do everything.

If you are having a hard time in classes, but feel you are studying a lot, it might be an efficiency issue. Certain study methods may or may not work for you. For instance, reading the book doesn't help me learn. The amount of text is overwhelming and I often get off topic, but unfortunately I learned this too late to make a good grade in organic I. I changed my study routine for organic II, from reading the book to copying my notes and going back through reactions. So far it has worked.
 
I have a full-time job as an MT working 40 hours a week in a hospital laboratory. I take classes during the day and currently have an A average in each class. I have off on Wednesdays, so I shadow a veterinary surgeon (unless I have a test coming up I'd like to prepare for) and on my Sundays, I have dance classes and rehearsal for a couple hours. I do a lot of studying at work, especially on Saturdays when the work load is very small as compared to the days of the week. Although dancing is work too (because I am working hard to get to professional status and get paid for my performances), it's a completely different outlet for me and helps me to reduce my stress because when I am dancing, I don't think about my classes or my grades or if I can get into school. After this semester ends, I am planning to fit in some voulenteer work at a local shelter.
 
LivestockDoc said:
Just curious, whose Nutrition class are you taking?
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Purdue's. Currently it's annoying me because the information is ALL OVER THE PLACE and I feel like I'm wasting a lot of time trying to find and organize it.
 
Sometimes it's just luck 😛

I worked my butt off in pre-cal first year, and flunked it. I found out later on that pre-cal was too beneath him, and he really hated our class. I asked a question during a tutorial and he made a HUGE deal about answering it. People were coming up to me after class and said they felt sorry for him because he embarrassed me. We took our concerns to the dean and nothing happened.

There is a new pre-cal teacher now. My friend took it and LOVED IT. I'd retake it, but vet school won't look at my mark if I retake a course.

If you happen to get 4 or 5 profs who are pretty anal and tough, you're going to put more time into maintaining your grades. If you get profs who write easy peasy tests... well, you're going to do better without that extra effort 😛

I highly recommend asking around about certain profs and classes before enrolling.
 
Snapshot of this past year:

Worked a full time (40 hr/wk) job, maintained an internship (15 hr/wk), full time Masters student, fostered dogs (at one point in time had 3 foster dogs at once-- chaos!), volunteered one day a week at a spay/neuter clinic, maintained the Facebook page for the group I fostered through and somehow (by the grace of God) maintained my sanity.

How I survived- taking time out each day for myself (and eat healthy! nothing sucks more than having a full plate and being sick). Whether that be a half hour just to watch some thoughtless tv show, knit/crochet for a while, or take the dogs to the dog park. There were days that I felt I was barely keeping my head above water, but you'll have that. Just don't get discouraged. My other rule of thumb was that I didn't (and still won't) sacrifice sleep....

I don't believe that there ever will be a time in my life where I'm not taking on sixty million tasks.....
 
Some of this depends. There were semesters where I could carry a heavy load and excel (give me 4-5 bio classes with field labs and I wouldn't need to study, just keep up with assignments, because it all stuck and I worked insane hours plus internship and research) and other semesters where a single course could trip me up (no one in my school in 5 years had obtained anything higher than a 3.4 in organic...and I thought I was going to kill myself to squeek through with a barely acceptable pre-req grade.)

Some of this is also learning your own rhythms. I do best when I can review a class either directly before or after the class, so my schedule was 'full' but had lots of holes. Other students do better with all the classes crammed into one long block and lots of free time otherwise. I also do better with courses with real labs (ie not fill in the blank forms and everyone following the directions) than with courses that require sitting through lectures. I am a kinesthetic learner....with my ability to passivly watch a power point lecture akin to trying to listen to a woodwind player under water. Knowing that meant I scheduled openings and took my notes to a hallway where I could pace or to a park with swings (I also have a strong preference for being outside.)

Also, it is wise to start out with less stuff and slowly fill in as you realize you can handle more, than to over-commit and destroy yourself. Also, sometimes what is busy work for one person requires immense amounts of mental (draining) energy for another person. I learned this working a factory line for a couple weeks. What should have been a mindless task (installing the clips that hold the shelves of a fridge in place) was impossible for me (it was a blind task, you had to feel the divet the clip base fit into, orient it correctly, and apply it with enough pressure while the fridge moved past you on a conveyer belt with the edge higher than your eyes...so you couldn't see what you were doing...and you have 4 clips to install) took every ounce of focus I had (and Istill wasn't at all good at it.)

So don't worry about what others are doing. Stay focused on what you need to do and don't forget to enjoy yourself. I had very few extracurriculars in college because I was always working or in the research lab. I know other students in vet school that have never had a paying job and never done research, but do have a lot of extracurriculars. Each applicant is different for a reason; vet med requires a diversity of skills and individuals.
 
Don't worry about other people. Do what you do, and do it well.
 
i currently work 45+ hours a week, and am a part-time master's student. right now i'm also apartment hunting. i would love to get involved with our local therapeutic riding center, but at the moment i just don't have time.
 
