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If you’re in my program, you’ll have heard me griping all day about misplacing my daybook. I’ve always been a day planner kind of gal, but it wasn’t until I lost it that I realised just how much I rely on having everything planned out and written down. As I sit here and mentally cross off the places my day planner ISN’T, I’m also realising that the biggest reason I have for feeling anxious over its disappearance is related to THE question that grads seem to have about their new “life-as-we-know-it”: TIME MANAGEMENT.

Having good time management can be the difference between making you or breaking you, and this couldn’t be more true for myself and, I’m sure, for the majority of grad students everywhere. For me, having good time management means going to bed every night without that awful “there’s-a-test-tomorrow-and-I-didn’t-study” feeling, and waking up every morning feeling ready for my day.

But what If you DON’T have good time management skills? That’s ok. This is one of those skills that’s easy to get the hang of, but to help you get started I’ve compiled a list of tips & tricks that hopefully sheds a little light on the subject.

My Top 10 for Time Management:

• Write “To Do” lists.

Be specific and do it daily. Leave it somewhere you’ll see it when you wake up.

• Become a morning person.

Yes, it IS possible: set your alarm, then set it again. If you’re not an early riser, you need to get in the habit of waking up earlier and being happy to do so. Impossible you say? Nope. Just give yourself something to look forward to: a good breakfast, that fancy coffee, a little morning stretch, 10 minutes of reading time, you name it!

• Give yourself studying time.

Sit down with your class schedule, then pencil in library time; treat it like a class you’ve paid 1000 dollars for and you’ll actually do the work for those classes that you DID pay way too much for.

• Schedule EVERYTHING.

Not sure when you’re going to hit the gym, get to work, eat lunch, see your family, or simply shower with everything you have to do? Sit down somewhere quiet, make a list of what you need and WANT to do (that’s key! You need to leave room for the good stuff or you’re sunk before you start), then break up your days and pencil in EVERYTHING with their designated timeslots. Once you’ve done that, go over it in pen…that ink is lasting, just like your commitment to getting that stuff done will be.

• If you’ve penned it in, don’t cancel it out.

If you’ve penned it in, it’s permanent. When you shrug off one thing, it becomes much easier to convince yourself to let the other things slide too; this is a dangerous, especially when you’re just beginning that “good time management” journey. So, how do you make time for the little things to avoid falling right back off that “good management” wagon?

• Be flexible.

You’re going to have to learn to think critically about what’s really serving you right now, and be willing to bend a little. Run 4 days instead of 5, go out 2 Fridays a month instead of all 4, and so on.

• Cut the Netflix.

Take a breath, you’ll be ok. Just think of it like this: once you’ve gotten everything else done, you’re going to have so many awesome shows to catch up on over the holidays. BONUS. For now though, sign yourself out of Netflix and hey, if you have the site blocking app on your computer, put it on there. Binge watching shows is the easiest and quickest way to lose time better spent studying, working, or seeing family.

• Listen to your body.

If you go too hard, for too long the chances of you needing to take a sick day or two skyrockets. This isn’t only bad for your health and mental wellness, it cuts into the time that you’ve so carefully managed. So, if you’re feeling run down, seek out some cold 911 tea and see a doctor. Take care of you first so you can take care of everything else.

• Have a “Cheat” Day

If it’s all work and no play you’re going to go insane. It’s like being on a strict diet with no cheats; things are going to go really well until they don’t and suddenly you’re laying in bed with an empty pizza box and a tub of ice cream. Your time is the same way. If you don’t schedule time for the things you love to do, you’re going to fall off the clock and end up spending the entire weekend watching Netflix, window shopping, and playing computer games.

• Let it go.   

Don’t get so stressed out by the To Do list, daily planner, and weekly schedule that you feel guilty when you DON’T get everything done. You’re going to try your best to check off every item on your list, but you’re human. Sometimes, you’re not going to make that lunch the night before and you’re going to have to grab it from Timmies; that’s OK. Part of becoming better at time management means giving yourself a break from time to time and knowing that working a little bit harder tomorrow is all part of getting through. Just don’t start letting yourself off the hook more days than you’re on it 😉

By no means is this a comprehensive list, it’s just some of the things I wish someone had told me in undergrad. Ok, it’s the things I was told in undergrad that I didn’t listen to and really wish I had. Now that I’m a grad student, I’m realizing that my time is important, and that managing it is a skill that will not only help me be successful, but will help me be happier and healthier while getting there.

I hope that these are somewhat helpful to you, but if you’re still feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of time management, you can check out the Academic Success Center’s site for in-depth info on the topic. You can also head head to Gradlife  and sign up for our special offering: “Optimize Your Graduate Experience and Beyond”, on October 28^th. We’ve got some great speakers and workshops set up to help you, so if none of my tricks have done it for you, please stop by. We’d love to hear how your grad program is going! Pencil us in.