Thank you to Huyuni Surrat, HEGSA President, for this blog post!
Image source: MohamadFaizal via Adobe Stock
Ever wonder where the semester went? As a graduate student, juggling coursework, research, and personal life can feel like a constant battle against the clock.
This article, originally published in Inside Higher Ed, offers a helpful strategy: asking yourself key questions to get a handle on your time management. Here’s the gist:
The Power of Self-Reflection:
The article argues that simply having a lot of free time doesn’t guarantee productivity. Instead, you need to be strategic about how you utilize those hours. By asking yourself the right questions, you can identify areas for improvement and develop a time management plan that works for you.
Questions to Spark Change:
Here are some key questions from the article to get you started:
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Where does time go?
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Track your activities for a few days to identify time-wasters and areas where you can be more efficient.
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What are your priorities?
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Identify the most important tasks related to your studies and research.
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How do you work best?
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Are you a morning person or a night owl? Do you focus best in short bursts or need longer stretches of uninterrupted work?
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What are your biggest time management challenges?
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Do you struggle with procrastination, distractions, or feeling overwhelmed?
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PhD and Master’s students in the ELMP department should make a habit of subscribing to and regularly reading publications like Inside Higher Ed and The Chronicle of Higher Education. These sources provide invaluable insights into the current landscape of higher education, offering a window into emerging trends, policy changes, and challenges facing institutions. By staying informed of the latest research and debates in educational leadership and policy, students can enrich their own studies and potentially discover inspiration for their dissertations.