Though I've been lurking for a long time (three years?) this is my first post here -- the topic hits very close to home for me!

Formerly I tried to work full time (30 - 50+ hours a week with the hours coming from two jobs) and maintain full time undergraduate status (typically two science classes with labs and two non-science lecture classes). It DID NOT go well for me. Even though my work has been very flexible about my school schedule, frequently I had to sacrifice study time for, like, sleeping. I had no social life to speak of because even if I had a spare couple of hours, I was too exhausted to do anything but veg at home.

There are people out there for whom both working and attending classes full time is a walk in the park, but not for me. It took me a couple of years, unfortunately, to realize that my limits are MY limits, and I will only suffer if I try to hold myself to someone else's standards.

Now attend school full time and work a little over part time (20 - 30ish hours a week, *very rarely* up to 40, and NEVER above). I also put more emphasis on getting enough sleep most nights! I have since then done much, much better in my classes and retain more of the info post-exams. Since I've been able to find more of a work-school balance, I'm able to look into starting to volunteer and join student organizations again. Previously, the idea of having enough time to do either was laughable, in that bitter-laughing way. 😉

I know we're all basically high achievers, but developing a healthy understanding of what is realistically possible for oneself is vital to not losing your mind.
 
I don't have a busy schedule... But I'm just lazy. I need to get more involved in stuff.

In high school though, I noticed the more activities you do, the more scheduled you need to be, and the more on track you tend to stay... assuming you don't totally overload yourself. I feel like when I do get more involved it will actually help my grades because right now I lose track of time when doing whatever mindless, usually relaxing, thing I have to do at that time... So today I sent out emails to a couple shelters in the area asking how I could get started volunteering and I'm going to call a few vets about shadowing either later tonight or tomorrow.
 
I'm in my 2nd year of an MS and am taking classes full time plus about 40 hours a week of thesis research at the moment.

There really isn't a good way to do this...I don't think I'd ever see my boyfriend if I didn't live with him.

Going to a different school than my undergrad really helps; I'd have a much harder time living with my college friends. I go out about once a week and party, and during the week if I get home early enough, I like to cook.
 
I used to only take classes and nothing else, but as I slowly started dipping my feet into different activities it became easier to find time to fit in "one more thing" and to get accustomed to allotting time to each commitment. Everyone has their own method, and mine is to have a basic but flexible schedule of pretty much every hour of my life. I always schedule for eight hours of sleep. I work four days a week but fortunately I can take time off whenever I need it without prior notice. I set aside one day to shadow at a vet clinic before my evening classes. I set aside Friday evenings to spend with my boyfriend, and Saturday mornings to have brunch with my family. Every other Sunday is surgery assistance for a spay/neuter clinic. Every week I look at the time I have available and my particular obligations to club meetings and other activities I'm interested in doing, and divvy up the rest of my hours to particular classes and chores/errands.
For example, tonight I am supposed to be studying biochemistry from 8-12. Well, I had other homework I had to finish last minute, then I took a break for SDN, and now it's 9:30 and I haven't started studying yet 🙂 But now I will sign off SDN, study from 9:30-12:30, and still get in three good hours of hardcore study time.
It's just a matter of making time, making sure you keep that time, and knowing your own limits without judging them against someone else's limits!
Good luck!
 
Wow. I used to be able to handle a lot more like you guys, but now that I'm older (non-trad I guess), handling the load from when I was 20 would kill me. Back then I worked full time at one job, about 10 hours at another, volunteered about 10 hours a week, full time school and managed to go out and party. Needless to say my grades did not fair as well. Now I know not to take on too much.
Now at 30 I work full time in a lab and part time as a waitress + I try to have dinner on the table 3 times a week and I WANT to take on volunteering 1x a week and shadowing a vet, oh and I'd love to have more time to study for the GRE to get a better grade. Writing it all out makes me exhausted. 😴
I think the key to it is, though, once you commit to doing something you always manage to find the time to get it all done. I know that is what I need to do. Once I just jump in to volunteering and shadowing I'm sure it will all feel fine after a while. Sleeping like 5 hours a night when I was 20 always felt normal too.
 
LondonBliss said:
Sleeping like 5 hours a night when I was 20 always felt normal too.
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I agree! I used to sleep 2-4 hours a night when I was 20! Went to class full-time and worked 20+ hours a week waitressing. I never would have had the time to shadow or volunteer like I do know, and it seems that now my load is heavier because I work 40 hours a week, but I think being older I'm more focused/determined. And I have a sit down (mostly) job now and I'm free to study while at work. I'm always tried and have absolutely no social life (outside of dancing) but that just comes with the territory, I've gotten used to it!
 
thank you so much for sharing your experience. it really helps to see how others handle life. I think I'm just afraid to push myself because I don't want to fail. I had to go into lab for 1-1.5 hours a day, twice a day for 20 days one time, plus the other lab stuff I had to do, and that almost made me fail a midterm... that probably shouldnt have happened. I need to be more focused! (the story of my life)
 
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