Your comment about emails was right on! Last year I found myself getting well into 100 emails a day as well, with most of them needing responses. In the beginning of my term, I found that all of my time was going to checking and replying to my emails instead of going toward other worthy things. It didn’t take me long to realize that I didn’t need to have my pop-up window of email up all the time. It had gotten to where I would be working on a project for school or an event for my sorority and then I would see that I had a new email, check the email, and get completely side-tracked from what I was doing earlier.

Now, I only check my email twice a day–once in the morning and once at night. I feel a lot more efficient now that my day is not ruined by replying to emails constantly.

And as far as going into the “real world” is concerned, I am more than excited! I am currently applying for internships and I look forward to the time in my life where I will get to practice my passion-public relations.

Productivity must be a choice that one makes. I feel that people have to choose to make certain sacrifices, practice time management in able to perform at their best. It is tempting to waste away my day looking at someone I dont even know on the Facebook. (As a side note, Facebook might be the ultimate hinderance to time managment and productivity. I literally can spend HOURS on that thing.

However, on the whole, I feel that since coming to college, I have really begun to master time management. I’ve learned to love list-making. But, I’ve also learned that productivity also requires flexibility. I can’t even begin to recall all the numerous times that my day didn’t go according to my list. If I roll with the punches, I usually can accomplish my list, and maybe even more.

I also agree that we can handle the details, whether we think it or not. I deal with tons of details each day, from meeting locations and agendas, to homework, to extra-curricular activities, to exercising, to finding time to talk to my friends. Think about how many details are in our lives, and we can definitely deal with work-related details. We pay attention, we CAN do the details.

So, now that I’ve read the posts and comments, and now talked myself up, I think I’m ready to start finding a job….

Also to be productive I must have a planner. I am a very scheduled person and without some sort of a plan everything for me would fall apart. When I am productive, a boulder seems to lift off my shoulders. Working with people in groups with a big group project due in a week, can get overwhelming. However, when that project is done, all of that hard works finally pays off. The first thing a student must do is realize they are in school to get an education. Partying comes after your hard work. If I go out with my friends, I constantly am thinking about a homework assignment if I don’t get it done before going out. That was freshman and sophomore year. This year I realized that in order to be productive, work hard during the day, and the night will be free to me.

I feel like we have an advantage being in some of the classes we are now. For example, this class where we must post and comment. At first I was like this is going to be terrible. Then I have realized that it has allowed for my writing to be much better and I find myself putting PR above everything else. On e-mails, I feel that they are important. I realize that the workplace will bring many more e-mails, but I will try to respond as much as possible. Hopefully, I won’t get too overloaded. Thanks, and great post. Hopefully we can all get the lumps out of our throats!

Dale’s post also reminded me alot of advice I have been given about prioritizing my time better. Have you ever heard of that old saying “If you give ‘em and inch they’ll take a mile.” That is definitely me. It seems the less free time I have the more work I get done and more free time I have the less I get work done. Exactly opposite from what it should be! This is where I realized that the blame lies within me just as much as it does my school and extracurricular activities.

Furthermore, Dale’s post also reminded of something really important and that I’ve never really thought about. But….this problem with time will probally last all our lives…..not just magically be over when we graduate. So…in that sense we must all start with ourselves to change our own habits…because it’s not WHAT we have to do it’s WHAT we do with the time we have.

It is mandatory that we do office hours (we don’t have a set amount though). I don’t want to look bad and only come in two or three days a week so I make an effort to come in for at least a few hours each day. I have learned that when I have not been assigned something to do at work that I can work on my homework. By being so busy with work and school, I have finally been able to manage my time well. Beside doing office hours, we also have to attend football practices, games and I have been assigned to attend volleyball games and the women’s golf tournament. My weekends are usually full of sporting events since volleyball plays on Friday and Sunday and football’s on Saturday.

By having very little down time I have been forced to prioritize my school work and I am doing much better at keeping up with my school work. Maybe all I needed was more activity, not less as I orginally thought.

