Time Strategies

Many of my classes this semester are self-paced to a certain extent and require a lot of work outside the typical classroom environment. As such, I plan on heeding the advice of previous students of this class by working ahead as much as possible. This strategy will allow me even more flexibility should any unforeseen events occur during any given week.

In the past, I have relied heavily on using checklists to manage my workload. Like Lauren Marchese says in her article "The Psychology of Checklists," breaking down large projects into manageable short term goals is conducive to motivation and productivity. The dopamine rush and subsequent feeling of excitement that accompanies the completion of a major task is amazing!

My biggest problem with checklists, however, is that they're of little use if I never get around to completing them. I start out motivated and complete a handful of tasks but then my motivation fizzles out and I don't revisit the checklist. I've found that the best way to work around this is to schedule the tasks directly into my calendar so I can hold myself accountable for completing things within a previously set time frame. In her article "Realistic Study Plans," Amanda Collins discusses this idea in further detail. Collins states that breaking large tasks into smaller chunks and slotting them into free time in your calendar can allow you to develop goals for every study session. The idea of having goal-oriented study sessions seems like a good way to be more focused with my time.

(Using a planner; source: Max Pixel)