My Calendar is My Best Friend
When I first started taking classes at UNLV, I thought to myself, “I’ve taken classes while working a full-time job before, I can do it again.” And I did. I made it through my first couple semesters with little difficulty and good grades to boot. But in my third semester, something shook my world. This is when I joined UNLV’s Outreach Undergraduate Mentoring Program (OUMP) and quickly learned that good grades weren’t going to get me into graduate school – I needed research experience. Moreover, since I had such a busy schedule, I needed to get a head start on studying for the GRE and investigating possible graduate schools. The thought of adding anything else to my plate was quite overwhelming, but I took the advice of my OUMP mentor and began using a calendar to manage my time. Now that I’m in my final semester, looking back at all that I’ve accomplished, I know that none of it would have been possible had I not made her – my calendar – my best friend.
Our friendship has taught me two important lessons. The first of which is this: Schedule EVERYTHING! When I first started out, I scheduled the obvious. I apprised my calendar of exam dates and assignment due dates, and I worked with her to schedule blocks of study/reading time. After joining the Interactive Measurement Group, I kept her up to date on lab meetings, poster assignments, and other lab homework. Initially, it seemed to be working well, but I soon noticed that the things I omitted weren’t getting done. For example, I wasn’t scheduling time to study for the GRE or research graduate schools. Concerned I wasn’t doing all that is necessary to get into graduate school, I consulted my calendar. She helped me find available blocks of time where I could squeeze these things in, and I started to make visible progress on these additional goals. With her help, I have now significantly improved my GRE practice test scores and compiled a list of schools to apply to. I suppose it’s a lot like any relationship – communication is key. If I don’t communicate all of my goals to my calendar, she can’t help me accomplish them.
The second lesson our friendship has taught me is that I must estimate how long each task will take. Moreover, I must reexamine my estimate if I find a task is taking longer than anticipated. For example, when I first began taking 300-level courses, I timed how long it took to read a typical chapter and then consulted my calendar so we could set aside reading time each week. This worked wonderfully – until I started taking 400-level courses. Halfway through a reading assignment, I heard my calendar yelling at me – reminding me it was time for our next task. Determined to finish my reading assignment before moving on, I ignored her and then had to rearrange the next several days to fit in the tasks that hadn’t gotten done. After a couple of these instances, and some nagging from my calendar, I agreed to reexamine the time allotted for these readings. Together, we looked at how long my most recent readings had taken, and we updated my schedule accordingly. Again, communicating with my calendar helped me succeed – and with a lot less stress.
When my calendar and I first met, I believed she would be a great help to me. But I didn’t know just how much. Over time, I realized that maintaining a strong relationship with her was and always will be essential to my success. I highly recommend not just using a calendar, but truly making friends with it – relying on it to support you in ALL of your goals. Schedule EVERYTHING. Estimate how long it will take to complete each task and reexamine your estimates when they aren’t working for you. Doing this will help prevent backing yourself into a corner with too much on your plate and not enough time. By making my calendar my best friend, I was able to successfully maintain a full-time job, take classes, and participate in a research lab – all while preparing for graduate school and remaining on track to graduate summa cum laude. I encourage you to do the same and find out firsthand the success your calendar can help you achieve.
Cassandra Hoffman has been a member of the Interactive Measurement Group since the fall of 2020. During her time in the lab, she has served as a poster team leader and managing editor for the lab’s newsletter, and she has conducted a variety of workshops to help new and existing lab members. She is graduating this semester with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in neuroscience. After graduation, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, hopefully doing research on moral injury and/or trauma-related disorders.