allen254

so I've been going to school full time now and its getting to really hard ride any more or at all I was getting in real good shape but now I hardly ever have time to go out and ride. I used to ride 30 miles a day now I ride maybe 30 miles week and quickly loosing my form and gaining weight after rides I'm usually physically tired and the last thing I want is to open a damn book.

How many people on here are full time student and how do you find time to ride or whats your schedule like??

f4rrest

Maybe don't ride so hard, so that you have energy left to study.

Do you live on campus or commute? Maybe commute by bike is an option.

beanbag

Depending on how many classes u take, you may only have time to ride on the weekends.

Else reduce your internet time.

kbarch

How much do you work? Do you commute, and if so, how far? It's been a while since I was in school, but even though I was always "full time," and worked a few hours a week, too, I recall having a TON of discretionary time. I'd imagine your difficulty arises not from lack of time, but scheduling. Maybe you can arrange your schedule so you can take a nap after your ride. I remember one summer in architecture school, after working outside all morning I'd go for a swim for about half an hour, take a quick nap (well, not really a nap - just rest in the sun until I dried out, but that was plenty), get lunch then go to class all afternoon. Maybe I'd get another little nap before dinner, then reading, writing, drawing and such through the evening. What a life!

dougphoto

Just wait until you have a full time job and kids. The most riding I was ever able to do was while I was a grad student. Go out early in the morning, most people I know who work full time leave for rides around 5 or 6 am to get a ride in before work. then some good coffee to get you going again. Naps in the afternoon help as well.Time management is one of the best skills you can learn s a student.

rubiksoval

As a full time student that also worked part time at a bike shop, I rode 15-20 hours a week, every week.

All about scheduling. I rode 3-4 hours first off in the morning, then classes in the afternoon, and then work after that in the evening (3-4x a week ).

But you sacrifice anything much beyond that. As is always the case.

And agreed with the above. That was a cakewalk compared to having a career and a family. Now I'm lucky if I get 9-10 hours in a week, and that's a big struggle!

VRC

Just give yourself an hour, ride half an hour away and come back. It's just like going to the gym or anything else people do except your workout starts as soon as you get on the bike. Even if you don't have a half hour or more ride to school, you could make a route that ends there. You won't nap when you are actually in class. Then ride home and you'll have the satisfaction of having done your ride.

JonnyV

Full time job on 2nd shift. Wife works 1st shift. We have 2 kids; 4 and 1 years old and I'm taking 9 credits per semester. It blows but you just do what you have to do. Cycling has become one of the less important aspects of life but I greatly enjoy the time I do get. Point is, unless you're about to go pro, prioritize.

allen254

thanks a lot you guys I think time management is key really Im going to have to schedule cycling in I'm sure I can.

Doge

I don't really know how to answer. I could do a lot more time on the bike, but it is not worth it for me, as I like other stuff. My kid can't - he is maximized. I was too at age 19, not now.

I ride 3-4 hours a week, run 3 hours. I'm late 50s. It is rec and fun to breath the air and I do it with my wife, who is one of the most talented athletes I ever met.

My son is in college, the military and if the girl interest does not get in the way manages about 8 hours a week.
It is a significant hit on his level of competitiveness not to have more time as he did in high school. Just that, that is the way it is.
Soon, he may have to give up road, as at his level, 8 hours is not enough to compete in his category.

It is all a bit of a bummer, but also a choice.

raisinberry777

I like to do it very first thing as soon as I get up in the morning - middle of the day is for classes or whatever else, then nights for study. Just set a time and stick to it, as others have said.

Machka 

Employed full time.

Part-time Master's student.

I fit the cycling in wherever I can ... and I've taken up stair climbing at work to build up leg muscles and my cardiovascular system.

kingston 

You won't have as much free time as you do in college until you retire. The the NCAA restricts student-athletes' in-season practice to 20 hours per week and there are tons of things that don't count against that limit. Somehow those student-athletes are able to make the time.

bikecrate

When I was a grad student I took my bike to school (I had a safe place to store it). I would take a hour or so ride between classes. I also found some showers in the dance department and asked permission to use them so I could clean up after the ride.

Retoocs

Just ride more and let your grades slip. That's what I did.

anon`

Like many here, I had more time to ride as a student than I have since. Wasn't into cycling as an undergrad, but I was by the time I got to law school. There, I would commute to class by bike (sometimes--maybe four of miles; not far) and to various places (read: breweries) around town. I also joined a team, and raced Tuesday night crits during the season, and would hit up at least one shop ride a week. Beyond that, I could usually find an hour or two on any given day to fit in a proper ride, even if it was just a 20 mile out-and-back down a MUP.


Time management really is key, as it knowing when to give studying a break. It also doesn't hurt if you can finesse your class schedule to give you some nice, long, gaps between classes. It's a lot easier to fit a ride into a two-hour passing, than a one-hour.

Abe_Froman

+1 to the wait till you have a job and family comment above.

I work ~50 hrs a week, and am married with a 3yr old. I had time for just about anything when I was going to school AND working ~15 hrs a week relative to now.

If you really are crunched for time though, start commuting by bike (if you aren't already). If you ARE already commuting by bike, make your commute longer. I find the easiest way to up my weekly miles is to tack on 5 or 10 miles to my 7.5 mile commute.

wipekitty

Good ideas here: commuting by bike, adding extra miles to the commute, and using breaks between class to get some miles in.

A lot of what you're able to do will depend on your class schedule and other commitments. If you'd prefer to exercise after studying and can get out in the evening, even a slow 10 miles in the dark is better than nothing. If you can bank your classes/studying/other commitments, you might be able to give yourself a day or two off on the weekend (or even during the week) and get in a long ride. Several short rides and 1-2 long rides a week should easily get you into the 100-150 mile/week range.

I was more into running in college, but same idea: study some nights, run other nights, run in between classes, take a long run on weekend days, and sometimes run across town to visit people.

bikecrate

I just remembered another time saving tip. I would tape an index card of study material to my handlebars, so I could study and ride at the same time. Usually it was Latin verb conjugations.

wphamilton

Not a student but I work full time, desk job, and commute every day so this may be useful. The key is, the time spent commuting is never wasted. I'm not talking about the mental and physical health benefits (I won't deny them either), but two other things.

One, that time is my own and the more full your schedule is, the more you need that. I've never felt any guilt or anxiety about something else I could be doing instead of commuting on a bike, in the ten years that I've been doing it. In a car sure, I hated the waste but on a bike I'm getting there AND having my own time.

Second, I can use that time for work and other projects. I can mentally review a problem, design some high-level pseudo-code, work out algorithms, plan priorities and so on. Or free associate for fresh ideas. Being a student isn't quite the same as software engineer, but mentally reviewing class work or thinking about projects would be similar. You may find that by doing this routinely, you'll actually see a net gain of productive time, giving you more free time in the end.