Time Management

Time management is a crucial part of being successful in the professional field as well as everyday life. Taking the proper steps to prepare yourself for many award applications will help you to pay the best attention possible to what needs to be accomplished. Becoming better at time management and completing things early will help to alleviate stress in the future when deadlines begin to approach.

1. Plan ahead

No matter where you are in your academic career, it's never too early or too late to begin planning ahead. Ask graduating students what they wish they'd done when they were at your stage in their academic career.

Talk to faculty and staff about opportunities they know of or how they got where they are today. Start thinking about what you want to get involved in this fall, spring or summer. Reach out to offices on campus to see how they can help you get where you're trying to go.

2. Evaluate your commitments

Take a critical look at your weekly/monthly schedule, thinking about each activity on it. What is of the least value to you? Is it something you can remove with minimal consequences? Are there things which you enjoy but have little time for? How might you declutter your schedule so you have more time for those activities? As always, we're here to help if you'd like to talk more about this. You can set up an appointment here.

3. Take things one step at a time

Rushing yourself is never the best way to get a task done to the best of your ability. Leave yourself enough time to reflect on your drafts, ask for a review from a peer, tutor or our Office, and don't be too hard on yourself.

If you try and force your best work out of you because you have high expectations, you will not sound authentic and might turn in something that does not truly represents yourself. Allow yourself time to process and complete each part of the application individually while sticking to a schedule that puts you right on track.

Click HERE to go back to the previous Tips & Advice Page.