Getting Things Done in College
Published last year, mid-February under Life-Hacks, School
David Allen’s Getting Things Done is a must-read for anyone stressed out over ever-changing projects, responsibilities, and deadlines both at work and in life. As a college student, I’m constantly bombarded with new course assignments, job applications, and social responsibilities. The Getting Things Done system manages stress through collection of ‘loose ends’ though ‘next-action’ lists and by keeping the system simple.
I’ve adapted GTD to suit my personal needs and my needs as a college student, which I’ll outline below. If you’re unfamiliar with GTD, I highly recommend picking up the book. Also, be sure to check out 43 Folders, a blog that focuses on productivity and GTD techniques.
Every friday, as part of my weekly review, I not only examine all of my lists, I also examine where I stand in my courses. If I’m falling behind in any of my classes, I figure out where I’m falling short and add appropriate actions to my lists. Usually this translates into extra studying, but I try to be as specific as possible, down to page numbers if possible. Also, if I need to write a letter to a professor, I try to churn it out under two minutes and just send it.
Streamlined Tickler
The “tickler file” is a folder system in which you can file something away to be retrieved on the date of your choosing. It’s essentially a way to mail something to yourself, and it’s extremely useful. The standard tickler, described by David Allen, uses 43 folders – 12 months, 31 days maximum per month. But for me that’s overkill.
Typical school work lasts anywhere from 0-2 weeks, the exception being large projects (which are given their own folder in my system). Also, I’m working on a semester time scale rather than a yearly one. Therefore my tickler consists of only eight folders – 7 days of the week, plus one folder for next week.
