Maximizing your Productivity this Summer
Summer is a great time to relax and celebrate all the accomplishments graduate students
have made over the previous semester. It is also an opportunity to reflect on areas
of improvement and your level of persistence towards your academic and career goals.
Tenika Burgess, Assistant Director and Success Coach in Tech’s Launchpad Student Success
Center, offers tangible advice on how graduate students can fill their summer with
both.
“Summer is a good time to recharge by incorporating activities or hobbies that may have been postponed during the school year,” Burgess noted. “Whatever recharges you, make time for it.”
Be careful not to let ‘rest’ and inactivity consume your summer. Staying motivated and dedicated is key to avoiding stagnation as a graduate student.
“Persistence over the summer is key to continuing momentum and extending your growth,” she explained. “The temptation is to view summer as a ‘break’ from all thinking, learning, and major academic responsibilities.”
In the midst of the break, stay consistent in the pursuit. Connect with those who are valuable to you, educate yourself on a new topic, or seek out an internship – make the summer purposeful.
“Don’t stop hitting those short and long-term goals just because it is the summer,” Burgess encouraged. “Make a plan for the summer that could be fulfilling to you.”
Graduate students may find themselves spread across the spectrum of resting and working. Burgess encourages and motivates students to focus on their unique goals to combat guilt and comparison in the academic journey. Remember that everyone’s path is different, and that is a good thing!
“Guilt is usually layered with many thoughts and feelings that may need to be dealt with through the help of a therapist,” she continued. “Be kind to yourself and don’t fall for the comparison trap that you are doing too much or not enough as someone else.”
Time management is a great skill to hone in on during the summer. With more free time, Burgess suggests that graduate students may want to set a goal to learn and try new time management techniques, like a digital planner, limiting screen time, and setting manageable and trackable goals.
“You need to explore and find what works for you – what works for one person may not work for you,” she pointed out. For instance, “try out the ‘Pomodoro Technique,’ working in short intervals, usually 25 minutes, followed by a short break.”
Burgess advises graduate students to use the summer as an opportunity to bridge any knowledge gaps you may have discovered. She offers a variety of ways to create a productive and proactive summer.
“Watch videos or listen to podcasts from experts in your field, look into any books or research projects your professors are part of, and get involved with any professional organizations in your field,” she recommended.
To find out more about tips for a fun, yet, productive summer, visit www.tntech.edu/nsfp/beakspeak/summer.php and to learn more about staying organized and efficient, visit How to Stay Organized and Efficient - College of Graduate Studies