Time Management Tips for PhD's

Time Management Tips for PhD's.

Don't get overwhelmed by the end goal but work your way back. Break up the big picture into smaller more manageable steps. This is some of the exceptional advice Rose Hastreiter, a senior consultant at Direct Corporate Solutions, has to offer PhD's (as well as anyone attempting to achieve an academic goal).

This article is from University Affairs.

Time management tips for PhD's

Staying Productive in the Summer Months

Although we still have three weeks remaining in the W13 semester, many of us are thinking ahead to what the summer months will hold for our academic pursuits. Whether this is the first summer semester of your graduate studies, or your final semester to (at last!) complete your degree, staying focused and motivated can be difficult with the distraction of summer outside your window. However that is not to say that it cannot be done! Partaking in both work and play is possible and can likely aid in avoiding burnout and the loss of creativity. We’ve got some suggestions to help you make the most of your summer months, while also making the most of your schoolwork along the way.

• Set goals. Before you begin your work, it is important to recognize your goals for the summer semester. Try to make a list of the big projects you want to accomplish during this time period and then break them up into smaller, manageable tasks. You can also let others know of what you hope to accomplish as a source of healthy pressure to push you toward your end goals.
• Be efficient and effective. If you currently (or previously) struggle with reading and/or taking notes, try to be aware of that now as you plan for the types of courses you’ll take. Also, try to see much time you might need to spend on particular courses/course assignments in your summer classes.  Noting what you are good at or stronger at will also be useful in making these decisions.
• Every day matters. Keep a regular work schedule and aim to put in the same hours each week. Try spending 10 to 15 minutes of solid writing each day – this writing habit is crucial for keeping you feeling fresh and on top of your work. Before going to bed each night, it also helps to write out what you plan to accomplish the next day; it is always easier to plan what you will work on before you sit down to do it.
• Organize your work periods in small blocks of time. These blocks could be as little as 15 minutes. This can help alleviate feeling overwhelmed and at least get the ball rolling on writing your project. In breaking your project into smaller sections, you are more likely to start (and eventually finish) what you set out to do.
• Create visual cues. These can take many forms. Whether in the form of notes or mind maps you post for yourself around your home, a large and visible wall calendar, graphs and charts to track your progress, or even changing up the writing format on your computer (i.e. using bulleted points rather than paragraphs) – all these forms of visual stimulation can act as a balm to sooth the overloaded mind.
• Reward yourself. It is important to reward yourself along the road toward your final project. These “prizes” should be daily, immediate and positive things that you associate with the writing process. After accomplishing a small block of writing, reward yourself with something that makes you happy, such as taking a walk, eating a snack, or calling a friend. These small prizes along the way can ease your stress and give you something to look forward to.
• Switch up your work environment. A change of scenery can help you see the project in a new light. Try going to a library or café; places where others are engaged in similar forms of writing may act as motivation for you to do the same. You can also try getting some work done outdoors – it is summertime, after all! If are unable to complete your work outside, try to take breaks that allow you to enjoy some sunshine; this can make a difference to improve your mood and keep you motivated.
• Bring summer inside. If you can’t get outside as much as you’d like to enjoy the sunshine, bring the outdoors to you! Try picking some flowers and keeping them at your workstation, change your computer background to an image of the beach, or open your windows to enjoy the warm summer breeze.
• Forgive yourself. If you miss a day or two of work or don’t meet the deadlines you set for yourself, try not to get too down on yourself! Don’t decide to do extra work – this negative message can lead to more procrastination. Instead, just start where you left off and aim to regain your motivation.
• Make time for fun. Schedule time for fun and fully enjoy it! Feeling guilty about taking time for yourself will not help to write a better final project. Create a schedule for work and play – it is important to have a balance between your work life and your social life. Take time to enjoy the summer months, as this can help you to feel rejuvenated and refreshed when coming back to your work.

