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The funny thing about this post is that it’s about time management, and I am currently struggling to find time to write it. Things are piling up and falling through the cracks, and it’s not like I’m not trying to get work done – I am. We’ve all experienced it before. Everything is going well, you’re feeling great, when all of a sudden there is too much to do and too little time to do it. Since we’re already halfway through March, we’re smack dab in the middle of the busiest time of year. There are papers to write, groceries to buy, presentations to give, graduations to request, and assignments to grade. The students you’re TA-ing are as anxious about their papers as you are about yours. Things just suck right now, no question about it.

There are a million ways to deal with the kind of stress we are deal with right now. We can make ourselves take break, do some yoga, or just spend a day with your phones and tablets off. Despite knowing all that, I often hear myself saying how little time I have. My excuse to not go to the gym or take a break is that I don’t have enough time to do it. It all boils down to how you manage that time. Afterall, you can’t afford to take a break if you don’t think you have enough time to do so.

We’re all in grad school, which means that we all have at least some skill in time management. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have made it so far. So today we’re going to take it back to the basics. What do you do to help you manage your time? Below are the three things that I do (or wish I did) all the time.

1. Make Lists.

The first step to making a list is to make the list. Brainstorm all the possible things you need to do (I usually do it the night before). That’s the easy part. The hard part is prioritizing the items on that list. Go through that list and put a start or circle things that are important or is something you must do that day. Don’t try to be a superhero and make everything a priority.

2. Use a calendar.

You might be going, “Duh. Of course I should use a calendar.” Using one to schedule appointments and classes is self-explanatory, but I’m always surprised as how under-utilized calendars are. Gone are the days where we have to physically write down whatever we need to do by hand (though if you still do that, my hat goes off to you). Nowadays, it’s ridiculously easy to not only record events on them, and most let you colour-code and send you automated reminds ahead of important dates. I like to colour my assignment deadlines an angry red, just so that I don’t accidentally miss them. You tend to not forgot things that look angry. The tools are there – be smart on how you use them.

3. Learn different ways to manage your time and work.

As your work habits and schedules change, the things you to do help you handle it all might have to change too. There are plenty of good resources out there, and plenty of people have shared their systems online. You’re reading my tips, and I would love to hear about yours. If you find yourself stuck in a rut, just look around, and you can probably find something that works for you. But if that isn’t your thing, and you would like some one-on-one help with time management, the Academic Success Centre offers time management workshops for students.

So that’s it from me. What are some of your favourite time management tips? Share them in the comments below!