Sticky Note Time Management:

I often have difficulty with time management if I don’t write out the tasks that I plan to do. One strategy that I have found very effective for me in order to successfully complete all my tasks is to write down my goals on sticky notes: I have one sticky note for the week which contains my overall goals or bigger tasks and I have an individual sticky note for each day that I write each morning for that day’s activities. As a bonus, the sticky-note method has proven infinitely helpful in keeping track of assignments and schoolwork in addition to goals.

Goal Setting and Motivation Regulation

As I mentioned in my previous post, sticky notes help me keep track of the tasks that I need to do, but how do I determine what tasks I need to write down to do at which time? The main way that I intend to set tasks is through SMART goal setting. This entails setting “Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound” goals. I have found that setting specific goals for my academic and early professional career is most effective – the more specific and the smaller, the better. This allows me to check off my tasks as I complete them more frequently, giving me a sense of accomplishment that boosts me forward to complete more tasks. But sometimes, setting a small goal isn’t possible, such as in the case of “get good grades”. While that isn’t the best example, I find that, for each large goal, it is effective to have specific smaller goals for myself to accomplish. For example, one of my smaller goals for success within “get good grades” is that I must have all my homework done at least one day before it is due. This is a small goal that is easy to accomplish, and it ensures that I am reading and understanding the material presented in class, helping me work towards the larger goal.

Technologies I use to Study

I have found many technologies useful when studying for classes, but one that stands out is using the Notability app on the iPad for taking notes. I did not know about Notability until coming to OSU, where it is provided freely to us on the iPads.  When using Notability, I like that I can handwrite out all of my notes without needing a thick notebook or multiple notebooks. I use the “dividers” to organize my notes by school year and I use “subjects” inside each divider to organize my notes for each class. I also like that I can voice record my lectures right inside of the app, which is a feature that I use very often. As I am playing back the recording of the lecture, Notability shows which part of my note I wrote at each part during the recording. But my favorite part about Notability is that notes are stored in the cloud, so I can still take notes if I forget my iPad or I can open up notes from my phone if I need to check something quickly.