Time management has been my saving grace over the last four years. However, it wasn’t until I read Dale’s post that I realized how time management has allowed me to pay attention to the details. It has made me a more productive student and a more productive person.

Thank you, Dale, for reassuring us that we have a strong foundation for futures in public relations. These recent posts have really made me think about the future and reassess my accomplishments and goals. Now that I have realized the ongoing importance of time management, I will strive to work hard at my efficiency habits.

Tyler said in her comment that as college students we fear the “real world”. That is so true. The main reason we are so afraid of it is because we have no idea what to expect. All of the assumptions and conclusions we have made about what it’s really like out there are based on the observations and speculations of others.

Sometimes these others are our parents and other people their age, and we think, “What do they know, it was different for them because blah, blah, blah and they’re too old to know what’s really happening out there.” But ultimately, we are fearful of their warnings and take everything they say to heart.

Sometimes these others are our peers, consisting of recent graduates in the same field, etc. These people are busy telling us how hard fought they were to find a job, that the “real world” stinks, and to stay in college as long as possible. We definitely take them even more seriously, because they are actually out there experiencing it, and so they must be right!

Others still are professionals like the mentors on Marcom and our teachers, encouraging and pushing us. These people won’t let us get down on ourselves, but at the same time, you are making sure we are up to par and ready to compete.

Most importantly, we need to rely on ourselves: our own abilities, strengths and weaknesses. We need to trust our own skills and be confident that even though it’s slim pickin’s out there, we’ve got what it takes.

More importantly, I know myself - If I waste free time, my productivity while working goes down. Instead of entering “work time” with a clear head and eagerness to start a project, I am kicking myself for wasting time and scrambling to get back on track. I am in the class of people who have to train themselves to keep motivated. It is easy to let everyday life wash away your best intentions. Dale’s collegue’s 45 minute email rule is a great example of setting personal boundaries to force yourself to keep moving.

Another way to be productive is to work with productive people. Getting an internship or job where you work with someone who knows how to manage time will teach you how to do it yourself. Working in groups with people like Diana and everyone else inspires me to see how they are getting everything done.

Robert jokes with us in class that we are all “type A,” especially when we get mired down by little details. At first this pissed me off a little - I’m not like that, take it back! But then I realized that I am, and that it is a good thing. I am organized, punctual, dependable…everything that will help me find a job after graduation!

I thought a lot about your comments on Personal Productivity and being able to handle details. I was trying to apply this to my own life and the things I have experienced. Being prior Active Duty Air Force, I truly appreciate the concept of managing your time and paying attention to details more so than the average person. Often in the military you are given multiple task (which we lovingly refer to as “additional duties”) along side your everyday job. These tasks usually require as much time as your normal job and you are often given two or three to accomplish. The importance of these duties varies but the underlying theme is always the same … “attention to detail.” (In fact I think they would tattoo that on our heads in basic if they were authorized to do so.) Of course being able to accomplish your mission is top priority so you not only need personal productivity, your life demands it.

With that said I found myself looking around my classroom at my fellow students. I was thinking about all the things the average college student is involved in and how much they balance daily. The average college student is taking at least 15 hours worth of classes (often more) and is involved in at least one club or society that requires x amount of hours, not to mention an insane social life I still can’t keep up with. With all of this I think most college students are better at managing their time and personal productivity than they give themselves credit for. If they can keep that speed and just translate it into work ethic I am sure most will go further than they think. In fact I am sure my military friends would be impressed with some of the juggling college students are able to do!

Thanks for an inspiring post!

Actually, the analogy that Katie used in her comment is not silly. It is spot on. Follow through. Works in tennis and everything else.

One suggestion most of the student comments missed was the need to flow chart complex projects and processes. Learning how to use a simple flow chart tool can be a powerful advantage. Gives you the macro look. Helps you visualize both the project end (the value to the customer) and the beginning (where you start), and all the steps in-between. Once charted, you can knock them down and move to the next.