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On 09/11/10 19:48, Roland Tarver wrote:
While numerous pieces of software can assist in planning, organising, generating and keeping track of work. You really have to ask yourself two questions. What software will assist me, and how long will it take for me to get proficient in it enough to save me time over all. But remember a good craftsman use a variety of tools, so if your toolbox only contains a screwdriver you are only going to see the world from the perspective of a screw (very limited).Hi Folks At the moment I have many uni projects (essays etc) which each have their various milestones and other critical dates and tasks. I need to get *very* organised and manage my time well. Can anyone recommend any floss project management software please? I noticed TaskJuggler, but have not installed it. Looks a little over kill for what I need (since I am a team of 1 - lol)..... Many thanks best wishes roly :-)
Remember that software is only an extension of your own skills, so look at your own time management. Everybody is different and nobody is super efficient. Its more about habits, motivations and procedures. Evaluate yourself very critically and work around known problems where you can. For example find the spot in the day when you are most productive and ask yourself why you are more productive at that time? Identify the motivation and see if you can "stimulate it" but be careful not to over do it.
Distractions like telly, vid games, social networking etc. are all time killers (but not necessarily wasters). Manage these sensibly as well. You need the down time, and the social contact, otherwise you will drive yourself into the ground, but monitor them carefully to ensure that you are not "abusing" them. If possible try to integrate their use into your work. If you like IRC then arrange an IRC with Uni peers to discuss common project work and ideas. That way you can integrate the social technology with productive planning and brainstorming work. Set up a facebook group as a study forum and invite your fellow students. For example make a list of documents you have read related to your course. This can be useful to others in the group if they need to ask questions on a particular topic. If you have time make a note of the key points that others might find useful.
Try out zim (personal wiki). Its a wiki (and browser) which stays on your machine. Good for note taking creating tick lists etc and works very much like a wiki. It doesn't need mysql or apache or any other overheads, it just sits on your desktop and is "instant" on. It might not work for you but its free to try.
Try lots of different software in your work ... again ask yourself which ones you like working with most and why? Use the ones that make you most productive and look for other software that has similar features. For example I have used both Thunderbird and Evolution. I hate Evolution ... the panels are more or less in the same place as Thunderbird but I just find it more quirky which makes me irritable, so I stick to thunderbird because I feel more comfortable and hence more productive.
Record how you use of your time (there are tools for that too). This will give you an idea of how much time you will need for similar projects in the future. You may be able to knock up a spreadsheet in minutes, but take longer to write an essay. Recording the time you take for different exercises will help you understand how much time you will need in future projects, it will also identify weaknesses in software use, ask is it the software or do you just need more familiarity ... if the software, if you struggle with the software look for another tool to do the same job.
Tom. -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/listfaq