Managing Your Time in Grad School

Succeeding in graduate school requires you to manage your time wisely. You have papers to write, research to do, and reading to complete. If you have an outside job or an assistantship, you have additional responsibilities there. And if you have a home, family, or at least a social life, that adds another layer of activities. By managing your time, you will be able to set priorities and accomplish everything you need to accomplish. Follow these tips to help you manage your time.

Set your goals and priorities

As a graduate student, you are going to have to learn that you can’t do everything. Think about all the activities you do. What is the most important to you? What can you let go of for at least a little while? Write down your short- and long-term goals and post them somewhere where you can see them regularly. This will help you maintain your focus and say no when you need to.

Create a schedule

You will be better able to stay organized and manage your time if you create a schedule and stick to it as much as possible. By following a routine, you will ensure that you have time for everything you need to get done.

To help you create your schedule, make to-do lists and write everything down in a calendar or planner. You can even color-code your entries to help you track when assignments are due, when you have tests, etc. Make sure your schedule includes a regular time every day to study.

Make time for yourself

When a schedule is overloaded, the first activity many people sacrifice is self-care. However, if you don’t take proper care of yourself, you will get burned out and may even make yourself ill. Make sure you take time to sleep and eat regularly, to eat healthy foods, and to get exercise.

Break down

Break big assignments and projects down into smaller tasks so you don’t get overwhelmed or procrastinate. As you complete the smaller tasks, you will feel a sense of accomplishment and be more motivated to finish.

Good time management skills will not only help you succeed in graduate school, they will help you stay sane while you’re at it!