Going to grad school can lead to many exciting opportunities. At the same time, grad student life can be quite the juggling act. With work, classes, research, daily chores, family, friends, and your own health and wellbeing all vying for your attention, graduate school can seem very overwhelming - especially if you’ve been out of school for a while.
As a graduate student currently balancing three part-time jobs, an internship, a full-time class schedule, and a research project, I can personally say that, while grad student life can be hectic, it IS manageable! Here are some techniques and resources that I, and many other graduate students, have found incredibly valuable in staying organized in graduate school.
Whether you prefer physical calendars and planners or electronic calendars - such as Google Calendar, iCal, or Outlook Calendar - it is essential to create a personal schedule at the beginning of each semester.
By setting aside time for different projects and tasks, and knowing in advance when you’ll have down time, you can keep track of due dates and lighten your mental workload.
It’s often not enough to know when things are due; you also need to break down your projects and tasks into what needs to be done each day. Creating daily to-do lists can be a useful way of organizing your time and breaking down large projects into smaller chunks. Personally, checking off each task as I’ve completed it is also very rewarding.
There are many resources and methods available online related to task and project management! Here are a few of my favorites:
Whether you prefer a cloud storage service - such as Google Drive, iCloud, OneDrive, or Box - folders on your personal computer, or physical filing methods, keeping track of your documents is key! As a grad student, you’ll have to keep track of your notes, syllabi, readings, articles, and your own writing. It might be tempting to save time and place everything in one spot, but you might find yourself overwhelmed by the clutter (either physical or digital) and unable to find that one reading you need to finish your final paper!
In addition to files and documents, you can also organize your emails in the same way! In many email clients, you can create folders for different classes and topics, and use flags to mark when and how you want to respond. I would also recommend unsubscribing from spam emails and mailing lists that you do not utilize very often - the fewer unread emails you have piling up, the less likely you are to feel overwhelmed and lose track of important information!
Finding a note-taking method that works for you can help you stay on top of what you are reading or discussing in class.
I prefer physically taking notes during class discussions and meetings and using digital note-taking software for research and reading notes. Each person has their own unique preferences; for example, when I take notes, I prefer using unlined paper! Practice different note-taking techniques and explore your preferences to find what works best for you.
There are a number of online resources available to help you take notes and keep track of your research:
Finally, keeping track of your finances - especially when you have student loans to consider - can go a long way towards keeping you on track in your grad school career.
Thankfully, there are a number of resources and tools readily available to relieve some of the pressure associated with personal budgeting. These could include personal and financial “rules,” such as the 50/30/20 rule, that financial experts recommend to help give you some grounding on what could be useful in your own life. In addition, there are many online and digital organizational tools you can use, including:
At Rowan University, we also offer a wide range of financial resources for all students.
Now that you have what you need to stay organized as a graduate student, are you ready to conquer your next steps towards success? Check out our Rowan University graduate programs, register to attend one of our virtual info sessions or apply today!
