Time Management Tips!

[A blighted one]

I've been trying to get an idea of what my responsibilities will be in grad school a bit early so that I feel prepared when I begin in August. This (and @Wyatt's Terps) has got me thinking about time management and how, historically, I've been really bad at it! To my surprise, I could find much of anything about it on the forums, with this exception: 

I don't really have trouble staying organized but I find that I often procrastinate (a lot of the time without realizing it or because I'm not sure where to start/what to work on first, but mostly just because the extra stress that comes with knowing my assignment is due very soon motivates me to get it done in a way that starting my work earlier doesn't). Anyone willing to share ideas/tips/techniques that have helped them stay on top of their work? Thanks!

 

[la_mod]

I use a bullet journal! It's the only way I can map out exactly how much reading I have each week. I'm only in undergrad currently, but have two jobs and am the pres of two student orgs, and bullet journaling has changed my life.

[A blighted one]

13 minutes ago, la_mod said:

I use a bullet journal! It's the only way I can map out exactly how much reading I have each week. I'm only in undergrad currently, but have two jobs and am the pres of two student orgs, and bullet journaling has changed my life.

Interesting! I'd never heard of this before but I will definitely give it a try! Thanks!

[fuzzylogician]

1 hour ago, A blighted one said:

the extra stress that comes with knowing my assignment is due very soon motivates me to get it done in a way that starting my work earlier doesn't). Anyone willing to share ideas/tips/techniques that have helped them stay on top of their work? Thanks!

 

Fake deadlines. Things have a tendency to come in waves. All your class papers will be due in the same week, grants are due around the same time, conferences (at least in my field) have fall and spring cycles. Spread out the work and create your own timeline independent of the "real" deadline, so you don't run yourself into the ground when the work piles up. 

To-do lists. I wouldn't know where to be if not for my calendar and my to-do lists. (I also find it very satisfying to cross things off my lists.) My lists are electronic and sync across my devices. I also keep meeting notes on there, and it's all searchable. This helps me plan ahead and strategize. At this point in my life, I have things in my lists as far ahead as June, but I keep a weekly list for the current month. 

Have a routine. Some people do 9 to 5. I'm really not that kind of person. But I still try to have a semblance of a routine, because otherwise you can get distracted too easily. There is always more work to do, and I want to at least pretend to also have a life. 

Write on a regular basis. This may be premature, but writing should be a habit. 

Have a space for work that's separate from where you have your personal life. But also allow yourself to change locations if you need to. 

Actively block off time in your calendar for things that you need to do. If necessary, that can include things like sleep, time with friends, time for writing, whatever. If time is blocked off in your calendar for a particular purpose it's harder to give it away or to do something else with it. 

Keep track of what you've been doing. It can be very useful to be actively mindful of what you do and when you do it, at least until you're more familiar with your own body and habits. I know, for example, that I write the best in the afternoon, and I can do more mindless tasks in the morning. I also have a good idea of how long it takes me to write a new abstract or X new paragraphs or to prep a new lecture, because I've taken the time to measure it before. It helps with planning. Also helps appreciate how much you actually do.

Structured procrastination. Often I'll push off doing one godawful thing I really don't want to do by doing other meh things I only kind of don't want to do. 

Allow yourself time to goof off without feeling bad about it. We all need it. 

[fuzzylogician]

Also, read this post, especially the excellent reply by juilletmercredi.

 

[Yanaka]

Need this topic too, even for my last undergrad semester!

[loganondorf]

9 hours ago, la_mod said:

I use a bullet journal! It's the only way I can map out exactly how much reading I have each week. I'm only in undergrad currently, but have two jobs and am the pres of two student orgs, and bullet journaling has changed my life.

Ah, I bullet journal too! It's made a world of difference for me. 

[Dr. Old Bill]

As an undergraduate, I made a "master syllabus" for each semester -- I would take all five or so syllabi and create a single spreadsheet with all of the dates of the semester, listing required readings, assignments, exam dates etc. It was invaluable. I haven't done this at the graduate level, as I've never had to take more than three courses in a semester (which is a little more manageable in terms of juggling syllabi), but it is a viable option for people who like to have everything essential in one place. The spreadsheet takes awhile to create (maybe a couple of hours), but it saves a ton of time and anxiety over the subsequent fifteen weeks...

I'd be happy to send anyone a sample copy if this sounds like an approach that could work for you.

[shoestofollow]

I second @Wyatt's Terps. I started doing this junior year of undergrad and it really helped. You can play around with the format of it, a spreadsheet, word doc, calendar, and other things can work. I have even used the "sticky-notes" app on my computer

I think the master syllabus also helps you set fake deadlines as @fuzzylogician suggested. I know that for myself setting an arbitrary fake deadline wouldn't help because I would know it wasn't really the deadline. But if you know how long things take you to do and what other things are coming up, it can create the sense of urgency that yes, you really have to do this now or else you won't have time to do everything else that's due soon.

Hope that helps!

[A blighted one]

Thanks to everyone who replied! I've never really been successful with the fake deadline thing, but I may be more so contextualizing it in relation to my other assignments and how long it takes me to complete certain tasks...

[Yanaka]

Fake deadlines work well when you have poor memory and get confused between fake and correct dates  

[thepriorwalter]

The first week of every semester, I make a plan for what work I am going to get done every day for the rest of the semester. I use an agenda, then I put all the requirements for each course in the syllabus (including at the level of what readings are due for which classes on which days). Then, I work backwards from deadlines to give myself a reading or writing assignment for each day. This usually works out something like follows: 

Mondays: Class One

Tuesdays: Lesson planning, office hours, teaching responsibilities 

Wednesday: Class Two 

Thursday: Night Off

Friday: Class Three

Saturday: Class Three 

Sunday: Class Two 

The benefit of this, for me, is that if I have an emergency, or decide to go out of town for a weekend, or get sick, I know exactly what work I missed and how missing that work impacts the rest of the semester. What has to be made up, when it has to be made up by, and what the consequences are for other assignments. For example, if I miss a Monday reading assignment, then I might not be able to make it up later in the week if I have to get started on a paper due the following week by Friday. It also means that I have built a break into my schedule (which can be hard to enforce but is necessary). 

[JessicaLange]

This was already kind of said but having a place to work that is seperate from your personal life is so important. I work my best when I don't go home. I get out of class around 5 most days and if I head straight home, I'm done for the night. Even if I want to start my homework I'll get distracted by Netflix or tidying up or napping. I like going to libraries and starbucks. People are always working there so I feel pressure to be productive. I'll also say to myself like "you have to finish four paragraphs before you can check your phone" or something which kind of works as a reward system.

[Silabus]

The first semester of my MA program we had to take a course called "Research Methods" which could also be known as "Intro to Graduate Studies." In it, we read Semenza's book: "Graduate Study for the 21st Century." I highly suggest you read this over the summer.

[A blighted one]

5 hours ago, Silabus said:

The first semester of my MA program we had to take a course called "Research Methods" which could also be known as "Intro to Graduate Studies." In it, we read Semenza's book: "Graduate Study for the 21st Century." I highly suggest you read this over the summer.

My advisor gave me this book, actually! I'll definitely be reading it soon. Thanks for the reminder!