“Getting Organized”
In the first chapter of his book, “Learn How to Study,” Derek Rowntree begins in the first chapter with a compelling reason for this book: “We usually don’t improve at it unless we give some thought both to our own purposes and to what those other people expect of us.”[1] In a manner designed around a particular style of retention-based learning by requesting active participation of the reader throughout the book, Rowntree aims to provide the serious student with resources and tools to become a more effective modern academic learner and student, especially in today’s university environment.
The first three chapters of the book serve as the foundation, while the remainder of the book serves as a collection of tools and strategies for various aspects of university student learning. At the end of chapter one, the author writes: “The next two chapters (2 and 3) are meant to get you thinking about your purposes in studying and the demands being made on you. Chapter 4 is about getting organized to meet those demands. And the remaining chapters should get you into the habit of reviewing the approaches and skills you will need in learning and in demonstrating what you have learned to the satisfaction of your tutors and yourself.”[2]
While the content of chapters 6-10 were either covered in my previous education programs, or they are not yet relevant to where I am in my doctoral program, they will potentially serve as helpful references as my research develops. For now, Chapter 4: Getting Organized For Learning, is the most relevant for my current situation and therefore the most meaningful to reflect on for this post.
It’s possible that my interest in this chapter is in part inspired by the helpful Xcel map that Kyle produced as a nice a visual of the scope of this program. Chapter 4 encourages the student to get organized with her calendar, looking out a year, a term, a month, and a week. The author encouraged the reader to find freedom in understanding which to invest more time in depending on how one’s life tends to flow. Now that we have the map, it would be very helpful for me to re-establish a discipline (I used to do this) of mapping out my week on Sunday night, and carving chunks of time each day to set aside for studying and doctoral work. And then of course, sticking to it, which is usually my bigger challenge. I loathe the idea of sitting on schoolwork for a few months and then finding myself under unnecessary stress and pressure.
I started using iStudiez Pro and spent a few hours mapping out all the assignments, categorized by course and date, for the semester. One could easily just use her regular calendar to do this as well. It helped to give perspective and to help me set a reasonable pace for myself with my various other responsibilities. This chapter was especially relevant to me because of the variety of responsibilities I have in this season of life, and the limited time at my disposal. Effective time management is critical for my success in this program.
I’ve had the privilege of running a handful of marathons and more half-marathons. My first marathon I hit the wall at Mile 17 largely because I did not set my pace correctly for miles 11-16. In a program like this, setting pace is important in the same way. Set the pace too fast, and we burn out. Because of my limited time, that’s not my risk. My risk is to set the pace too slow, and finding myself needing to spring at certain mile markers in order to catch up. This would make for an unfortunate experience. I see Kyle’s Excel sheet as perspective on the whole race, and the semester organization as the setting of my steady pace, and the weekly organization as my regular checking of the mechanics and making adjustments to stay on pace.
While I did not find delight or entertainment in this book, I found this chapter in particular, and the one that follows, as helpful tools to get me started on the journey on the right foot. For others who are like me, I have copied and pasted this most helpful quote from the book to keep in mind:
“Knowing what is likely to happen over the year as a whole should help you plan for shorter periods —the next semester or term, the next month, the next week, tomorrow.
Obviously, the nearer the period for which you are planning, the more specific your plans can be.
Planning week by week
Here are some suggestions as to how you might set about planning your study one week at a time: Draw up a timetable chart (on screen or paper), showing seven days of the week each divided into, say, hourly blocks of time from, say, 9 am to 10 pm, and label those blocks that are already taken up by your regular study commitments (lectures, lab work, meeting of self-help group, etc.) and any regular non-study commitments. Fix on a regular time in the week (say, Sunday evening) when you sit down and plan for the coming week. Check with your long-term diary or calendar to see which milestones or fixed events may demand some of your time in the week, e.g. assignments for which you need to prepare. Make a list of study tasks that must be accomplished during the coming week, e.g. prepare a presentation for Friday’s seminar; draft outline of essay; write up lab notes. Make a list of study tasks that could be tackled (and should be if you can make sufficient time available), e.g. reviewing any topics from past weeks that are still troubling you. Decide how many hours you can devote to private study next week. Here we are talking about blocks of time other than those you have already labeled in your timetable for regular commitments.”[3]
[1] Rowntree, Derek. LEARN HOW TO STUDY: Developing the study skills and approaches to learning that will help you succeed in university — a virtual tutorial with Professor Derek Rowntree. UNKNOWN, 2015. Kindle edition, loc: 119.
[2] Ibid, loc: 373.
[3] Ibid, loc: 1762, 67, 71
About the Author
Chris Pritchett
5 responses to ““Getting Organized””
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Hi Chris,
Thanks for dialing in on “getting organized” and for reminding me, “Knowing what is likely to happen over the year as a whole should help you plan for shorter periods —the next semester or term, the next month, the next week, tomorrow.”
I have found the rhythm of this DMin program to be very doable, but only if I properly plan ahead. Mostly, I was concentrating on just the next week, but have found that focusing on the next month would be more helpful.
Thanks for the reminder!
Hi Chris! I have to be honest, your efforts to become organized (which are admirable and practical) stress me out! I keep hearing about the tools members of the cohort are using to track assignments, references, etc. Honestly, I’ve just added due dates to my outlook calendar. There’s a part of me questioning “Am I missing something”?
On a deeper level, as a husband, father, and pastor how are you integrating your DMin experience thus far into transformation (putting aside the time and organization element)? I’m always so touched by your facebook posts. Are those new based on recent learning or have you always felt comfortable to speak truth in that unforgiving format?
Hi Jean, thanks for your thoughtful question/observation. Regarding my personal transformation and how I’m integrating the DMin, I’m not really sure yet and I wonder if it’s too early yet to tell. I’ve been spending most of my South Africa reflections on the time when we heard the grandson of the architect of Apartheid. I want to be like him! About my Facebook activity, I think this has been a regular thing for me for maybe a decade, but it’s getting bolder and the environment is more contentious than ever. I really don’t like posting controversial things on FB. I hate it in fact. But every time I wonder if I should post on some issue or thing that happened, the voices and faces of my marginalized friends come into view and ask me in the name of Jesus to endure a little verbal shrapnel for the sake of another’s freedom. In fact, I hate posting these things on Facebook but I do it out of some weird commitment to obedience and understanding myself as one who was bought with a price. God has given me a small platform and I have to use it for the sake of a better world. That sounds way holier than it is. Maybe I just like the adrenaline 🙂
Getting organized is a challenge for all of us, I imagine. How are you managing fitting the studies into your already full work week? Last week I barely coped. But this week was somewhat better.
One of the things I’m discovering with this course is the more we can synthesize everything, the more we will learn and the more we can do. All the past readings form our “inner library” (thanks, Bayard) that move us forward into our research.
Chris, this is a great summary. Like you suggest, I plan out my week in blocks of time dedicated to different tasks. One thing that has helped me GREATLY in my weekly planning, especially being in ministry, is planning for my interruptions. I know that SOMETHING is always going to come up unexpectedly, and that used to frustrate my carefully planned schedule. Now I have a four-hour spot blocked out every week for what I call “rattrapage” which is how the French say “catch-up work.” This way, when, for example the time I had set aside for doing my weekly reading gets interrupted by some crisis at church, I already know when I’m going to make up the lost time. Pre-emptively planning for interruptions has been so helpful for me!