How do you keep track of things?

[Lifesaver]

A) Handwritten planner

Electronic calendar (which app?)

C) White/chalk board

D) I write on my hand

E) Neither

Just trying to decide if I want to order new 2014/2015 inserts for my filofax or if I should download a special app. Thoughts please.

[TakeruK]

I use Google Calendar the most. I most often access it through my computer. I like that it also syncs very well with my phone and find this really handy when e.g. I'm at the dentist's office and they ask me to schedule the next appointment! Or, if I'm at a meeting without my computer, I can still add an appointment to my calendar. For me, I pretty much have my phone in my pocket / next to me or I'm sitting in front of a computer about 100% of the time that I could be working (I don't have my phone with me when I'm in the shower or cooking of course, but these are very unlikely times where I have to urgently schedule a meeting ). I don't use planners because this means it is yet another thing I have to always keep with me!

 

I use different calendars with different colours for different categories of things. It was pretty useful to keep track of classes etc but now it's mostly meetings since classes are over! For things like homework though, I don't record them anywhere since my classes generally have regular weekly homework assignment / due dates so I just remember it's every Friday for one class and every Tuesday for another etc. 

[smg]

I use a handwritten planner and scrap paper--beside my computer, as bookmarks, in my back pocket, etc. 

[fuzzylogician]

Google calendar, synced with my phone, and using different calendars to keep track of what I'm spending time on. I also keep multiple to-do lists (using workflowy.com), mostly organized on a monthly and then weekly basis, to keep track of deadlines and notes. I used to have a paper planner but after a couple of  years in grad school it became too small to keep all my entries and also it's easy to forget when you actually need it, making it overall less convenient. I occasionally use an actual whiteboard in my office for long-standing tasks that can stay on there for a while, just because of the satisfaction of physically crossing something off my list when it's finally done, but now I get the same level of satisfaction crossing things off my workflowy list (which allows me to still keep the old list for reference, which is often useful), and I can make my lists much more elaborate , with small daily goals, so there is even more to cross off .

[RunnerGrad]

I use a handwritten planner (love my Moleskin planner) combined with a white-board calendar in my office at home that is one-semester long (four months).  I put everything in my Moleskin, but only major dates/events on the white-board calendar (ie. major papers, exams, holidays, etc.)

[jhefflol]

I have a little pocket journal that I use to vent/write down ideas for papers/make to do lists with deadline dates. This has worked so far but I'm going to try the whole planner with space for notes deal yet again, as I try every semester.

[Monochrome Spring]

I put anything with a definite time and date (classes, meetings, etc.) in iCal, which syncs with my phone. And I use the Reminders app for specific tasks (homework, chores, etc.). Grad school related things get a specific color and personal things get another color. The reminders to do specific assignments come up on my phone so I can't forget to check my to-do list.

[GeoDUDE!]

Memory.

[bsharpe269]

Memory.

Same. I use my iCal for important dates that are far enough out that I might forget like grant deadlines. For exams, hw assignments, meetings, etc I just remember when they are due.

[Rose Tyler]

A combination of Excel spreadsheets and the calendar that came with my phone. I might have to look into Google calendar, though, because it aggravates me that I can't make separate calendars on my phone. I just really like Excel.

[themmases]

I use Google Calendar for appointments, and what I do with tasks depends on my mood-- I can't keep a master task list. I usually find that after a few weeks unexpected stuff has happened to some tasks e.g. they were cancelled or handled by someone else or I forgot to mark them complete, so every once in a while I just make a new task list somewhere else.

[maelia8]

Since I don't have a smartphone and therefore frequent enough access to any calendar app, I use a paper planner that I love, an August-to-August one that's ideal for those on an educational system calendar.

[LittleDarlings]

I just bought a written planner, I also have a month long white board hanging beside my door so before I leave everyday I can see what the day entails.  I also update on my phone and get text and email alerts. 

[dat_nerd]

Deadlines, meetings, and events go on Google Calendar

 

To-do lists go on todoist.com

 

Everything else goes in a notebook that I take everywhere with me… contains research progress, notes to self, meeting minutes, and random doodles.

[spectastic]

excel

[Dianali]

I use Wunderlist.

[victorydance]

Whiteboard for each important date for each class.

 

To do list on a scrap piece of paper for anything else.

[avflinsch]

I use a combination -

Google Calendar - syncs to my phone and desktop calendar app (iCal)

Whiteboard in my office - good for the 'stuff I need to do today' list

Handwritten notes - I find that the simple act of just writing it down, cements the schedule in my brain. I don't even need to carry the note around once I have written it.

[Roll Right]

I have a scribe who follows me around and takes dictation.

[bakalamba]

Google Calender - like everyone noted, it syncs to everything. It also lets you put addresses on stuff, which is handy if your campus is big. You can also repeat events, which is useful for planning ahead when you have scheduled classes.

 

I also use Any.do - it has good features to annoy me into staying organizing, and following up with tasks. Currently it asks me every morning to organize my day, if I have any tasks to do. It's a great digital appendage to a memory that I barely have. They also make a beautiful front-end to Google Calendar called "Cal".

 

For tasks outside of a time schedule, I use Evernote.

[rising_star]

I schedule all the most important things in Google calendar. I also use the ReminderFox add-on which lets you set up a calendar with reminders for deadlines, links to information, and more. I find it useful to use that for things like grant and conference deadlines, though I'm sure I could use Google calendar for that too. I used to use Workflowy to keep track of to-do lists but got out of the habit. I may give it another shot though.

[seeingeyeduck]

Paper date planner. I find that google calender gets too crowded looking after 3-4 entries and I need to keep track of a lot of events, deadlines and assignments. I use google for more personal dates and events.

[TakeruK]

Paper date planner. I find that google calender gets too crowded looking after 3-4 entries and I need to keep track of a lot of events, deadlines and assignments. I use google for more personal dates and events.

 

I use my Google Calendar on "weekly" view so it's rare that I have two entries scheduled for the same time (in which case I might switch to "daily" view for that day). Also, having separate calendars for research, teaching, classes, seminars, personal appointments, etc. means I can just click on these buttons to turn them on/off when I want to focus on certain responsibilities!

[seeingeyeduck]

I use my Google Calendar on "weekly" view so it's rare that I have two entries scheduled for the same time (in which case I might switch to "daily" view for that day). Also, having separate calendars for research, teaching, classes, seminars, personal appointments, etc. means I can just click on these buttons to turn them on/off when I want to focus on certain responsibilities!

For some reason I can't stand google calendar on weekly view despite it being the same as a paper organizer. I always like to see the monthly view. Dunno why!

[The Wayfarer]

I use Google Calendar in monthly view where I have all of my meetings scheduled and all of my big assignments as tasks -- for weekly readings and such I make a list at the beginning of each week on a legal pad. There's definitely a cathartic release is crossing something off on a piece of paper as opposed to checking off a box on Google.