Graduate students have different responsibilities than undergrads.
If you've just graduated with a four-year degree from a university, congratulations. If you've decided to continue your studies with a graduate degree, a few words of caution are advised. Graduate and undergraduate programs can be radically different, and the organization techniques you've used for the past four years may apply in only a limited way now. It's time to step up your game and get super-organized.
Compartmentalize
Arrange the different areas of your life into "compartments." There are a number of good ways to do this. For work-related matters, have a briefcase where you keep resumes, job-hunting books, and similar materials. For schoolwork, keep all necessary items near or around your desk; no more searching all over your room, dorm, or apartment, looking for them when it's study time. If you're responsible for instructing classes, keep teaching materials in a separate folder or basket beside your desk for instant access.
Flex Time
Organizing your schedule as a graduate student is just as important as organizing your stuff. You may have a flexible work, teaching, or job search schedule. Leave even more flexible time in between these appointments for the inevitable snafus that will delay you. For instance, if you have twenty minutes between classes, leave ten minutes to get to your next class. Don't goof off for nineteen minutes and then rush to class in the next sixty seconds. Put more time than you need between job interviews to be able to get to each one on time, without feeling rushed.
Only Once
You may have heard the expression, "look at a piece of paper only once." This means that whenever you have something to deal with on your desk, you only do it once. Either you put it in the appropriate compartment, or you deal with it then and there. You don't put it back into the mess to create more clutter, or put it somewhere you won't find it when you need it. When trying to organize different areas of your life (such as work, school, and teaching), using this rule can free up hours of spare time.
Make a List
As a graduate student, you likely have much more to do than as an undergraduate, and you need to plan accordingly. Make a list that reflects your priorities for the day, week, and month. Work on your list in order of priorities, and don't complete less important tasks before more important ones, even if doing so seems easier in the short term.
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