Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Graduate School and Family Life

Working toward my Doctorate of Physical Therapy has been tougher than expected. Having two kids and a pregnant wife has added to the chaos, but in a weird way I actually think my situation makes it easier for me to buckle down and study. When it comes to free time I have none; nearly every second dedicated to studying or playing with my kids. So when I receive an offer to do something besides study or play with my kids its a no brainer. Having a family in PT school is the best!

Perks to having a family in PT school include:
  1. Built in support system. My wife listens to my complaints and my successes. When I get an A on a test so does she. On the flip side, when I get an F, she's feeling it too. My classmates might have parents or friends that listen but its just not the same.
  2. Kids make life exciting. It is so easy to just go day to day with no excitement because all you do is study. I have the luxury of having kids to remind me how great life is. My kids always want to have dance parties and freak out with excitement at the very thought of a bowl of ice cream. Kids bring excitement to the dull study days of PT school.
  3. Family is motivation. You may or may not agree with me but having two kids, one on the way, and a wife puts more pressure on me to perform. My life is not the only one that is affected by my doing well and passing my classes.  I have lives that directly depend on my success and completion of the program.
  4. Healthy living comes with a family. While my classmates are eating french frys and milk shakes my wife is making our family baked chicken and steamed brussel sprouts. Because I am so busy at school my wife takes care of all our families' meals. This helps me maintain healthy eating habits.
  5. Budgeting skills are acquired. Because my loan allotment is the same as my single counter parts I am forced to budget. By learning how to budget adequately I am learning valuable lessons of what are really things I need verses things I really want. Because of this, I have found most things I think I need are really just wants. This will help me after graduation as I put all my effort into paying off my loans as quickly as possible. 


There are so many wonderful things I could say about having a family in PT School. In summation I have it easy compared to my classmates.  I cannot imagine making it through PT school on my own; luckily I don’t have to. 

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