Free time in grad school (life sciences)

[elem3nt]

For current grad students (especially life science): do you have any free time during the week or on the weekends? Or are you in lab all the time? What is it like compared to undergrad?

I'm doing a Ph.D. in biophysics next year. My free time has eroded to nothing over the course of my undergrad, and I've gradually given up my social life, hobbies, and most recently, adequate sleep. You know the feeling of having something always looming over your head.

More practically, I have a lot of money invested in a hobby (cycling) but haven't even touched my bikes for the last semester (I've been busy with an UG thesis, research, tutoring, grad school interviews, writing intensive classes, blah blah blah... the typical undergrad BS). I'm wondering whether it'll always be this way from now on, in which case I should just accept the fact, sell everything, and move on.

[fuzzylogician]

You will have free time if you will make yourself free time. It's very easy to get sucked into work and completely lose the balance in graduate school. There will always be more things to do than time to do them in; and yes, sometimes there are important deadlines that require you to work late. But for the most part, you should be able to have time to devote to hobbies, family and friends, household responsibilities, and relaxation. Schedule the things that are important in your calendar, and block off time for rest - that way there are sure to happen.

(yes, it's easier said than done. It's one of the things you'll have to master when you start your program.)

[Tall Chai Latte]

elem3nt, I was just like you when I was in undergrad. I had classes and was heavily invested in research. Although I learned a great deal from these activities, I feel like I've lost some valuable life experience when compared to my other undergrad friends.

But soon I realized what fuzzy just said, you need to schedule your free time in and stick to it, just as you do anything else. This is going to be hard during your first year in grad school, but once you settled in/got a handle on your routine, scheduling should be much easier. You will also learn to do a "just good enough" job in grad school, so you are not too sucked in on perfecting one thing. All this is doable, you just need time to figure things out. For example, I've never run before, but I picked up running as a hobby during the start of my second year. It's been a great relaxation technique and motivator. I will be training for my first half-marathon once I'm done with my prelim, pretty excited about that!

Edited May 7, 2012 by Tall Chai Latte

[Cici Beanz]

I'm just startgin my masters in the fall but I've already decided that I MUST do my best to create a balanced lifestyle for myself. If I don't, I know my motivation will go right down the tubes. My hope is that school will be fulfilling in its own right...allowing me to do a lot of work without becoming resentful or burned out...and that my projects will pick up momentum from my enthusiasm. I feel like when we drown ourselves too much in one thing we spend time stressing and ruminating that we could be putting to better use taking care of ourselves.

[Bimmerman]

Engineer here, but our workloads sound similar. I also invested an awful lot of money and time into my hobbies (music and motorsports), and refuse to give them up. I'm almost finished with my first year of grad school, and my experience is that I actually have a LOT more time on my hands than I did in undergrad. Granted, during UG I was working 10-20hr/wk on top of a full course load, on top of projects, on top of grad app stuff, on top of racing, fixing cars, and hanging out with friends. I discovered over the last two years of UG that I only need 3-5hrs of sleep a night to be fully functional, and I've just maintained the constant sleep deprivation since.

I try as best as I can to treat school like a 9-5 M-F job, and schedule exercise/music/car stuff/social stuff outside those hours. That obviously doesn't always work, but it helps keep me sane.

My advice is to be as efficiently lazy as you can be. Do what you need to do for the degree and to stay on top of things, but don't get sucked in to your research to the detriment of your mental and physical health. Do just enough to get by, any more and you start to lose perspective on what matters-- your life, not your research.

[ktel]

I've always been able to maintain my balance, but I know a number of people who can't. If they're not studying or working they feel incredibly anxious. I've done an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering and am now doing a Master's, and have competed in a varsity sport throughout. This sport is my priority, and I always make time for it. Another thing that helps me keep balance is having a dog. No matter what he needs to go for a walk. And I can certainly afford an hour a day to do so. I also try to treat school as a 9-5 thing, as my partner works full time, so I can then spend my evenings and weekends with him (when he's not working overtime).

[crazygirl2012]

I have the same problem. I've been told my family, friends, other students in my department, and professors that if I don't change, I will make it through grad school but not in one piece. I'll burn out within a few years. Enough people have said it that I can't help but believe them! I'm committed to continuing to work hard, but I also know that what I was doing was hurting my work in addition to my mind, body, and relationships. Yes, I had a lot to do, but I didn't need to work 12-20 hours per day, 7 days a week. My work simply wouldn't have taken that long to complete if I did anything other than work.

I think I'm going to try to make exercise an important part of my "free time." I used to love it, and it will help to keep me healthy. Maybe even sane. At least 2 students in my new program work out on a regular basis. That gives me hope that it's possible. Another goal is to sleep 6-8 hours most nights and not to subsist entirely on frozen food-- partly because it's expensive!

[WalterBenjamin]

Thank you for starting this topic.

I am starting my PhD program this September and am worried about work/life balance. I have a 2.5 year old too, so it is twice as important, really. I am going to try to set an athletic goal for the duration of the program. As in running a marathon around the time of my defense or something along these lines. I thought I could run to her daycare in the evenings, since I am doing the pick-up.

Another thing I am doing right now is de-cluttering and organizing our home, so that when the semester starts, running the house is easier. I will probably spend August cooking/freezing ready to go meals that would last for about three months and will be doing the same over Christmas, when I don't have to teach. ))