Time management is essential

Time management is a must when you are a doctoral student. If you are a student who also has a full-time job, you have no choice but to be a good manager of your time, especially if you want to have any semblance of a social life, which for me is an act of self-care.

At the beginning of each new course, I spend a couple of hours just looking through the assignments, reading materials, projects, discussion requirements, and anything that seems out of the ordinary or that we have not yet been exposed to.

Then I make a planner. My preferred tool for this is Microsoft Excel, because I have been an analyst in my professional life for many years, and I find it comforting to plot out my schedule in a spreadsheet. I even have a lapel pin that says, “Ooh, this calls for a spreadsheet!” :)

Each week I download all the content, make a plan for what I’ll be reading and writing, and when. It helps to get into a rhythm that can be followed each week, if possible. There will be weeks when you have a big project that’s due where you may have to spend a couple of extra hours to ensure you’ve met the requirements in the grading rubric, so it helps to know this ahead of time and plan your time accordingly.

I tend to get fairly granular in my planning, but many times this is because I have only 30-60 minutes, and I can accomplish a portion of a task or assignment, which makes me feel good to mark as ‘complete’ when it’s done.

Find ways to manage your time and workload that work best for you as you’re planning your time for doctoral studies. Write it in a journal, a to-do list, a spreadsheet, a document, or whatever helps you stay on track and make progress.