Remember, there are always services available at the University of Guelph for students struggling to maintain focus and motivation throughout the somewhat distracting summer months. Check out some of the services offered for graduate students here:

http://www.lib.uoguelph.ca/assistance/learning_services/graduates/

This post was adapted from ‘Don’t Waste Your Summer!’ by Gina J. Hiatt (http://www.abdsurvivalguide.com/News/051905.htm), South University’s ‘Attending School in the Summer: How to Stay Motivated’ (http://online.southuniversity.edu/blog/post/Attending-School-in-the-Summer-How-to-Stay-Motivated.aspx), youthink’s ‘Tips to Stay Motivated in Summer School’ by Juliet Su (http://www.youthink.ca/yt/careers/advice/tips-stay-motivated-summer-school), The Academic Ladder’s ‘Three Psychological Tricks for Staying Motivated’ (http://www.academicladder.com/2008/Three-psychological-tricks-for-staying-motivated-sept-10-2008.htm), and Coach & Grow R.I.C.H.’s ‘How to Stay Motivated During the Summer Months’ by Deanna Maio (http://www.coachandgrowrich.com/coaching-blog/stay-motivated-during-the-summer-months/).

Striking a Balance between Life and Work in Grad School

There is no question graduate school can be extremely time and energy consuming. It is a time of balancing increased responsibilities, such as assignments, reading (lots of reading), writing, research, deadlines, grading, working, networking…and the list goes on! The struggles and stress tend to mount when determining which tasks take precedence and which must wait, and as many grad students know, it is often the social activities that take a backseat to academic obligations. While this is understandable, it is not necessarily recommended. Yes, academics are why you are in grad school, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun along the way! Striking a balance between life and work will not only keep you sane, it can also make the entire experience much more enjoyable. Here are some suggestions of things you might want to try to help increase your sense of balance in your life during grad studies.

• Be realistic. While there may be high expectations and heavy workloads, you need to decide how much of your life you are willing to devote to this endeavour. Try not to overextend yourself; you wouldn’t want to burn out before your degree is complete! Try not to compare yourself to other students – this is your degree after all, so set your own pace and stick to it.
• Manage your time effectively. Break your day into manageable segments and be realistic about the timing of tasks. Distractions and interruptions may arise, but try your best to avoid them. It is also important to know when it’s time to stop so rather than overworking yourself, take time to break, recharge, and come back to your task with a fresh set of eyes.
• Organize. It is crucial to maintain organization, both in terms of short-term and long-term tasks, commitments, and goals, as well as in terms of the physical space in which you work and live. Stay on top of what you need to accomplish (i.e. with the help of to-do lists and calendars) by making time for what is important and cutting out what is not.
• Set priorities. It is beneficial to get involved in extracurricular activities during your time as a grad student, however it is equally beneficial to be selective in terms of which activities you partake in (i.e. clubs, committees, part-time work, volunteering, etc.). Will it fit with your goals and priorities? Will you benefit from your participation? Take time to decide and never agree to anything out of guilt.
• Set boundaries. It can be very helpful to maintain a clear line between school and your personal life. Try implementing small changes, such as not answering e-mails after a certain time every evening, not completing school work in bed, or not multitasking when eating. Although these may be small changes to make, they can make a world of difference in maintaining boundaries between ‘school’ time and ‘you’ time.
• Sleep. This may seem like a common sense idea, but it is essential for success in grad school. Yes, there may be times when sleep doesn’t seem like an option, but remember you can get more work done in forty well-rested hours than in sixty bleary-eyed ones. Adequate sleep will not only help you to feel more refreshed, it will help you fight off potential sicknesses more easily too.
• Develop social networks. Because grad school can often feel like an isolating endeavour, it is important to ensure you maintain some level of socialization. Whether this is with family, friends outside of academia, or your fellow students, it helps to know that their support exists and will be there if you need it.
• Make time for yourself. ‘Free time’ won’t magically appear – you have to make it for yourself! This can be anything from reading for pleasure to exercising to having dinner with friends; make sure you take time to break from your studies to do something that makes you happy.

