What's your life as a grad student like?

[psychanator]

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Hey!

I'm starting life as a Clinical Psych PhD student and I was curious to hear from those who are currently students or recent graduates what your life as a grad student looks like. Whats your schedule look like most days? How much time do you spending doing school work/research? Whats your social life like (seeing friends, dating)? How much time do you have for recreational activities (going to the gym, watching tv)?

Also, if you have any suggestions for some new students like myself, feel free to post!

 

[APPICSucks]

Psychology answer: it depends.

I'd guess it varies, but in my program certain years and times are much busier than others, e.g. around the time you take qualifying exams. There is definitely a learning process that occurs and I find that as I am later in my program I am better at being able to juggle all the demands. That being said, I know there are people who prioritize time demands that are not school related - those with spouses and children I've noticed place stricter limits on how much time they will allow school work to take up.

I feel like when I prioritize things other than school (dating, exercise, volunteering) I can make adequate time for them.

 

[PsychPhDone]

During my first year, I was in the lab or class most weekdays days 9-6, then I'd hit the gym. Some days, I'd go back to the lab or to a coffeeshop to do work/reading for a few more hours. Other days, I'd go out with friends or be involved with a hobby. Unless I was in the midst of something unusual (finals week, grant submission), I was probably working 50-60 hours a week, but I still went out with friends a few times per week. I'm at a research-heavy PhD program.

 

[cara susanna]

I have a better social life in grad school than I did in undergrad, heh. You have to make time for fun, that's all. Fortunately I am pretty good at doing that. 😉

 

[KillerDiller]

When I was taking classes and working on qualifying exams, I'd say I was working about 60-70 hours a week on average during the academic year. Not all of that is strenuous work, though. Sometimes it's just sitting around waiting for participants or clients who may or may not show up. Sometimes it's just reading an article on the train. You'll be pulled in several directions at once and there will always be something you could be doing--research, clinical work, coursework, teaching duties, etc. Because work stops ever being "finished," you get used to putting it aside to do other important things like socializing, recreation, etc. As long as something is important to you, you will make time for it.

 

[4givr]

That is actually a really good question to ask, and I wish I had done it BEFORE I started my program.
I am currently in my first year and honestly, it feels like I need either a clone or a 48 hour day to get through everything I need to get through.
Actually, I had been warned about this, I was even told I would barely have time for a boyfriend...ofcourse I ignored this warning.
My first semester (last semester), I had a boyfriend, and two part time jobs....by October I was ready to crack.
My relationship pretty much crumbled, and I learned something very important...if i have a bf while in the program, he must be as uncomplicated, supportive and normal as possible....if the relationship is AT ALL dramatic...it will eat away at the precious time that you will need for research, homework etc.
In regards to work, I quit one job and stayed with the one that was university based...so far so good on that front. My boss understand that school comes first, so it helps a lot.
And about social life....I dont know if its the nature of my program, as it is university based, clinical program, which means classes, research and clinical practicum all happen from day 1, but it really is hard to have a normal social life (ie, go out friday nights, have drinks and be hangover on saturday, or take a weekend off for a trip or something).
It can be done, but what I learned so far is that you have to be super disciplined and organized AND time off MUST be scheduled, just as important as it is to complete whatever is due the next day/week/month.
Basically....doctorate programs are busy....specially if you are in a good competitive program...but one of the key things you must learn is balance..I guess you can say its all part of the training.
Good luck!

 

[minorityreport]

Depends what quality of program you are in. Top-ranked schools you are going to stay busy and not have much of a social life the first few years. All comes down to budgeting time though.

 

[blindchaos]

All comes down to budgeting time though.

👍

I definitely agree. Certainly there will be times when you are swamped no matter how hard you planned in advance, but in general, good time management helps a great deal in grad school. I think sometimes your undergrad experience can help as well. I feel like my undergrad experience helped me prepare for grad school and I did not find the transition from undergrad to grad school to be that difficult (keep in mind I went from undergrad to terminal MA program to doctoral program). A lot of my classmates felt overwhelmed with the amount of work involved with grad school but I was rather accustomed to it and managed pretty well. However, I took on a lot in undergrad, especially in junior and senior years (double major, acted in plays, had a part time off campus job, was a resident assistant my senior year, treasurer of a club, etc).

