Time Manageme

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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– rsuvorov@iastate.edu

• Bernie Anding - Chemistry– bjanding@iastate.edu

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 setting2) Prioritization3) Scheduling4) Managing interruptions5) 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. ImportantMust 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 do2) 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 available2) block out time for A-list activities3) leave time for distractions4) 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

Scheduling

Thisincludes SLEEP!

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