How To Spend Your Downtime In Grad School

By Gretchen Kernbach on September 1, 2016

This article is brought to you by Kaplan, the leader in test prep for over 90 standardized tests, including the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, and MCAT.

Downtime in grad school is still very much a thing. Yes, there is more work involved within the school, but that doesn’t mean you will be drowning in assignments every hour of the day.

However, the way you spend your downtime should differ from how you did so in the past.

By this I mean, now is not the time to binge watch an entire season of Breaking Bad. Nor is it the time to sleep in until 12, and still take a nap later that day. Try to make the most of those extra minutes and get as much done as you can.

Here are numerous ways you can make the most of your spare time while in grad school.

1. Do something while watching TV.

Watching TV is inevitable; we all have to get in a little screen time. Nevertheless, instead of mindlessly staring at the screen while sitting in bed, get a chore done while doing so.

According to college.usatoday.com, “try folding your laundry throughout your television show. This is a quiet activity you can do during TV time that will help you accomplish something besides gaining that freshman 15, and it won’t disturb anyone or take away from the program.”

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If you are totally against doing chores, even sifting through your email or planning out your week works too. Get something done that does not require too much focus, like trying to read. Please do not attempt that.

2. Do homework in small doses.

Really, any extra time you have between classes and research should be spent doing more work. No, it doesn’t sound like a super fun time, but it’s better than cramming at night or missing a Saturday night out with your friends. If you have two hours between classes, get a chapter of reading in really quick.

The problem with anyone, mainly college students, is procrastination. The less you do more often will lighten your load and make it more manageable.

3. Clean.

You may be spending endless hours in the classroom, lab, library, etc. But every night you come home to the same place. So it might as well be sanitary.

As weeks progress, dust and dirt will pile up and create a gross environment. Before you know it, the trash doesn’t get taken out and you have ants. Spend your ever so precious downtime tidying your living space to avoid hazardous (and nasty) living conditions.

4. Exercise.

Running or lifting may be the devil’s doing, but it has been shown to be greatly beneficial for college students.

According to aiuniv.edu:

“The hippocampus is a structure in the brain that controls the formation, retention, and recall of memories. In most adults, the hippocampus starts to shrink slightly starting in the late 20s, leading to memory loss over time. Evidence from a 2011 study, recounted in the New York Times article mentioned above, shows that exercise prevents this shrinkage and may even promote regrowth.”

Therefore, the more you work out, the more you can retain. And grad school requires a strong memory.

5. Learn a new skill.

Take the time to figure out a recipe you have been wanting to try. Or teach yourself how to sew up a hole on one of your shirts. With the few hours you have every so often, you can improve what you know.

Some other activities you can try in your spare hours can be: learning a new makeup technique, fine-tuning your car’s engine, practicing basketball. The options are endless; anything is better than sleeping the day away.

6. Multitask studying.

According to college.usatoday.com:

“This is probably the most popular option for being productive while still taking some downtime. Not only can you sneak in a workout, but you can also get a little smarter at the same time. We all have extremely busy days, and finding the time to just lie out in the sun (if your school’s climate allows for it) or hit the elliptical is difficult. If you can pair it with reviewing your notes, you can kill two birds with one stone.”

Studying can also occur while folding clothes, watching a show, hanging out with friends, etc., as long as you can focus at least 60 percent on it. Simply having a paper out in front of you doesn’t count.

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7. Catch up with friends and family.

Give your parents a call in your spare time and let them know how you’re doing. Or go grab lunch with a friend for an hour or two. Yes, grad school is about furthering your education to build a successful career. But being a loner while doing so is not the best for anyone’s mental health. It is all about balance.

Overall, there are so many better ways to spend your downtime in grad school than eating an entire bag of potato chips.

Learn more about Kaplan’s test prep options and start building the confidence you need for Test Day.

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