Time

[reinhard]

This is a really straightforward question, and particularly helpful for me if you are in STEM field like me. Because I was thinking of learning something else on the side while in grad school (an instrument maybe or a martial arts or even learn how to oil paint.)

 

Do you find yourself busier than you were in your undergrad or freer (assuming you took a full load)? Obviously this varies if you are Ph.D student or a Masters student and situation.

Edited June 14, 2014 by reinhard

[St Andrews Lynx]

Free time in a STEM program?! Hahahahahaha!

 

...But seriously, work expands to fill the allotted time. It also varies by discipline, university, PI and personal preference how much free time you have. Somebody who procrastinates heavily will have a lot less free time than a person who guns through the same courseload immediately.

 

If you want to have a hobby then my advice would not be to worry about how much free time you may or may not have. Just do it.

[biotechie]

I'm in STEM and I actually feel like I have more free time, but I'm also more organized with my time. I'm finally realizing (after undergrad and a MS) that how I manage my time and plan my experiments are key. I'm getting more experiments done, but I have time left in the evening that I use for relaxing and sometimes reading more papers. I'm already done with the coursework part. I've also been finishing things way earlier than I normally would; I used to procrastinate until the last minute for papers and applications. Now, my abstract for my qual is due in a week and a half. I have it done and mostly approved by my PI... just waiting on edits.

 

It is kinda weird having time to myself on weekends. I still go into the lab to make sure my mice are happy and tend to cells, but I get time for me.

[GeoDUDE!]

I really think it depends on how much "catching up" you need to do; I found my graduate level classes to be significantly easier than my undergraduate classes. If you are an average or lower end student in your program you are probably going to need to do more work to compete with the better students in your program. 

[TakeruK]

I definitely have more free time in graduate programs than undergraduate programs. In undergrad, I felt like I had to always work hard to prove myself and be the best. I treat grad school more like a job, I put in the time I'm willing to work (50 ish hours per week) and that's that. I could work longer and be "better" but I have other desires and goals in my life not related to academia so once I feel like I have worked enough, I stop. I feel that almost all of my stress/pressure is actually self-imposed (for me anyways, because I think I have good supervisors) so the thing I had to work on the most was actually turning off the "undergrad mindset" in me that I had to work more more more.

[reinhard]

I definitely have more free time in graduate programs than undergraduate programs. In undergrad, I felt like I had to always work hard to prove myself and be the best. I treat grad school more like a job, I put in the time I'm willing to work (50 ish hours per week) and that's that. I could work longer and be "better" but I have other desires and goals in my life not related to academia so once I feel like I have worked enough, I stop. I feel that almost all of my stress/pressure is actually self-imposed (for me anyways, because I think I have good supervisors) so the thing I had to work on the most was actually turning off the "undergrad mindset" in me that I had to work more more more.

As a Ph.D now or was it also true when you were doing your MSc?

[DeleteMePlease]

If you're looking for a hobby I can recommend anything physical. Sport is really a good way to get your mind off research.

 

Also, especially in the STEM field it is very likely that you will encounter backpain at some point. A good workout can make these problems go away.

[biotechie]

If you're looking for a hobby I can recommend anything physical. Sport is really a good way to get your mind off research.

 

Also, especially in the STEM field it is very likely that you will encounter backpain at some point. A good workout can make these problems go away.

 

I agree with this. I'm on an intramural soccer team (never had played before) and I go to Zumba. The weeks I don't work out, my body hates me. I get to socialize, escape the lab for a while, and stay sort of in shape. It is much better than having back spasms and feeling haunched over all the time.

[TakeruK]

As a Ph.D now or was it also true when you were doing your MSc?

 

Both now as a PhD student and also when I was a MSc student. I should note that in certain limited times of the year, I do work a bit more, such as the week before a conference deadline or something. So I would say that I probably work on average 50 hours per week, not exactly 50 hours each week. I take advantage of the flexible schedule we have (e.g. going to touristy places on weekdays to avoid crowds, scheduling dentists/doctors on weekdays) but then I "repay" it by working more later that week or in another week. Similarly, I work extra hard before a conference but will probably take a few days off afterwards to recover (or to spend it traveling in the conference location).

[mop]

 

...But seriously, work expands to fill the allotted time.

In a STEM field myself (biology) this seems to be a common experience. Work/reading papers creeps into free time. If you want to have free time, just plan for it, block out time in your day for you. Otherwise if you start reading a paper or something, then see an interesting citation and go read that one etc etc suddenly you spent more hours reading than your original intention.

[reinhard]

If you're looking for a hobby I can recommend anything physical. Sport is really a good way to get your mind off research.

 

Also, especially in the STEM field it is very likely that you will encounter backpain at some point. A good workout can make these problems go away.

So you suggest I go for the martial arts? Lessons are twice a week at night (2 hours), you think that might eat up too much time?

[TakeruK]

So you suggest I go for the martial arts? Lessons are twice a week at night (2 hours), you think that might eat up too much time?

At my MSc program, in my last semester (no TAing, no courses), I did some fencing with the recreational group associated with the varsity team. It took 8-10 hours per week, but all of it was after 5pm (the end of my workday) so it didn't really eat up too much work time. In order for it to work out, I had to change a lot of how I spent my free time though. I don't think 2 hours a week at night is going to be that bad that at all. 

