Amount of Time Studying in PhD Program

[lindseybuck95]

Hi all,

 

I just started my first year in a PhD Program. I am wondering if you think there is any sort of average amount of hours that an economics PhD spends studying/teaching/working each week. I have three courses and I teach a section of principles course as well.

 

Thanks,

LB

[zshfryoh1]

I am also a first year student. From what I was told and from what I remember from the PhD class I took as a UG some years ago, expect to spend a minimum of 10 hours per week per course studying and doing HW for first year courses with 15 hours a week being more realistic. The amount of time spent on teaching depends on whether you have taught the course before and have previously prepared your lectures and whether you make your own HW and exams or use the publisher's question banks, so it is much harder to gauge. Edited September 5, 2018 by zshfryoh1

[Kaysa]

For years 1 and 2, I tended to study 6 - 8 hours every day and took either Saturday or Sunday off (this does not include class time)

 

In year 3, I worked roughly 8 hours every day and took either Saturday or Sunday off.

 

In year 4, I worked roughly 10 hours every day during the first half of the year. In the second half, I worked 6 hours and networked another hour or so.

 

In year 5, I worked 2 - 4 hours a day and spent the rest socializing.