5 Steps to Mastering Time Management in Grad School

This could be digital or physical, or even a combination of the two. Whatever works for you is what you want to use. Some people even do best with just a simple notebook to jot down to-do lists, dates, and times. Ultimately, the best kind of planner is the one you will use consistently, even if the only consistency is that your planner changes frequently!

Make planning your time a priority each day, whether it’s the night before or first thing in the morning. You might even prefer to do this weekly and just update as needed. If you opt for a weekly planning session, prioritize daily check-ins so you are aware of each day’s tasks and can tweak them if necessary. Whatever way you do it, planning is the crucial piece of the puzzle to managing your time well. When you know how much time you have each day and what needs doing, you are more likely to stay focused and on task.

As you plan your days, be sure to include study time — especially if you have a big exam coming up or something similar each week. You can use a simple technique called time blocking for this and allocate a specific day or time of day just for study sessions each week. That way when you look at your planner, you’ve already factored this time into your schedule.

It’s also a good idea to plan ahead when you know you’ve got bigger projects on the horizon. You can break down those larger projects into smaller tasks and schedule those tasks ahead of time to avoid last-minute stress and being crunched for time. It also helps reduce feelings of overwhelm, which could trigger procrastination.

Sure, planning for fun might seem “un-fun” and antithetical to spontaneity and enjoyment, but when you’re trying to manage your time well, scheduling things like “fun time” and “self-care” are necessary until you get a better handle on your new habits. You can still leave space for impromptu beers with your buddies while still prioritizing your to-do list, so you don’t lose precious momentum. Building some flexibility into your schedule is good for creating a habit that lasts — and for your sanity.

Pomodoro means “tomato” in Italian, and the concept was born when a university student started dividing up his tasks into chunks with the assistance of a tomato-shaped timer. So while it may seem silly that a tomato can inspire you to work more efficiently, those who use this technique swear by it. To do it, you divide your work tasks into time increments called “Pomodoros” with shorter breaks in between. Specifically, you use 25-minute work intervals and 5-minute breaks to help you maintain focus and avoid burnout. After you do four Pomodoros, you take one longer break, and then begin again if needed. You can also adjust the time intervals to suit your own personal style of working.

Active recall is a study technique that involves retrieving information from memory without using or relying on cues. Instead of passively reviewing your study material, you actively test yourself on it to strengthen neural connections. This aids you in retaining the information better and helps you recall the material you’re learning faster.

This is another learning technique that helps you with long-term recall and retention of your study material. To do it, you review the information you are trying to memorize in gradually increasing intervals. By spacing out your review sessions, the technique takes advantage of a psychological spacing effect that reduces the time you need to memorize something and enhances your ability to retain it.

Named after the physicist Richard Feynman, this technique simplifies complex concepts by explaining them in your own words — as if you were teaching someone else, ideally a 12-year-old. Start by identifying gaps in your understanding, review the material, and repeat the process until you can clearly explain the concept. This technique promotes clarity and a deeper understanding of your subject matter and makes it easier to remember over the long-term.

Mind mapping is a visual method for organizing information, which can be particularly useful for brainstorming and problem-solving. To do it, begin by writing your main idea in the center of a piece of paper, then branch out into related sub-topics, connecting your ideas with lines. This study technique not only promotes creativity, but it also improves memory and helps you identify relationships between ideas. You can also use online tools like MindMeister and Scrapple for mind mapping digitally.

Our final recommendation is the Leitner System. This is a flashcard-based learning technique that uses spaced repetition to enhance memorization. To do it, organize your flashcards into different boxes based on your familiarity with the material. Review the cards in each box at increasing intervals. As you master the content, move cards to boxes with longer review periods, so you can focus on more challenging material.

• When something just feels off. Listen to your gut. If you feel stressed, overwhelmed, or unproductive, reassess your schedule and habits so you can identify and address the root cause.
• When you aren’t sticking to your schedule anymore. Consider whether your schedule is flexible, realistic, and aligned with your goals. If not, modify it to accommodate changes in your life and regain control of your time.
• When you don’t seem to have enough time to do everything on your list. Assess your time management strategies, eliminate non-essential activities, and prioritize your tasks. Whenever possible, streamline your processes and delegate responsibilities.
• When you have items in your schedule that cause issues for the rest of your day. Identify tasks that may be problematic, and decide whether they can be rescheduled, broken down further, or restructured. Optimize your schedule to minimize disruptions and stay productive.

• Optimize your best times. Track your energy and focus levels to pinpoint your most productive/highest performance times of day. Leverage these peak times by scheduling vital tasks only during these windows. This can help you maximize your efficiency and capitalize on your natural rhythms, so you can accomplish more in less time and do your most important work when you’re at your best.
• Eat that frog. We highly recommend this bestselling book for more perspective on this, but the idea is to rank your tasks based on importance and urgency and confront your most challenging tasks first. By knocking out the most demanding tasks early, you feel accomplished, which fuels your motivation, which then empowers you to tackle the rest of your task list with confidence.
• Give yourself time limits. Allocating specific time frames for tasks and adhering to them enhances your focus and efficiency. By giving yourself self-imposed deadlines, you stay on track, reduce procrastination, and minimize multitasking tendencies. Adjust your time limits as needed to keep your momentum going and ensure you complete everything.
• Learn to say no. No is a practice in setting boundaries, and it is a complete sentence. Be selective about what tasks you choose to take on, and protect your energy and time by prioritizing those crucial responsibilities. Recognize your limits, avoid overloading your schedule, and cultivate your skill in declining non-essential requests. This can help you maintain optimal productivity levels each day.
• Get enough sleep. Though recommending more sleep when talking about productivity can seem counterintuitive, sleep is essential for maintaining focus and managing your time well. Studies have shown that the better you sleep, the more efficient and focused you’ll be when you’re awake. Establish a consistent sleep schedule, create an environment conducive to good sleep, and prioritize your rest. Even an extra hour or two a night can pay dividends.