Overcoming procrastination

Here is a one-page handout from the Learning Strategies Center at Cornell:

Overcoming procrastination

Have a good week,
Harriet

Photo by HLS

Apps for Grad and other Adult Students

The following are free apps that help me be more productive in my research, writing, and work with graduate students. This is an updated list from last year.


Citation and source management:

Zotero - download citation information directly from web-based sources (enter others manually), build your citation database, Word plug-in allows you to insert formatted citations and generate reference list with ease. Tag entries for quick searches within your library. Free.

Document sharing:

Dropbox - Store your documents in the cloud so you can access them from any computer. Also useful for sharing big files with classmates or teachers. Free.

YouSendIt - Another app that is useful for sending files that are too big for email. Free version available.

Infographics/Diagrams/mind-maps:

Easelly - This was my favorite app discovery last year. I've been using this app to create infographics as handouts for presentations. I also used it to create the APA citation decision tree that I posted on this blog a few weeks ago. The app is easy to use - you can work from templates or start with a blank canvas. The only limitation I have found is that their icon library is limited - I've worked around this by uploading some icons from other sources. Free.

Lucidchart - I have used it to make a number of diagrams for presentations and I find it to be an incredibly capable tool. Click here to apply for free education version (it says K-12, but they also give education accounts to those in higher education).

Communication:

Eyejot - I love this tool! Send video messages -- more personal and energetic than email. Free version allows messages of up to one minute.

Doodle - Easy scheduling tool, great for setting up meetings for group projects. Free.

Note taking:

Evernote - A cloud-based note taking tool -- means you can access notes from any of your devices. Also allows you to tag notes - easier to find what you are looking for later. Free.

Social bookmarking:

Diigo - Tag and store your bookmarks so you can find important sites easily. Cloud-based so you can access them from any device. Group function allows you to share -- great for group projects. Also includes highlighting and commenting tools. Free.

Images (for presentation slides, etc):

Stock.xchng - extensive library of free images.

The Noun Project - web-based library of universal symbols. All are free for non-commercial use.


And two not-free (in fact shockingly expensive) apps that help me be more productive:

Things - task management for mac users. This is an elegantly simple yet sophisticated task management app. Quickly enter to-do items with due dates, tags, and notes. Also schedule recurring to-do items and group items under projects. Approximate prices -- Macbook version: $49. iPad version: $19. iPhone version: $9.99. Hard to believe it's worth it, but it has been worth it for me. I have Things on my macbook and phone and it helps me stay on top of all I need to do and also helps me to feel done at the end of a day when I've completed all that I intended to do.

One password - password manager. Easy to use. Saves me time because I don't have to scramble to figure out forgotten passwords. Mac version: $49. iPad and iPhone versions also available.


Please note, I am not affiliated with the makers or distributers of any of the above-mentioned apps.

What other apps do you use for school?

All the best,
Harriet

Photo by HLS

Back to school strategies for adult students

This post is a repeat, however I'm posting it again for those who are just starting their programs, back to school after a long time away. The following tips are based on my own experience as well as that of colleagues in my PhD program and more recently, my own master's students.

A space of your own. Carve out a space at home, a desk or work area where you can leave your materials, so that you know where everything is, and can resume work without having to reorganize.

Determine an overall work schedule as to which days/evenings you will do homework and which you will not. Be intentional about carving out work time, rather than imagining you’ll fit it in when you have time. And this leads us to….

Take something off your plate. By committing to this master’s program you are taking on significant work that also requires time to think and reflect. Now is the time to make a shift: ask for help with responsibilities at home, put a hobby aside, say “no” to additional commitments, etc. You don’t need to give it all up, but something has to give, temporarily, to make room for this new gig.

Do something, anything, even when you think you can’t. Even though you have carved out your work times, there will be plenty of days/evenings when you had planned to work and feel too tired or distracted or whatever. Do something! Read the most accessible chapter, read half a chapter… do something, anything to get even a little work done and keep the momentum going.

Get to know your rhythm and honor it! Observe yourself in your first few weeks… what time of day/week do you most effectively read, reflect, write, work online? Get to know when you are at your best for the various kinds of work and then work strategically in those times. If you notice that you write best in the morning and read best in evening, honor that, and so on. Also, how long can you effectively read or write and what kinds of breaks best keep you going? Figure this out and do it.

When you are in the water, swim! Graduate students sometimes expend significant energy worrying about school, feeling guilty if they aren’t working etc. I believe this ultimately makes people less effective when they are working. When you are working, be present with it and try not to let thoughts about other responsibilities creep in. This is your time to work, honor that time – you deserve it and you will work more effectively. When you aren’t working, for whatever reason, don’t expend energy worrying or feeling guilty – be present to whatever responsibility you are dealing with, or if you are taking a break, take a break and enjoy it. You will return to your work refreshed and ready to be productive.

Step away from the desk. When you find yourself getting frustrated, not able to make sense of a reading or unable to write, perhaps your head is too full and the ideas need time to simmer. Take a break and perhaps you will gain clarity by giving yourself space.

If you get overwhelmed, break it down. If thinking about all the work that you will need to do for a course, or in the next month, or in the next week, feels overwhelming, focus on the next step. Sometimes it is helpful to break work down into small chunks – try to focus only on what you are working at the moment and get through that, and then on to the next chunk.

Take good care of yourself. While I encourage you to put something down (an extra area of responsibility, etc.), I’m also encouraging you to hold on to something that is good for your well-being. Exercise, meditation, walking – do something that will get your body moving and help you clear your head. Also, this sounds simple, but eat right (make sure to eat before class) and try to get enough sleep.

Get to know your faculty and advisor. These people are here because they love to teach and are committed to your growth and development. Great conversations await!

Have fun. Enough said.

Cheering you on!

Harriet

Photo by HLS

APA Citation Decision Tree

APA workshops are often designed to help students understand how to cite various types of sources, however I think the primary challenge with APA is knowing when to cite. Some students are also unclear about when something from a source should be in quotation marks and when quotation marks are not needed. This summer I designed the graphic above to help you understand when to cite, when to use quotation marks, when to quote directly, and what to include in your reference list. Click on the graphic above to see a larger version and right click on it to save it to your desktop.

All the best,
Harriet

Back to school!

Many people dread the end of summer, but I love the feeling that the fall semester is almost here! I have had a wonderful summer of writing, a few presentations, and class prep. Now I'm psyched to get back to the classroom and teaching and working directly with students. So, The Encouragement Lounge is back in session. More posts coming soon.

All the best,

Harriet

Photo by HLS

Encouragement Lounge on summer schedule

Hello friends,

I had hoped to keep up with the blog over the summer but I'm hard at work to meet two writing deadlines and prepare for fall classes, so am going to take time away from the E Lounge, for now. I will resume posting in August.

Sending you good energy for the work!

Harriet

Photo by HLS

David Pogue -- 10 Top Time-Saving Tech Tips

Hi All, If you haven't seen this, check out David Pogue's TED talk. Most tech time-saving posts and videos that I have seen offer advice about managing email, being disciplined about social media, and so on. Pogue's talk offers something even more basic -- a number of keyboard shortcuts and search tips that may be more efficient than what you are currently doing. It's a quick talk and worth viewing.

All the best,
Harriet