Time Management

Outline

• How busy will you be in grad school?

• Self-assessment • The five categories of time management • Tips to increase your efficiency

About me…

• Ruslan Suvorov – Linguistics – [email protected]

• Bernie Anding - Chemistry – [email protected]

Time Management and You

• Graduate School – it’s a job, not an extension of your undergraduate education – you will work flexible hours • weekends, breaks, etc.

Time Management and You

– 50% TAs: expected 20 hours per week – RA: expected at least 20 hours per week – Conclusion: you are going to be

busy

How good is your time management?

• Questionnaire taken from mindtools.com

– scoring – Can be broken down into 5 categories: 1) Goal setting 2) Prioritization 3) Scheduling 4) Managing interruptions 5) Procrastination

Goal Setting

• This is step one… • Benefits of goals: – achievements – you’ll notice accomplishments – avoid daily “grind”

Goal Setting

• What should your goals be?

• Start big, then set smaller goals designed to achieve the large goal – example: • Overall goal: Earn PhD – publish 4 papers – serve on a collegiate committee – teach a stand-alone course – It doesn’t hurt to start thinking about your CV already

Prioritization

• You will always have something to do • Make sure what you are doing is the most important thing toward achieving your goals

Urgent vs. Important

Must be done soon • e-mails • grading • reading for class Vital to your career • manuscripts • thesis These are what help you achieve your goals

Prioritization

• Make “To Do” Lists:

Prioritization

• Make Prioritized “To Do” Lists: 1) write down all the things you have to do 2) grade them A through F • A is most important • A is not necessarily urgent 3) follow the list doing A’s first, B’s second, etc.

Prioritization

• Make Prioritized “To Do” Lists: YOU WILL PROBABLY NOT COMPLETE YOUR “TO DO” LIST IN ANY ONE DAY …try not to get frustrated

Scheduling

• Now you have goals and priorities… – create a schedule to keep on track • Pickle Jar theory – large pickles, golf balls, marbles, and sand – A-list priorities are the large pickles

Scheduling

• in application: – Make daily schedules: 1) identify the time you have available 2) block out time for A-list activities 3) leave time for distractions 4) fill in space time with urgent activities – use planners or other electronic tools if they help

Scheduling

• and don’t forget to schedule BREAKS!!!

– nobody is a machine – it makes you more efficient in the long run

This includes SLEEP!

Scheduling

Managing Interruptions

• Another look at Important/Urgent activities: • Try to minimize interruptions • Learn to manage interruptions

Managing Interruptions

• Some interruptions are part of the job – Don’t scare interruptors away!!

– they will most likely be labmates and students

Managing Interruptions

• Tips: – Rate the urgency of interruptions – Set “available” and “unavailable” time • if you have regular interrupters, schedule meetings with them – Learn to say “no” • or at least limit the time you give to these interruptions

Procrastination

• The most obvious waste of time • Know yourself • Learn the steps you need to take to beat procrastination – tips: • Do tedious chores (like cleaning glassware) immediately before they pile up • avoid unnecessary perfectionism • scheduling helps you get motivated

Tips

• Limit Internet usage for non-academic purposes: – LeechBlock for Firefox • Disable email notification pop-ups (unless needed) • Avoid sitting at the computer all the time • Change study/work locations: – Your office, lab, library, MU, coffee shops

Tips

• Turn off/silence your cell phone when at work • Work/study with a partner who can prevent you from getting distracted • Do not bring work home: – No computer at home – Necessary for those with families; helps motivate you to stay on task during work hours

Questions

Please fill out the evaluation before you leave