3 Productivity Hacks to Balance Work and Graduate School Applications

Applying to graduate school while working full time is a great primer for being back in school.

On top of work and a social life, suddenly there is another pull for your time. It’s something important that you care about, yet there are only so many hours in the day.

If you have limited time, need to be more efficient and have better focus to complete your graduate school application, these productivity hacks will help.

These are the 3 productivity hacks that got me through the application process and then graduate school while working full time.

1. Pomodoro Method

2. Self Control Apps

3. Guilt-Free Fun

#1 - Pomodoro Method

Pomodoro is Italian for tomato, a nod to the tomato-shaped kitchen alarm which inspired the timed focus approach.

The Pomodoro method is incredible for those of us who can only focus for short periods of time. The structure is working in short sprints with more frequent breaks versus agonizing and forcing “focus” for hours on end.

The typical Pomodoro method is 25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5-minute break. For longer periods, you do this 4 times, and after the fourth you take a 25-minute break.

Before starting, decide what you want to accomplish. Having a realistic goal in mind will help you achieve it. 

Also clear your immediate physical space of any audible or visual distractions if possible.

Need a timer?

I use the Focus Keeper app on my phone, it can also be used in your browser.

Focus Keeper is programmed for the Pomodoro Method with 25 minute working blocks and 5 minute breaks, with a 25 minute break after 4 cycles. It is adjustable in the event you want to focus for more or less than 25 minutes.

Pro Tip: Keep your phone in another part of the room to prevent the temptation of distraction. You will still be able to hear the chimes when it’s time for a break.

Below is a sample schedule for working on your personal statement on a weekend morning.

An achievable goal for this time frame is to write an outline for your statement.

Sample Pomodoro Schedule

- 9:00-9:25AM - Write (25 min)

- 9:25-9:30AM - Break (5 min)

- 9:30-9:55AM - Write (25 min)

- 9:55-10:00AM - Break (5 min)

- 10:00-10:25AM - Write (25 min)

- 10:25-10:30AM - Break (5 min)

- 10:30-10:55AM - Write (25 min)

- 10:55-11:20AM - Break (25 min)

Personal Note: I often find myself getting ready for a distraction around the 17-minute mark. When I check the clock and realize I only have 7 minutes until a break, it motivates me to push through a bit more work to feel like I have earned it.

What can you do in those 5 minute breaks? The trick is to do something that won’t stretch into the next work period.

Examples:

- Stretch or do squats, get your blood flowing

- Restroom break

- Treat yourself to a snack

I highly recommend no texts or calls for the full two-hour block.

Also avoid checking social media, the scroll may feel like a relief but I found it took me a few minutes longer to get back into focus mode for the next 25 minutes than if I had stretched or eaten.

To avoid the lure of social media during this time, I highly recommend using self control apps.

#2 - Self Control Apps

It’s a great time to be a graduate student because there are multiple options to put distraction blockers on phones, tablets and computers to stay focused.

Different ways these can function:

- “Blacklisting” certain apps and websites to keep you from accessing them during a specific time block.

- “Whitelisting” apps and websites as the only apps and websites you can access during a certain time

- Getting rewards for not using your phone while you are working

It’s freeing to know that those distractions are not available on your computer while you are working. Plus, if you accidentally block a page you need, you are likely still able to access it on a smart phone.

Here are a few options for incredible self control apps:

Self Control (Computer App)

This free computer-based app is literally the reason I have a master’s and doctorate.

If I had to give a speech thanking everyone who supported me through graduate school, I would thank Self Control before my family.

Seriously.

This app for Macs has been around since at least 2010 when I first used it. The skull graphic may feel concerning, but we know now that real virus dangers have less obvious labels.

Option for PCs: Cold Turkey

The no frills approach to the Self Control app allows you to blacklist (blocklist) websites you do not want to allow yourself access to during a set time block up to 24 hours. Conversely, the whitelist (allowlist) approach lets you list the only websites to access.