Information on work-life balance resources for graduate students at the University of Guelph can be found at the following link:

http://www.lib.uoguelph.ca/assistance/learning_services/graduates/individual_consultation.cfm

This post was adapted from College Cures’ ‘How to Maintain a Work, Life, Grad School Balance’ by Erica Moss (http://www.collegecures.com/2012/how-to-maintain-a-work-life-grad-school-balance/), Balance in Me’s ‘Achieving Life/Work Balance While Attending Graduate School’ by Kate McKenzie (http://balanceinme.com/worklife-balance/achieving-lifework-balance-while-attending-graduate-school/), Grad Share’s ‘Wellness: Coping with Studies, Work, and Family Life’ by Bonnie Ann Cain (http://www.gradshare.com/advice.html?id=634), University of Minnesota’s ‘Graduate Student Work-Life Balance’ (http://www.cs.umd.edu/~oleary/gradstudy/node5.html), and CRA-W’s ‘Balancing Graduate School and Personal Life’ by Andrea Danyluk and Tiffani L. Williams (http://www.cra-w.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=94jZ65lgTDU%3D&tabid=74).

Controlling Perfectionism and Procrastination

While at first glance perfectionism and procrastination may not appear to be linked, there are significant correlations between these two behaviours. Gordon Flett, a York University psychologist, found that students are more likely to procrastinate when they feel external pressures to achieve perfection (Macleans.ca). This strive for perfection can in turn result in procrastination, as students may fear finishing a paper that does not meet their unattainably high goals. As such, the two coexist in a cyclical manner and make overcoming one difficult without overcoming the other. However, all is not lost! It is possible to manage the cycle of perfectionism and procrastination, and we’ve got some useful tips to help you in controlling these habits.

What is perfectionism? Perfectionism refers to the act of self-defeating thoughts and behaviours aimed at achieving excessively high and unrealistic goals. Although often seen as valuable and necessary for success, perfectionism often stands in the way of achievement. Some causes of perfectionism are a fear of failure or making mistakes, a fear of disapproval, or an all or nothing attitude. Some possible outcomes of perfectionism are frustration, anger, impatience, test anxiety, or poor grades.

Strategies to control perfectionism:

• Set realistic goals. Be sure to set reasonable and attainable goals based on the timeframe you are working within. Remember to be flexible – life often gets in the way!
• Embrace your mistakes. Making mistakes is part of learning! Try and see these mistakes as opportunities to learn and improve because failure is an integral part of success.
• Focus on the process. Value the process and not just the outcome. Rather than focusing solely on the finished product, try and recognize what you enjoyed about the task.
• Aim for less than 100%. This will help you realize that the world will not end if you do not achieve perfection. Instead try aiming for excellence – this will allow you to work strenuously, not obsessively, to achieve your goals and still succeed.
• Avoid negative thoughts. Don’t beat yourself up if you do not achieve 100%. Reward yourself for your accomplishments and recognize the hard work and effort you’ve put in thus far has helped you get to where you are today!
• Get help when needed. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness or something to be ashamed of. Rather, it is the smart thing to do!

What is procrastination? Procrastination is the act of putting off/delaying work that needs to be done. It is the act of thinking that there is going to be a better time to do a certain task or that you should wait until you are in a better mood/mindset to do something that needs to be done. Some causes of procrastination are a fear of failure or success, a fear or separation (from family or friends) or losing control (“I’ll decide when to hand this paper in!”), or as a result of bad habits or distractions. Some possible outcomes of procrastination are stress, disappointment, low motivation, test anxiety, or poor grades.

Strategies to control procrastination:

• Divide the task. Break your large task into smaller, manageable tasks. Plan ahead to work in segmented time slots to avoid doing too much of the same activity in one sitting. This can make your studying/assignment seem more manageable.
• Set realistic goals. Be sure to set reasonable and attainable goals based on the timeframe you are working within. Remember to be flexible – life often gets in the way!
• There is no time like the present. Avoid putting things off. By dividing the task into smaller sections, the task can appear less daunting and more feasible for you to begin right away. Focus on one thing at a time and use the “D.I.N. rule” of do it now – making even minimal progress on a task increases the likelihood you can and will finish it.
• Take time to relax and reward yourself. Try to intersperse rewards, relaxation, and gratification within your work schedule for work completed. This will make you less resentful toward the task and the work that still needs to be done.
• Monitor your progress on the small steps. Create a task list of things you need to complete each day and prioritize them from most to least important. Keep track of the segments of your tasks and how they fit together, reassessing time commitments as necessary. Assess problems as they arise and deal with them quickly and efficiently.
• Get help when needed. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness or something to be ashamed of. Rather, it is the smart thing to do!