 

If it helps, the ratio of work:personal:sleep is almost 1:1:1, plus or minus 10%. 

[rising_star]

So you suggest I go for the martial arts? Lessons are twice a week at night (2 hours), you think that might eat up too much time?

 

In my opinion, no. And I say this from experience. But, it also depends on what else you want to do for your personal time. Martial arts aren't for everyone because not everyone likes the rigidity and formality of the training (though some of this varies by instructor and by martial art). I, for example, would never do well in a formal karate class because I hate not being able to talk and having to do exactly what I'm told at all times. Your mileage may vary, obviously.

 

FWIW, I had a hobby that I pursued for a solid 8ish hours a week formally, plus more informally. I also did trivia night with friends every week for fun. That's in addition to spending time reading books for pleasure (well, a chapter or two a week anyway), relaxing by cooking/baking, volunteering with an animal rescue group, and having some tv shows I like to watch. The work expands to fill however much time you give it. You have to figure out how to work efficiently and not let the work take up your entire life (unless that's what you want but that is definitely not recommended!).

[reinhard]

At my MSc program, in my last semester (no TAing, no courses), I did some fencing with the recreational group associated with the varsity team. It took 8-10 hours per week, but all of it was after 5pm (the end of my workday) so it didn't really eat up too much work time. In order for it to work out, I had to change a lot of how I spent my free time though. I don't think 2 hours a week at night is going to be that bad that at all. 

 

If it helps, the ratio of work:personal:sleep is almost 1:1:1, plus or minus 10%. 

No not once a week 2 hours, twice a week 2 hours, at night; so in total 4 hours a week.  I think lessons are from 7:30 to 9:30. But are your fencing activities scheduled at a fixed time?

Edited June 16, 2014 by reinhard

[reinhard]

In my opinion, no. And I say this from experience. But, it also depends on what else you want to do for your personal time. Martial arts aren't for everyone because not everyone likes the rigidity and formality of the training (though some of this varies by instructor and by martial art). I, for example, would never do well in a formal karate class because I hate not being able to talk and having to do exactly what I'm told at all times. Your mileage may vary, obviously.

 

Hmm true, but I think this depends on group sizes no?

[rising_star]

It depends on a lot of things, but primarily the instructor and the continuing students. I find that any kind of group-based activity is greatly affected by the people you're around. If you like them, then you'll make the time to go. If you don't, you'll start making excuses about how you're busy or have so much to do and use that to keep you from going.

 

If scheduling info would be helpful, my group activity/hobby met for two hours two nights a week, with an optional 1-2 hour meeting on the weekend. Then, there was another group (same activity) that I met with three times a week for 90 minutes, twice during the week and once on the weekend. There was a point in time in the 3rd year of my PhD (teaching own course, taking a couple courses, prepping for comps, writing grant apps) that I did this activity 5-6 times a week basically every week. Why? I like the activity but I also like the people. I have a friend that pursued aikido throughout grad school on a somewhat similar schedule of having trainings 4-5 times a week at a minimum. That friend had already been doing the activity before grad school but continued it throughout master's, PhD, and now as a professor. And, it's how they met their partner!

[TakeruK]

No not once a week 2 hours, twice a week 2 hours, at night; so in total 4 hours a week.  I think lessons are from 7:30 to 9:30. But are your fencing activities scheduled at a fixed time?

 

I haven't done it since I left my MSc school since my PhD school does not have a recreational fencing club (their NCAA club is for NCAA-eligible student athletes only and that does not apply to me). It's too bad that NCAA doesn't really allow graduate students to play on varsity teams but luckily for you, Ontario schools generally compete in the OUA which does not have strict eligibility rules like the NCAA.

 

My fencing practices were something like 5:30 to 7:30pm on 3 weeknights plus an afternoon timeslot on a Saturday. So yes they were at a fixed time every week, with a few exceptions. I feel that this commitment would have been very hard during semesters where I had a lot of work. It's not that I would not have been able to make time, but because I probably would have chosen something that was less mentally demanding if I had to do a lot more work in terms of coursework and teaching!

 

Also I strongly agree with rising_star that if you enjoy the activity and especially the people, it can make a huge difference in whether or not you are motivated to make time for something or just make up excuses!

[juilletmercredi]

In the beginning of my program, I definitely spent more time on coursework than I did in undergrad.  My courses were more difficult - I had more reading and deeper thinking to do.  (I was also taking four of them; most doctoral students take 2-3.)  I didn't have a whole lot of free time, but I did have some.  Not enough to take a class, but enough to go out with friends and read the occasional book.  But I was also terrible at managing my time then, too.

 

During quals I learned how to manage my time and during my dissertation writing phase, I felt like I had gobs of free time.  I had learned by then to manage my time efficiently, so I got things done in chunks of time and found myself with time to invest in new and old hobbies.  My dissertation phase was actually kind of awesome because of that.

[Arcadian]

I have more free time in grad than undergrad. I pretty much do whatever I want whenever I want. Livin the life!