This is a thread on goal-setting for graduate students using the tools I have developed, in response to Dr. @JaneLSumner 's request. More than a guide for my students, here's how I set my goals. In December, I plan my entire year (it's calendar year, more than academic year).
I used to do academic year but then I realized a lot of stuff isn't out (e.g. dates and locations) so I can't plan in August. My process looks like this raulpacheco.org/2016/12/my-yea… I recommend that my students do the same (plan their year). I have suggested they use Gantt charts.
So I wrote this guide raulpacheco.org/2018/10/planni… once they've figured out what they have to do per month, per semester, per year, THEN they can break down the work in smaller, workable, manageable pieces. raulpacheco.org/2016/05/my-dai… this still doesn't get to the SMART framework.
Obviously, tenure-track faculty members & graduate students who work in labs and therefore publish papers as they go can use different strategies, which align with @MattLebo4 's Managing Your Research Pipeline politics.virginia.edu/wp-content/upl… process. I also like @prof_mirya 's templates
I have read other Damon Zahariades' books and I swear I get absolutely zero financial kickback from recommending, but while I have not read this one (the PRIMER method) amazon.com/gp/search?inde… I've read other books of his and he's very, very good at helping set realistic goals.
What my doctoral, Masters and undergraduate students told me THEY struggled with was developing a structured daily routine, so I wrote this post to help them raulpacheco.org/2018/11/develo… (this post explains MY routine, but obviously can be adapted for others). My biggest concern...
... is that we all struggle with planning how much time it's going to take us to get things done raulpacheco.org/2016/05/my-dai… what I do to help fight de-motivation and frustration is Quick Wins raulpacheco.org/2016/07/keepin… and #2ThingsADay raulpacheco.org/2018/04/the-ac…
I am by no means perfect, nor are my processes, so these are just guidelines that people may adapt. The more I teach the more I realize that my students struggle with time management, fighting procrastination and managing multiple demands on their time while maintaining sanity
Which, ironically, is also the struggle we as professors face. </end thread>
Post-script. I also review my goals and progress towards the end of the month and the end of the week (hence my Sunday night planning) raulpacheco.org/2018/10/the-su…