I'd say the first year of doctoral programs is generally the hardest as you adjust to something new and learn what is expected of you. That's not to say that your schedule gets lighter later on, you're just more accustomed to it and have the hang of things by that point. Time-wise, the last year of classes can be rough as you finish up classes, work on dissertation, apply for internship, interview, etc. After match day, senioritis strikes again 😛

 

[Pragma]

👍

I definitely agree. Certainly there will be times when you are swamped no matter how hard you planned in advance, but in general, good time management helps a great deal in grad school. I think sometimes your undergrad experience can help as well. I feel like my undergrad experience helped me prepare for grad school and I did not find the transition from undergrad to grad school to be that difficult (keep in mind I went from undergrad to terminal MA program to doctoral program). A lot of my classmates felt overwhelmed with the amount of work involved with grad school but I was rather accustomed to it and managed pretty well. However, I took on a lot in undergrad, especially in junior and senior years (double major, acted in plays, had a part time off campus job, was a resident assistant my senior year, treasurer of a club, etc).

I'd say the first year of doctoral programs is generally the hardest as you adjust to something new and learn what is expected of you. That's not to say that your schedule gets lighter later on, you're just more accustomed to it and have the hang of things by that point. Time-wise, the last year of classes can be rough as you finish up classes, work on dissertation, apply for internship, interview, etc. After match day, senioritis strikes again 😛

Agreed. I am out of grad school now, but it comes down to your preference for how long to take in the program and your ability to juggle. I worked 80 hours a week by choice in order to get ahead with more publications, etc, and was on the 5 year plan (minimum amount of time at my program).

During graduate school, things like exercise and social activities work to the extent that you prioritize them. I found it harder as a clinical student to wear a lot of hats in my 3rd/4th years. The first year SEEMED hard but it really wasn't, it was mostly classes and felt like a more intense version of undergrad. Then you realize your grades don't matter and by the last year you could care less about class 🙂

Once I hit internship and postdoc, I have found that things like exercise are easier to fit into a routine than before. I have more free time, but I use the free time to make more money so I still work a lot. Many folks have told me that you will have a really hard time working an 8 hour day ever again after graduate school, and I find that to be true so far.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Agreed. I am out of grad school now, but it comes down to your preference for how long to take in the program and your ability to juggle. I worked 80 hours a week by choice in order to get ahead with more publications, etc, and was on the 5 year plan (minimum amount of time at my program).

During graduate school, things like exercise and social activities work to the extent that you prioritize them. I found it harder as a clinical student to wear a lot of hats in my 3rd/4th years. The first year SEEMED hard but it really wasn't, it was mostly classes and felt like a more intense version of undergrad. Then you realize your grades don't matter and by the last year you could care less about class 🙂

Once I hit internship and postdoc, I have found that things like exercise are easier to fit into a routine than before. I have more free time, but I use the free time to make more money so I still work a lot. Many folks have told me that you will have a really hard time working an 8 hour day ever again after graduate school, and I find that to be true so far.

Are you on a formal postdoc at the moment, and if so, have they been more accommodating of outside employment than at the grad school and internship levels? Not attempting to snoop, just saw you allude to outside/additional income, and thought I'd ask. I'd imagine this is a much more tempting avenue to pursue once you're licensed (if you happen to be on a two-year postdoc).

 

[Pragma]

Are you on a formal postdoc at the moment, and if so, have they been more accommodating of outside employment than at the grad school and internship levels? Not attempting to snoop, just saw you allude to outside/additional income, and thought I'd ask. I'd imagine this is a much more tempting avenue to pursue once you're licensed (if you happen to be on a two-year postdoc).

I teach one undergraduate course per term and I have worked out arrangements with my postdoc supervisor. Yes, formal 2-year NP postdoc.

It is generally discouraged to do outside employment, but these postdocs pay so little. My boss is okay as long as it doesn't affect them, meaning that my teaching is limited to about two potential days. If there aren't courses available on thsoe days, I am not allowed to teach. My internship let me teach a course too.

I think it would be stickier to do outside clinical work when you are still on postdoc. I am sure some people do it, but I'd imagine there are some ethical concerns for NPs, since you can't really call yourself an NP until you are finished with the 2 years.

 

[psychanator]

Thanks guys! It's nice to get some feedback from people with experience 🙂

 

[Ettevi05]

I had a question about holding a small part time job like tutoring (5-8 hrs per week), besides a TA position? Is it possible?

