Last week marked the beginning of the summer semester so my workload has significantly increased, but I knew what I was getting into. While I was frantically registering for the summer course and hoping that the green circle wouldn’t change into a yellow triangle, I mentally prepared myself for the fact that the month of July would become pretty busy. Learning the course material well while completing the necessary work for my research has not posed any challenges yet but I’m sure problems will come my way as the semester progresses.
What has been helping me in time management is my “bullet journal.” (Note: My planner is neither aesthetically pleasing nor is it a collection of beautiful handwriting hence why “bullet journal” is in quotes.) It forces me to stay at my desk several minutes longer after my workday to better plan for tomorrow by allocating the necessary amount of time to complete tasks. Another added benefit to blocking sections out of my day is that it provides my life during the summer months some structure and a routine to follow. I am a creature of habit so it is reassuring to have things to do even when I don’t have a full busy schedule like during the academic year.
Getting into a good rhythm of dedicating time for research and school work is even more important since my lab team and I just started writing a manuscript. I need to be able to have enough time to put quality effort into both the research and studying for my class. The best-case scenario is if I excel in successfully accomplishing my tasks and I don’t procrastinate on anything. The worst-case scenario is if I collapse under the ever-growing mound of unfinished work piling onto my conscience. Let’s hope things don’t progress that far…
From my home to yours,
Sabrina Iqbal
One of my good friends does bullet journaling, and it always kinda intimidates me. It is good to hear how you engage in it and find it helpful. Oh–and you’re not going to collapse under the ever-growing mound of unfinished work. 🙂