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How to implement GTD for university students

Hello all,

This weekend I took out seven HUGE trash bags out of my office after cleaning everything hidden in every corner. I had boxes that had never been unpacked from four moves ago that are GONE! What a liberating feeling!

I don't have my tickler file set up, but have my someday/maybe and my "next actions" set up. The entire office is set up like a GTD Central Command. I had been using the Hipster last semester before life took a weird turn.

Anyways.... the reason for my question is this...

I'm a doctoral student, and as such I have weekly assignments for classes, papers for the semester, and some independent projects that I"m working on like grant proposals, etc.

I keep wondering what the best way of keeping track of everything, and I can't come up with anything concrete, so I thought I'd consult with the experts on this board.

Thanks!

korinthe's picture

Ticklers (paper or electronic) are...

Ticklers (paper or electronic) are the way to go for assignments. When I was in school I broke assignments down into chunks (kind of proto-NextActions) and wrote those on my calendar a few days ahead, spaced out to allow time to DO the stuff.

Most of the material accumulated for research/writing could be called "Action Support" rather than "Reference". I have a special tray for this stuff under my Inbox. I use the plastic Pendaflex sheaths to hold related material together. When the sheath gets stuffed, I look at the bottom half of its contents and pitch or file anything that has become compost or reference material (i.e. not needed for an impending Next Action).

This was not an original idea -- got it somewhere off the web... let me check my GTD Implementation reference file... ah yes. A post on Edward Tufte's site (found via 43F):
Martin Ternouth's system.

 
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