 

[Pragma]

I had a question about holding a small part time job like tutoring (5-8 hrs per week), besides a TA position? Is it possible?

You might be able to swing it, but most programs require that you get external employment approved by them while you are in the program. Now, I have never heard of anyone actually getting approval despite being employed externally

 

[Psychadelic2012]

Many folks have told me that you will have a really hard time working an 8 hour day ever again after graduate school, and I find that to be true so far.

True as in, hard to work that long at one job (since you're used to juggling many things)? Or hard, as in hard to work only 8 hours because it seems so short compared to the long days you're used to??

 

[Pragma]

True as in, hard to work that long at one job (since you're used to juggling many things)? Or hard, as in hard to work only 8 hours because it seems so short compared to the long days you're used to??

This one. My internship was unique in that I worked for a government institution, and we couldn't really work more than an 8 hour day. I started going crazy and doing other things with my "extra" time. Of course now I am back to 80 hour weeks with postdoc and some side employment.

I hear people eventually get jobs and settle in well with 50-60 hours a week. I am sure working less is easier if you have kids, but otherwise I think the idea is you are so used to being productive that you don't feel so productive working 8 hours. You work longer or do other work. OR, if you can't get a high paying job, you work another part time job.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

This one. My internship was unique in that I worked for a government institution, and we couldn't really work more than an 8 hour day. I started going crazy and doing other things with my "extra" time. Of course now I am back to 80 hour weeks with postdoc and some side employment.

I hear people eventually get jobs and settle in well with 50-60 hours a week. I am sure working less is easier if you have kids, but otherwise I think the idea is you are so used to being productive that you don't feel so productive working 8 hours. You work longer or do other work. OR, if you can't get a high paying job, you work another part time job.

I personally think this might be more a factor of the type of people clinical psych tends to attract (e.g., exceedingly driven, over-achieving, etc.) rather than graduate study actually full-on creating those habits.

I sometimes wish I had those work habits myself. There have definitely been times when I've put in 12-14 hour days for a few weeks straight, such as when working on a research project after an 8-hour work day, for example. But in general, after I leave internship at 4 or 4:30, I'm fine with "shutting off" psychology most of the time.

Then again, I could also (as you've said) see myself getting bored with that after a while once I no longer have things that I NEED to do (i.e., dissertation). And here we have a perfect example of how my differing interpretations of very similar situations significantly alter my subsequent behaviors 😛

 

[erg923]

This one. My internship was unique in that I worked for a government institution, and we couldn't really work more than an 8 hour day. I started going crazy and doing other things with my "extra" time. Of course now I am back to 80 hour weeks with postdoc and some side employment.

I hear people eventually get jobs and settle in well with 50-60 hours a week. I am sure working less is easier if you have kids, but otherwise I think the idea is you are so used to being productive that you don't feel so productive working 8 hours. You work longer or do other work. OR, if you can't get a high paying job, you work another part time job.

Uh, I have NO problem not working more than a normal 8 hour day.

I obviously put in more than a 40/week on average in grad school, but that is behind me now. I realize that more is a necessity when building a sucessful PP, but frankly, Im not a big fan of this work, work, mentality when our pay is already abysmal.

If "full-time" really means 70-80 hours week, then pay me more. Otherwise, whats my incentive to stay till 8pm every night instead of leaving at 5, right? I think, otherwise employers will start to get the notion that you can pay psychologists anything and they can still get the same amount of work out of them. I think thats bad habit for the profession to get into.

And I am certainly glad im not at aa 80/week post-doc too, btw

I also dont understand all this "bored" talk people do. Read a book, watch some trash tv, go fishing, play guitar, join a softball league, play games with your children, fix up the house...stare at the wall for an hour. I love not having things I don't HAVE to do. Its actually fun, I promise. 🙂

 

[Pragma]

Uh, I have NO problem not working more than a normal 8 hour day.

I obviously put in more than a 40/week on average in grad school, but that is behind me now. I realize that more is a necessity when building a sucessful PP, but frankly, Im not a big fan of this work, work, mentality when our pay is already abysmal.

If "full-time" really means 70-80 hours week, then pay me more. Otherwise, whats my incentive to stay till 8pm every night instead of leaving at 5, right? I think, otherwise employers will start to get the notion that you can pay psychologists anything and they can still get the same amount of work out of them. I think thats bad habit for the profession to get into.

