It's official... I am a Ph.D Student, and I am tired...

On Friday at approximately 5:30 pm, my first week as an actual PhD student came to an end. It was a lot of fun, it was exhausting, it was overwhelming at times, and most importantly it was a confirmation that I am in the right place doing the right thing. The only thing I would change would be to get Ellie-girl up here, so she could enjoy the chaos, but she has her own chaos with being a new kindergarten student that she is dealing with right now. Anyway... here is an overview of my life for this past week. Not that any of you care, but I thought I would give an idea of what a week in my life was like, and what I anticipate it will be like for the next 10 weeks x 3 terms x 3-4 years.

Monday

• Go to bed by 11:00 on Sunday night. This is huge for those of you that know me. I am a night owl.
• 6:00 - Wake-up, get ready for the day, and be out of the door by 6:45 to be in the lab by 7:00
• 7:00 - 5:00 Read and prepare for the rest of the week from (I have no classes on Monday)
• 5:00 - Walk home

Tuesday

• 6:00 - Wake-up, get ready for the day, and be out of the door by 6:45 to be in the lab by 7:00
• 7:00 - 9:00 - Get prepared for the rest of the day
• 9:00-9:45 - Office meeting 
• 10:00 - 11:30 - Lecture for HPHY 321 (I teach 2 lab sections for this class)
• 11:30 - 12:30 - Eat lunch, do some reading
• 12:30 - 1:00 - Prepare for my first lab section
• 1:00 - 3:00 - Teach lab
• 3:00 - 5:00 - Attend HPHY 610 - Systems Physiology 1.
• I have to learn biomechanics again? What the heck?
• 5:00 - 6:00 - More reading
• 6:00 - Walk home and then go for a 6 mile run

Wednesday

• 6:00 - Wake-up, get ready for the day, and be out of the door by 6:45 to be in the lab by 7:00
• 7:00 - 8:30 - Read
• 8:30 - 10:00 - HPHY 570 - Environmental Physiology
• 10:00 - 12:00 - Be a subject in a study where they irradiate me and put me through a CT scan
• 12:00 - 12:30 - Lunch
• 12:30 - 1:30 - Read
• 1:30 - 2:30 - Run 6 miles
• 2:30 - 3:30 - Read
• 3:30 - 6:30 - Weekly Lab Meeting for HPHY 321
• 6:30 - Go Home

Thursday

• 6:00 - Wake-up, get ready for the day, and be out of the door by 6:45 to be in the lab by 7:00
• 7:00 - 8:00 - Revise my IRB application for my study
• 8:00 - 9:00 - Prepare a presentation for Friday's lab meeting
• 9:00 - 9:45 - Run stats for the BPD study
• 10:00 - 11:30 - Lecture for HPHY 321
• 11:30 - 12:30 - Eat lunch, do some reading
• 12:30 - 1:00 - Prepare for my second lab section
• 1:00 - 3:00 - Teach lab
• 3:00 - 5:00 - Attend HPHY 610 - Systems Physiology 1.
• Yes... I get to learn biomechanics
• 5:00 - 6:00 - More reading

Friday

• 6:00 - Wake-up, get ready for the day, and be out of the door by 6:45 to be in the lab by 7:00
• 7:00 - 8:30 - Read
• 8:30 - 10:00 - HPHY 570 - Environmental Physiology
• 10:00 - 11:00 - HPHY 611 - Professional Skills
• 11:00 - 12:00 - HPHY 607 - Weekly Seminar
• 12:00 - 12:30 - Lunch
• 12:30 - 1:30 - Read
• 1:30 - 2:30 - Finalize my presentation
• 2:30 - 3:00 - Relax and eat an Nestle Toll House Ice Cream Sandwich
• 3:00 - 5:30 - Weekly Lab Meeting
• 5:30 - Go Home

So there you go. This is how my experience has gone so far. Does anyone else consider themselves crazy enough to willingly put themselves through this? I am not sure the last time I put in a 50+ hour week. However, I have a feeling this is only the beginning. Like I said at the beginning, I haven't been so tired in a long time, but I absolutely loved it, and am excited to be doing what I am doing.