Information on perfectionism and procrastination resources for graduate students at the University of Guelph can be found through Learning Services at the following link: http://www.lib.uoguelph.ca/assistance/learning_services/handouts/controlling_procrastination.cfm

This post was adapted from Simon Fraser University’s ‘Perfectionism’: (http://learningcommons.sfu.ca/sites/default/files/218/Perfectionism.pdf), Simon Fraser University’s ‘Procrastination’: (http://learningcommons.sfu.ca/sites/default/files/218/Procrastination.pdf), University of Dundee’s ‘Perfectionism’: (http://www.dundee.ac.uk/studentservices/counselling/leaflets/perfect.htm), University of Guelph’s ‘Controlling Procrastination’: (http://www.lib.uoguelph.ca/assistance/learning_services/handouts/controlling_procrastination.cfm), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s ‘Overcoming Procrastination’: (http://www.counselingcenter.illinois.edu/?page_id=111), University of Reading’s ‘Perfectionism (and procrastination)’: (http://www.reading.ac.uk/web/FILES/counselling/Perfectionism_and_procrastination_2011.pdf), On Campus’ ‘Perfectionists tend to procrastinate: York U. psychologist’ by Macleans.ca: (http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/2012/09/06/perfectionists-tend-to-procrastinate-york-u-psychologist/), and Massey University’s ‘Procrastination and perfectionism’: (http://owll.massey.ac.nz/study-skills/procrastination-and-perfectionism.php).

Time Management

After a hopefully relaxing holiday break, the work load is likely ramping up again for another semester. While your research may be continuous, other necessities including teaching, courses, and semester deadlines are likely back on your radar as the winter semester begins. Balancing all the demands of grad school with personal life (family, exercise, volunteering, hobbies, social, etc.) can be a daunting task. Start off this semester on track by brushing up on your time management skills.  

1. The breakdown: It is near impossible to manage your time if you don’t know what projects or activities require attention.  Make a list of everything you need to do.  Break each project into smaller tasks which will seem more manageable, you will have an easier time getting started and accomplishing the task in an efficient and logical manner.
2. Prioritize: Using your list, decide which projects and tasks need to be completed first.  From this prioritization of your list, you can create a long-term schedule.  This will reveal not only when projects need to be completed but when smaller tasks should be accomplished to stay on schedule for projects due in the future.
3. Schedule: Schedule each day in blocks for work on a variety of tasks.  Take into consideration which tasks are priorities and that you are only able to concentrate effectively on one task for a limited amount of time.  One scheduling strategy that works for some students is Fixed-Schedule Productivity wherein school is treated as a job and you commit to staying on task from 8:30am-5:00pm, the remainder of the day is then open for personal activities.  Another strategy commonly used is the Pomodoro Technique where 25 minutes of work are separated by 3 minute breaks, longer 10-15 minute breaks are allowed every 4 cycles.  Everyone has personal preferences for scheduling, but find a tactic that works for you and stick to it!
4. Be reasonable: When allotting time, be realistic how long something will take, if you estimated incorrectly adjust accordingly for next time.  Leave time for personal activities and breaks, however find a time of day and environment where you will be most productive (minimize distractions).  Learn to say no when you just don’t have time to commit to something extra. Don’t get down on yourself if one day wasn’t as productive as you hoped, this will lead stress and less productivity: simply adjust your schedule, stay positive, and refocus for tomorrow.

Finding time management strategies that are effective for you is integral to enjoying your time at grad school!

Information on time management consultations, workshops, and resources for graduate students at the University of Guelph can be found at the following link: http://www.lib.uoguelph.ca/assistance/learning_services/graduates/time_management.cfm

This post was adapted from Michigan State University Graduate School Time Management & Productivity: http://grad.msu.edu/wellness/occupational/timemanagement.aspx , the University of Guelph Learning Services Guide for Time Management: http://www.learningcommons.uoguelph.ca/guides/time_management/, and the Pomodoro Technique: http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/