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The fear that creeps you from inside as the deadline knocks on your door, is next to none. It’s the kind of time when one starts contemplating past decisions and actions. It’s a time when time passes faster than one would want it to. It’s such a point in one’s life when one thinks of choosing better time management lessons. The best Educational websites in the market talk in-depth about time management by professionals.
“Time & Tide, wait for none.”
And this is why it’s of so much importance to everyone. Time management is an art that only a very few people have mastered. The mere fact that students have multiple deadlines and submissions makes time, more dear to them. A research student is cramped with assignments, projects, publications, reviews, and the occasional mentoring of students. Apart from all these, there could be certain domain-based works related to their course of research. All this work is required to be checked over thoroughly, either by themselves or with the help of professional proofreaders. Research students must look at the tiniest of details to have an edge over others around them. It could be done either by mentioning a professor’s comments on the side or by including industry inputs. Specialized dissertation help available in the market offers these and much more.
What exactly is time-management?
Time management is a very relative concept, it means different things for different people. There are undeniably many systems and approaches to time management. While one could set alarms, someone else could be maintaining a dairy and someone else could be following an IG influencers routine. The way someone manages his or her time can be dependent on things the person wants to achieve and the duration. My mother thinks starting early manages her time, while I think allocating a time slot helps me to manage my time.
However, in general, time management is a thought process. It’s a skill of accessing one’s available time and then planning to make the best use of it.
Time management is closely related to a person’s personality trait. Some people who have better control over their urges and impulses are known to be sticking better to their timelines. There could also be others who are impulsive but are better multitaskers. It’s a very sketchy discussion.
However, research students, in particular, walk on thin ice daily. This leaves them with very little scope for mistakes or rectifications. This is why they should outsource their work and focus on things that require immediate attention in their curriculum. Editing and proofreading help is available for nursing students and majors from all prominent domains.
So here are the best time-management tips for research students:
1. Use the latest software/apps-
Effective and timely planning is the best tip for time management. Decide on the best-suited project management tools before your semesters. The right project management and planning tools will help you stay on track throughout.
2. Work on multiple goals but have realistic deadlines for them-
As a research student, you do not have the liberty of working on one thing at a time. The wisest of students, plan similar things that can work simultaneously while not disrupting the flow. You can start by having a major goal and see what other things fall into the same subset. This wouldn’t require much effort from you and you could still tick-off things from your to-do lists. You do not necessarily have to complete your research paper to start writing it. When planned well, you can do them simultaneously.
While doing all these tasks, set deadlines for yourself. You might need to work backward and organize smaller tasks to reach your main goal. You will eventually have to count on the challenges that may or may not come your way. But, also understand that crowding your deadlines will end up making you frustrated and fatigued. So, have realistic deadlines.
3. Have daily to-do lists and block time for high priority tasks-
Having A daily to-do list helps you keep track of your daily work and also how far you have progressed. When done right, having a daily to-do list can be very motivating to a research student. Imagine, yourself striking off tasks from your to-do list at the end of the day. Even science says striking to-do lists work like therapy. It’s smart to plan the following day’s to-do list before you end the day. This way, your pending tasks will still be fresh in your mind and detailed on the list.
However, understand that bigger and important tasks would still need the majority of your time. These large chunks of hours need to be planned. I have heard researchers saving the major chunk of the day for just writing and it works for them. This way you won’t be met with sudden surprises that spoil your whole scheduling too.
4. Learn to say No-
It’s a very simple yet difficult thing. A researcher is approached with multiple opportunities during his/her career. This certainly gets doubled when s/he is a good student. These offers and opportunities seem very tempting and distracting as a struggling student. However, the opportunity can be responsible for diverting your attention from the main goal.
However, it’s a matter of priorities at the given point in time. You will have to evaluate if you have the time and energy to mentor someone or to review a colleague’s paper.
5. Do not procrastinate, ever-
Procrastination is a research student’s biggest enemy. The urge to push things that are outside our comfort zone is always high. It seems like the best option to leave a challenging task for another time. However, what we fail to understand is, there’s never going to be a good time. If something is difficult today, it will be equally or probably more challenging tomorrow. Doing it sooner will leave you with the advantage of time. You may end up needing help that won’t be available at the last moment. A personal trick that works for me is, keeping a task you enjoy as a treat for completion of the challenging task. The excitement will keep you motivated.
And most importantly, remember to take the required breaks. Watching educational movies or going for a walk can do you more good than you can imagine.
Author Bio: Mary Jones is the co-founder and editor-in-chief at TopMyGrades, which focuses on career counseling for university students in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia. Mary also helps with writing college application essays and assignments to guide students through a range of University courses and certifications. When free, she loves to read inspirational novels and biographies.
