scheduling study time... being disciplined

[memyselfandcoffee]

I'm feeling a little all over the place, I have great days and i have days that just get frittered away.

So how do you schedule your study time-- do you have a set routine? a set amount of hours, or are you like me, plan to work every hour in the day, which works fine some days, but is a total disaster alot of the time

any tips for time organisation?

also how many hours a week do you put in, and how many hours do spend on downtime?

I find it really hard to be disciplined, I tend to just work when I feel it-- I think I need to change, I'm pretty conscientious and I like what I'm doing, so I do work, but right now I feel out of control and like I need a routine.

i think this could be a useful thread for alot of people, so please share your work habits!

thanks

Edited February 22, 2013 by elise123

[Andean Pat]

hi Elise!!! 

 

I am not in grad school yet but I have some tips. I tend to get easily distracted and the more I force myself on doing things, the more I rebel against my own method. So this is what I have learned about my own studying style:

 

* Do not try to work two hours in a row. We people cannot concentrate more than 45 minutes. If you plan anything, plan your breaks but respect them. It is easier to respect your breaks than your working hours, right? Every 45 minutes you should have a 15-minute break. It has enhanced my time-efficiency. Sometimes you are 'inspired' so you can work, for example, 1.5 hours and then have a 30-min break. 

 

* Set objectives that work for YOU. At the beginning I used to say, "OK, from 8 to 10 I read". It backfired. The fact that I was reading did not mean I was actually studying/working. So I started setting off objectives for specific days. For example, today I must finish reading this paper and making notes. Tomorrow I should write three chapters on X topic, by the end of the week I should have Y topic ready for oral presentation. Clear short-term objectives can be very helpful. Remember to be realistic about these.

 

* Plan backwards. This is an excellent technique I learned at work (I am a teacher). Start on your due date and plan backwards. The week before you want your paper almost ready. The week before you should finish the conclusion. The week before that you want section three finished, and so on until you arrive to today. It will help you A LOT. In this sense, it works to have a visual aid such as a monthly/weekly planner at sight. It helps your organise yourself. 

 

* Know yourself, do not just pretend. I used to force myself to work after lunch. IMPOSSIBLE!!!! That is nap time and nothing good can come out with me thinking of sleeping. So after lunch I knew I had one hour to sleep. Glorious. I really slept thus really rested and thus really worked afterwards. Know when is the best time for you. Some people work better at night because it is quieter. Some people prefer to rise with the sun. 

 

* Be busy, especially exercise. You probably know that part of a healthy balance between work and life is exercise. Having busy hours gives you the opportunity to take advantage of your time more efficiently. Allow yourself to do something every day. At least some walking. Go shopping, cook, watch a movie. But also plan these leisure periods so that you take advantage of them. Sometimes it happened to me that I was so worried about working that I did not actually relaxed in my free time, and when I went back to work, I couldn't put two words together. 

 

* If you work, you work. Your working environment should be comfortable. Check the light, the chair, the cleanness, everything. Maybe things around are distracting you. Turn off you mobile phone, you are working. Don't even think of opening Facebook (come on, we are adults, we can do this!). If necessary, turn off your Internet connection and every time you need to find something on line, just note it down and search for it later. Sometimes I get tired of my desk and I have some spots in some cafés that I enjoy a lot. It gives me the chance to get out and also to change perspective (in a way). 

 

I hope it helps!!!

[iowaguy]

Here are some tips that I employ:

 

I don't have TV or Internet at home which helps me stay focused on whatever other activities I set my mind to.

 

Don't check your email until around noon - force yourself to accomplish your biggest tasks of the day first, before checking email.  (this tip comes from The 4 Hour Workweek).  This is an awesome tip, give it a try!!!

 

Take an exercise break in the middle of the day, this will recharge your batteries and make you more productive in the late afternoon.

 

Go to bed at the same time every night and sleep 8 hours.  Eat healthy and low on the glycemic index (which gives you steady energy throughout the day and prevents carb/sugar highs/crashes).

 

Best of luck!

[wildviolet]

Hi elise--I'm in the exact same boat as you. I think it's okay. I don't know that more structure will help me because I tend to work in spurts. I tried to schedule time to do certain things, like read or write, but when the time came, I sometimes didn't feel like it. Inspiration hits at different times, you know? I've still managed to meet deadlines and such.

 

So, the only weird thing that has worked for me so far... I got super addicted to this guy's YouTube channel, and he has like hundreds of videos and uploads at least one a day. So, to increase my productivity, I banned myself from watching YT, getting on FB, checking my email... and because I couldn't do those things, I had to work instead. Well, that lasted for about one week. But, man, was I productive that week! Now I'm back to my usual on-again, off-again work habits.

 

Also, the dreary weather here sucks. Gray clouds through most of the winter. So, I finally bought a blue light therapy lamp, and it arrived yesterday. I tried it this morning. It's supposed to help keep your energy up. So far, so good. Maybe that's all I needed? Anyway, good luck! I think as long as you fulfill your course and TA/RA/job responsibilities, I don't see why it matters when you get your work done as long as it get done. At the same time, I totally understand what you mean about a routine. Unfortunately, in grad school, it's mostly up to us (and I'm not great at regulating myself)!