How do you handle the workload!?!? Advice wanted

[lhansen]

Hello everyone, I’m a current Labor and Delivery RN that’s decided to attend PA school as the education provided during the PA program is much better compared to the NP program which is much more theory based.

After looking at the curriculum for some of the schools, I am curious how you guys manage to handle the courseload. From what I see, most of these schools want you to attend full time and not work, which I understand, but even then, many of them have you taking 6 to 7 classes in one semester, how the hell is that possible?

During Nursing school it was hard enough taking 4 classes and trying to find a way to get all required reading, homework and studying done without losing your mind and not working a outside job at all, I just don’t understand how 6 to 7 classes at one time is even possible with only 24 hours in one day.

How do you guys structure your study and homework times so that you achieve high grades, what are the methods that you use to stay on top of your work? 

Thanks!!!

[UGoLong]

1. Not every class meets every day.

2. Time management and finding study techniques that work best for you in each course. At least for me, the same techniques didn't work in every course. Gotta be willing to experiment.

[MCHAD]

PA school is a complely different animal than traditional college in my experience.  My program was large volumes of PowerPoints and studying, not really any busy work “assignments” a lot of it memorizing.  But you have to retain, it’s not just memorize and regurgitate because it comes back during rotations, certification, and practicing medicine.  You have to figure out what works for you to accomplish that.  

[pastudentw]

As mentioned above, classes will typically only meet once a week. In my case, we may have clinical medicine lectures a few days a week and can be from 2-3 hour lectures at a time. 

I also try to remember that I'm not the only one out there trying to get through PA school. Many others have done it, are doing and will continue to get through the process. Each person is different with how they adjust to their studying and getting through the material needed. It can become very monotonous work. Go to class, come home and study, sleep, repeat. 

A couple things I do to keep myself on top of things are to actually use my lecture time wisely. If I have to be there for three hours in a lecture, I might as well use it to actually learn to cut down on study time. Some times this isn't always easy since not everyone who teaches is actually a good teacher. 

I tend to work on assignments when I have short breaks between classes, during lunch or when I only have a short time to work on school stuff since I like to really dive for studying and like to know I'll have a few hours to do so.

I like to do timers for when I study. Some people do 25 minutes then a 5 minute break or some variation on that. This helps me so that I don't loose track of how much time I spend on my phone or whatever it is. For me it is good to take timed breaks but sometimes I can't always do that if I have a lot to do.

Hope this helps but honestly it is just trial and error for everyone at first. PA school is a much different feel from undergrad.

[rev ronin]

Pacific was module-based, so you were often doing 6-7 2-3 week modules a semester.  I liked that better, because you ate, slept, and breathed e.g. nephrology for that entire time, from A&P, pathophys, pharmacology... everything about that system consumed you for the two or three weeks you were doing it.  Still, yeah, it doesn't feel like much of a break to finish the module final exam on Friday, get the afternoon off, and hit the ground running on Monday.  That's the hardest part: the stamina to keep doing it every. single. week.