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This topic - ways to improve productivity - was highly requested when we polled students over social media. We hope that you find these tips helpful and are able to create a more productive schedule!  

1. Establish a Routine

Starting your day with a glass of water and a healthy breakfast can let your body know that you are ready for the day and boost your productivity.

It might be difficult to establish an exact day-to-day routine during quarantine due to the uncertainty happening all around us. Rather than scheduling specific hours of the day for specific tasks, blocking your day into big categories that you want to accomplish daily can be a great alternative. An example of categories could be: work, exercise, music, and rest. This way of scheduling can keep you accountable by touching on those categories and still give you some flexibility in allocating the amount of time spent in each and when you do it.

2. Have a Daily To-Do List

A key tip to improve productivity is to have a daily to-do list that outlines the goals and items that you want to accomplish each day. Putting the agenda with the highest priorities on the top of the list can help you stay focused as you are not distracted by less important tasks during the day. Crossing out tasks that are finished on the list can give you feelings of accomplishment, validation, and most importantly, the sense that you are moving closer and closer to your goal. Try to create a to-do list the night before, so you are ready to go the next day and don’t waste time worrying about what to do in the morning. 

3. Keep Your Workplace Organized

It is really easy to accumulate a lot of irrelevant things on your table or desk that might eventually distract you from focusing on and finishing your work. After each task, try to put away the items you no longer need. It will give you a break to stand up and walk a little, and hopefully you’ll be able to find those items quickly the next time you need them. As a bonus, they won’t be cluttering your workspace in the meantime.

4. Delegate Time for Check-Ins and Calls with Family and Friends

Motivation and encouragement help drive productivity. Quarantine can be hard and lonely; thus, it is especially important to set aside time to call friends or family members during this time. Through check-ins with other people, you may describe what you have done in the past few days, which can help you keep track of your work. By listening to how others are doing, you may find motivation, which will boost your productivity. We all need to recharge sometimes and talking to close family members and friends is one of the best ways! 

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This part focuses on struggles pertaining to academics and your future career.

Q: I knew classes at Dartmouth would be challenging, but I didn’t realize how hard they would be until I got here! I’m struggling to keep up. What should I do? 

A: You should make an appointment with an Academic Coach at the Academic Skills Center! Visit the ASC website for more information. They’ll help you figure out the study strategies that will best help you adjust to the rigor of college academics. You should also go to your professors’ and TAs’ office hours with prepared questions. Plan ahead for the winter, and consider joining a Tutoring Group at the beginning of the term!  

 

Q: I feel that I’m constantly behind while everyone else has their stuff together. Is this normal? 

A: Yes, this is normal! Many students at Dartmouth experience Imposter Syndrome, which is the idea that you aren’t good enough or don’t belong here because it seems like everyone else is on a level that you feel you can’t reach. Many students also experience Floating Duck Syndrome: when you wear a cool, collected exterior, but under the surface, you’re frantically paddling to keep yourself from sinking. If you’re here, it’s because you belong here (everyone else is not as put-together as you think). If you want help sorting through the reasons you’re struggling and finding healthy coping strategies, you should book an appointment with the Wellness Center professionals.


Q: I feel like I’ll be behind my peers if I don’t do an internship during winterim or my freshman summer. What should I do? 

A: You’re still a first year student! You have plenty of time to pad your resume. I recommend enjoying your youth while you can, but if you’re really worried about it, please make an appointment with the Center for Professional Development by clicking “Dartboard Student Login” and clicking “Coaching Appointments” on the left side of the screen. 

 

Q: My professor seems to think that the 24 hours in my day are only for their class. What should I do?

A: If your professor is assigning 2000 pages of reading, and 27 lectures in a week, you should make an appointment with an Academic Coach. They’ll help you with reading strategies, time management, and figuring out what material is necessary. 

 

Q: What can I do when I’m so lost that I don’t know what questions to ask?

A: Check that you did the correct reading for the class period, review the professor’s notes to figure out where you are, ask a friend, or talk to your professor to clarify. If you’re lost because you’ve fallen behind on your work, and I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: make an appointment with an Academic Coach at the Academic Skills Center!

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To form a habit, it’s important to chunk your habits into a series of smaller tasks. For example, a morning routine can be considered a habit broken up into the following series of tasks:

  1. Get up at the same time every day
  2. Go to the same bathroom
  3. Brush my teeth
  4. Wash my face
  5. Moisturize

My habit begins with getting up and ends with moisturizing. Because I am used to completing the three steps in between those, it is hard to skip them as they are part of the habit. 

So, if you want to change a habit to wake up earlier, you should chunk your habit with a series of other actions. For instance, you can wake up at the desired time every day, drink a glass of water, and read the news for five or ten minutes. If you want to study every day at a certain time, start your habit with an action-step, like heading to your favorite study spot, check your to do list, get out your study materials, start studying, and end the habit with a quick review of your study session.

In short, a new habit sticks best when you incorporate it into a series of other habits.  This is because the part of your brain that is activated when you carry out a habit is excited at the beginning and end of a habit, so if you begin a habit it, it will be very hard for you to not finish it. 

If you’re interested in reading the neuroscience behind why, here is the article I used as a reference: https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/how-to-change-bad-habits-in-the-brain-psychology?utm_source=Dartmouth+News+Today&utm_campaign=b0b78cb2dc-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_09_25&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4ae973c30b-b0b78cb2dc-292818778

 

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Sherman Fairchild Physical Sciences Center

Since coming to college, I knew that I wanted to write an honors thesis. I knew I wanted to dive into research that pertained to my interests. Everyone who knows me knows these things to be true: I love cats, I hate the cold, and I am not a STEM person in any way. The idea I had of what research was involved being in a lab testing different things. Research for the humanities, social sciences, and humanistic social sciences looks a lot different. Unfortunately, there seems to be a lack of emphasis on this type of research, so it can seem difficult to know where to start.  ...continue reading "How to Begin to Approach your Humanities & Social Science Research"

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I’ve noticed a trend recently where even if I spend the whole day studying and being productive, I am grumpy and irritable when I meet up with my friends in the evening, and can’t seem to enjoy this fleeting reprieve from my work. On the flip side, when I decide to spend the whole day skiing or hiking- things that usually bring me a lot of joy- I am often distracted by an overwhelming feeling of guilt. I feel bad for not doing work, and instead of enjoying myself I worry about my ever-growing to do list. I can't help thinking that maybe I should have stayed in the library all day. ...continue reading "Take Breaks- and Don’t Feel Guilty About it"