What is the hardest part of being a neuroscientist?

That is great that you are thinking about being a neuroscientist. I am a neuroscientist and can answer your question based on my experience, my sister's, and those of my students. To answer your first question, the hardest part of being a neuroscientist is keeping up with all of the subfields of neuroscience because it is a broad field; it includes, but is not limited to, psychology, brain development and aging pain, addiction, genetics, neuropharmacology (how drugs act on the brain), vision, stroke, memory, learning, behavior, movement, molecular neuroscience, cellular neuroscience, systems neuroscience in animals or humans, computational neuroscience, computer programming, electrical signaling, and equipment to study or manipulate the brain or spinal cord (MRI, PET, X-ray, EEG, many different types of microscopes, robotic prosthetics, etc). Yes, there is a lot of writing - daily writing in an electronic or handwritten lab notebook, weekly writing of reports, and continuous writing of final reports, manuscripts, and grants. To answer your question about time for family - it depends on the type of neuroscientist you become as there are many different types. With a Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience, Neurobiology, or Psychology (you should work in a neuroscience lab while studying), you could work in a lab at a university (regular 8 hour days), giving you time to start a family, but the salaries are so paltry that you would not have enough money to raise a family. However, some types of Bachelors level Psychologists and Cognitive Neuroscientist majors can get an industry job, including at companies like Google, Facebook, etc, for User Experience (UX) positions (look this up). You could pursue a Master's degree (2 more years) in Neuroscience or Clinical Psychology (be sure to work in a lab or intern at a company) and this would open doors to better jobs with higher salaries, and time for family. You could pursue a PhD in order to be a professor or a scientific leader at a drug company, and in the United States, tuition is free and you get paid a stipend (run away if this is not offered), but this takes 5-6 years and, afterwards, you are expected to be a postdoctoral researcher (more paid training) for another 2-3 years before your real job during which you might not want to start a family (reference: www.chronicle.com/article/Why-So-Few-Doctoral-Student/48872). You do not need to go to medical school to be a neuroscientist; however, if you want to be a Neurologist or Psychiatrist (medical doctor), 8 additional years after college is required (4 years of expensive tuition and another 4 years of grueling residency with little sleep; reference: www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2017/01/06/mamas-dont-let-your-babies-grow-up-to-be-doctors/3405c3794199). For the PhD and MD routes, starting a family can be juggled during this extra schooling, but you will need a support system. If you wait until after your education and residency/postdoc to start a family, you will be 30-33 if you didn't take any breaks or gap years, and that is still young enough.

The amount of schooling. This will take a lot of dedication of time and sacrifice. Be prepared to put studying above all else. Start early in your school career to gain the right study habits. Work hard and earn a scholarship to help elevite that financial burden. College with addition of medical school will be expensive and the more scholarships you earn the better your life will be in the end. Student loans can be taxing for a long time but keep the endgame in mind. This will pay off in the long run.