I don't know what to do with my time this summer.

[Adelaide9216]

Hello,

so I have submitted my REB application about a month ago. I am still waiting. I have sent to my advisor the first two chapters of my thesis (first drafts) and am waiting for her comments on them still. I am almost done with my scholarship application for PhD in Fall 2019. I have also finished preparing my presentation for a conference that's happening in about a month. 

I feel like I've just been sitting and waiting for the past two weeks, I literally don't know what to do with my time and myself (I finished my first year of my master's program and am now a master's candidate).

Anyone else experienced the same thing? How can I use my summer more productively? 

[iwearflowers]

If you want to have some fun, think about making a list of day trips in your area or things you’d like to do in your city. Also, consider learning a fun skill (knitting, origami, roller skating, etc).

If you’re wanting to be more career focused, put together a lit review on a topic yo find interesting, learn a new coding language (or expand your skills with an old one), or see if a professor needs a volunteer on their research. If you do the last one, consider asking if you could get acces to data to publish or present on instead of getting paid if you don’t need or can’t get cash.

[Sigaba]

On 7/27/2018 at 10:09 AM, Adelaide9216 said:

How can I use my summer more productively? 

Set up a schedule with set periods of time (days or weeks) in which you are either in a state of rest/relaxation, a state of working on your craft, or in a liminal state between relaxing and working.

• If you're resting, do that and nothing more -- avoid thoughts about what you "should be" doing. If you're resting or relaxing and what you're doing helps either/both, then you're doing exactly what you should be doing exactly the way it should be done.
  • No school related activities of any kind is allowed.
• If you're working on your craft, work as hard as circumstances allow. If you feel like goofing off or procrastinating, then adjust your schedule so that your activity is in line with your objective.
• If you're in a liminal state, find the sweet spot so that you don't punish yourself for not "working harder."

Here's an example of what I mean. 

• Week 1 Complete rest 
• Week 2 Complete relaxation
• Week 3 Alternating days (like, 2, 1, 2, 2) in which you plan and prepare for your next project. 
  • Organizing your workspace
  • Collecting materials
  • Very limited but attentive reading
• Week 4 New Project phase 1
  • Each day work harder than the previous one.
  • Cap hours of work for each day between 8 - 10
• Week 5 New Project phase 2
  • Maintain a high level of intensity (imagine the 85th - 90th percentile of effort)
  • Work at least 10 hours a day
  • Produce some sort of "deliverable"
• Week 6 Complete R&R
• Week 7 Transition to going back to school.

#HTH

ETA: BTW, in the private sector, with minor tweaks and lots of coffee, the schedule above is known as  "Mondays".? #NOTBITTER

Edited July 29, 2018 by Sigaba