I use the blocklist function because you never know where online research will lead you, so you’ll need access to most other sites online while blocking websites that are the biggest distractors.

Examples of sites I have on my blocklist:

- Gmail (accessible on my phone if needed)

- Social media (to resist the scroll)

- News (even though learning feels productive)

- Shopping (to save treating myself for when I complete the task)

- Blogs (seeing photos of fashion on the red carpet can wait)

After you download and set up your blocklist or allowlist, a small gray window pops up with a sliding scale to adjust your timeframe for blocking. I highly recommend choosing an obscure time amount to help avoid creating a mental countdown to when the time runs up.

To use Self Control, click “Start Block” at the onset of your focused time.

Depending on what you’re working on, you might only set it for an hour, or maybe you’ll be bold send set it for 12+ hours and block everything for the day.

I’ve done this a few times when I was finishing up my application and again when I was completing final papers. 

Note: when you use Self Control, you literally have to wait until the timer runs its course to be able to access the sites on your blocklist again. Restarting the computer or popping out the battery has no effect on the timer.

Leech Block (Browser Extension)

Instead of downloading a program to your computer, Leech Block is a free browser extension for Google Chrome. It also allows you to create a blocklist and although the interface is simple, it has several additional functions:

• Creating multiple block “sets” - so you can choose which set of sites to block for different activities. 

• You choose the actual days times to block. The block sets can be reused which is helpful if you’re working on your application in the evening and want to have the block set for 8:00-10:00pm on weekdays.

• You can also set a time limit for viewing websites. Example: After 10 minutes on LinkedIn, Leech Block will block your access. This can be set by hour or day.

Forest (Phone App)

If you need an altruistic ultimatum to stay off your phone during focused work, Forest is the app for you.

How does it work?

• Set a timer for the time block you want to stay off your phone. You could use this for your 25-minute Pomodoro sessions.

• When you start the timer, you plant a virtual tree. The tree grows while you work. If you interrupt the timer to get on your phone, the tree dies. (Morbid and effective).

• Earn “coins” for growing your virtual trees, then “spend” them in the app toward a donation to plant actual trees. Over 1.5 million trees have been planted from this app alone.

The Forest app is one small way to have fun and help the environment while you do focused work.

#3 - Guilt-Free Fun

One of the best productivity hacks that no one talks about is having fun!

My life drastically improved when I embraced the concept of guilt-free fun while in graduate school.

When we focus too much on being productive or getting upset with ourselves for not working when we think we should, it can quickly become a resentful, unproductive cycle.

Life is meant to be enjoyed as much as it is to be a productive member of society.

Research shows the benefits of restorative activities on our ability to focus, so it is imperative that you take time to live a little.

How can you have fun when there is so much work to do, a home to keep clean, family and friends to connect with, and graduate school application to complete?

Schedule it.

Choose a fun activity that brings you joy, put it on your calendar and show up.

When you pre-decide to give yourself a break and have fun, you do not feel guilty about taking it.

You already know it will refresh you for your next task when it’s time to get back to the grind.

If you’re short on time or money, here are options for guilt-free fun that will restore your spirit when you have a lot on your plate:

• Schedule a call with someone you care about (ex. a friend from high school or your grandma, she misses you!)

• Go for a walk around your home or at a park, fresh air improves focus

• Play like a kid again, swing on a swing or blow bubbles

• Google “free activities in (your city)” - you’ll likely be surprised at what’s happening nearby

Quick Recap

To maximize your productivity while applying to graduate school as a working professional:

• Try focus methods like Pomodoro to keep you on track to accomplish small tasks while working toward a big goal

• Use technology to control distractions

• Schedule guilt-free fun to restore your body and mind before getting back to work

As you prepare to start applying for graduate school, you will find that an application tracker can also boost your productivity. Use it to alleviate your brain from remembering which part of each application is do when, and instead focus on developing an incredible personal statement.

Follow Dr. Jena on LinkedIn for more insight on your journey to graduate school as a working professional.

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