In order to help student's overcome the stress of time management and meeting deadlines, here are a few things to implement in the day to day activities to successfully complete the paper:

  1. Plan Well: Ensure to plan your weekly mentor meetings at least one week in advance. Depending on whether if you are a morning or a night person, schedule an hour at least during those times of the day to work on writing the research paper (aim to write at least 200 - 300 words each day and this does not have to be your final writing but more like giving your thoughts some structure)
  2. Time buffers: Schedule an extra 50% of the time as a buffer when you schedule time for a task. If you do not use this buffer, you can use the time to tick off a quick task. But at least you won’t eat into the next task’s time slot.
  3. Smaller Milestones: Create small and simpler tasks for you to finish on a weekly basis. This way, it is easier to meet the submission deadlines within the program. Factor in foreseeable challenges and set realistic deadlines. Use the Post-Mortem Strategy to think ahead and plan well in advance.
  4. Work on multiple goals simultaneously: List down the main goals for the week and once you have done that, consider if it’s possible to work on some goals simultaneously, as this will ensure that you make steady progress. For example, don’t wait to complete your research and analysis, and then start writing your paper. You can write the Methods section as you conduct your experiments, as the details of the procedures will still be fresh in your mind. Deciding in advance which goals you can tackle simultaneously will increase your productivity.
  5. Take sufficient breaks: While working long hours or if you are planning to cover a large material for your paper, take sufficient and timely breaks. Such breaks help you become more productive and will help boost your attention span. Read this for some tips on how to take effective breaks.
  6. Informing your IvyWise CR & your mentor well in advance: If you are having difficulty managing the program with your school and other deadlines, please reach out to your IvyWise CR and your mentor well in advance (at least by a week) and update us on anything which might hinder your meetings with your mentor as well as meeting your deadlines. We always have an open line of communication, so please keep us posted if you think you might have to change the timeline.