And I am certainly glad im not at aa 80/week post-doc too, btw

I also dont understand all this "bored" talk people do. Read a book, watch some trash tv, go fishing, play guitar, join a softball league, play games with your children, fix up the house...stare at the wall for an hour. I love not having things I don't HAVE to do. Its actually fun, I promise. 🙂

Oh I love having time for myself. I had lots of it on internship. But I was so used to working more that I felt like I should be working more, and I did some things I wanted to do (published some more fun/interesting papers that year).

Not all postdocs will required 60 hours on average, and not all people elect to work to make outside income on top of that. I do, because I don't have a government postdoc that protects my 8 hour day, and my paycheck is not a VA paycheck. I specialized in an area that requires it, but I would never require postdoc (AKA more indentured servitude) to anyone if you can avoid it. With the exception of a county, prison, or VA gig.

 

[Pragma]

I personally think this might be more a factor of the type of people clinical psych tends to attract (e.g., exceedingly driven, over-achieving, etc.) rather than graduate study actually full-on creating those habits.

I sometimes wish I had those work habits myself. There have definitely been times when I've put in 12-14 hour days for a few weeks straight, such as when working on a research project after an 8-hour work day, for example. But in general, after I leave internship at 4 or 4:30, I'm fine with "shutting off" psychology most of the time.

Then again, I could also (as you've said) see myself getting bored with that after a while once I no longer have things that I NEED to do (i.e., dissertation). And here we have a perfect example of how my differing interpretations of very similar situations significantly alter my subsequent behaviors 😛

It could be. Some people are just naturally hard workers, too. Yes, it definitely changes when there aren't things that you NEED to do and you are doing things on your own accord. If you do it for money and because you enjoy doing something and getting paid for it (I love teaching, so teaching night class is a great source of extra income), you might easily convince yourself to keep up with it beyond your regular FT job. But you might not...just depends on your situation and temperament.

But, just see how satisfied you feel when you start your postdoc, you've got your PhD, and you aren't getting paid what people who aren't on postdoc are making. You might be willing to work extra to take a vacation or do something you otherwise wouldn't have the means to do, being on an extension of graduate school. That's my motivation...it may sound petty, but it is the truth. I also enjoy living downtown in a large city, and am willing to work extra to be able to afford it.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

It could be. Some people are just naturally hard workers, too. Yes, it definitely changes when there aren't things that you NEED to do and you are doing things on your own accord. If you do it for money and because you enjoy doing something and getting paid for it (I love teaching, so teaching night class is a great source of extra income), you might easily convince yourself to keep up with it beyond your regular FT job. But you might not...just depends on your situation and temperament.

But, just see how satisfied you feel when you start your postdoc, you've got your PhD, and you aren't getting paid what people who aren't on postdoc are making. You might be willing to work extra to take a vacation or do something you otherwise wouldn't have the means to do, being on an extension of graduate school. That's my motivation...it may sound petty, but it is the truth. I also enjoy living downtown in a large city, and am willing to work extra to be able to afford it.

Doesn't sound petty at all. I've mentioned it in another thread, but one of the reasons I ranked my soon-to-be postdoc so highly was the salary, which is on the high end even for VA standards. Then again, that likely also might limit outside opportunities; fortunately, I've already estimated a budget, so unlike grad school and internship, I'll be able to do more than just scrape by.

I also hear you on living downtown. I figure it's something that many people eventually "grow out of" at some point, and since I haven't yet hit that phase myself, I'll be planning on spending a bit more to live in the city myself. That, and I absolutely hate traffic, so being only a short drive (or, better yet, walk) from work and many other things would be swell.

 

[InYourHead]

I think one of my professors said it best. He said, "Guys, this program will take everything from you. It will take everything you have.......IF you let it. You can make time to do what want to do for fun, but it's your responsibility. There is always something else that needs to be done, but it is part of the maturing process to know when to stop working and practice a little self-care."

This is the same professor I see at the gym on a regular basis, so it's nice to see him practicing what he preaches too.

You want to have a life outside of school? Great, do it. At times it's certainly difficult, but at all times its 100% possible.

 

[G Costanza]

For me, life in grad school beats an 8-5 job hands down. My program hasn't been very difficult and everyday is interesting. It also helps that my peers and profs get along well with no drama. Life is good.