With only one year to get through your whole master’s degree, you’ll find that more often than not there’s literally no time to stop and relax. The only reason I have survived is thanks to some of these lifesaving platforms that help to organise and manage my hectic schedule. If you’re an undergrad or a PhD student, I’m sure these tools will also come in handy at some point in your lives. So without further ado here are some of my favourite platforms!
Calendly
Calendly, helps us avoid one of the worst types of email exchanges, the back and forth emails to decide on a mutually agreed time to meet. Similar to LSE Student Hub where you can book office hours this tool allows you to just send a link and your colleagues can choose from available times and subsequently it will be added to your calendar. So time efficient!
Bullet Journaling
Pioneered by Ryder Caroll, Bullet Journalling, a notebook-organisation system which has trended on Instagram and YouTube with numerous tutorials, will segregate between two kinds of notebook people: those who keep multiple notebooks and those who keep just one. Most of us are probably the former, living our lives in chaos, writing things down as we go: a notebook for the office, another for groceries and appointments, one for dreams and doodles, one for chores. The multiple-notebook person maintains a wall calendar, a desk calendar, and two calendar apps. They scribble a list of movies to watch on a sticky note that will end up lost inside the pages of their diaries, have no idea where their bank details are and find themselves wasting time on trying to decode numerous cryptic asides. I used to be that person and I could never and would never want to go back, so save yourself from this organisation purgatory!
Toggl track
Are you a big fan of the Pomodoro technique? Do you still tally up Pomodoros by hand? Or, are you just curious about how you spend your time while using your computer? Toggl helps you track and review your time in front of any screen so you can keep improving your productivity skills over time.
Grammarly
As a student you probably (like I’ve done in the past) think that you’re way too good to ever need the help of a grammar checker. Big mistake. With so many assignments and emails to keep on top of you’re bound to make mistakes as a human being- I mean even robots do sometimes! So free yourself from your ego and make full use of the resources with Grammarly around you to save time and worry less about typos!
Fishbowl
If you’re not an extrovert like me or prefer to work from home by default but still want to make meaningful connections, Fishbowl is the perfect tool for people like us. With both public and anonymous options the app allows for genuine conversations with other professionals that are working in similar roles and industries so you don’t have to be afraid to speak your mind!
Lunch club
Looking for something similar to Fishbowl but with even more time saving benefits? This artificial intelligence powered platform matches you up with people you are likely to have things in common with. Input your availability, your professional background and interests, and receive an email with date, time, and connection details sorted for you. Sign up here.
Slack
Working on an upcoming group project? Slack is a great space to integrate teams and at a much faster pace. With everything being added onto one platform and a direct messaging function, you don’t have to constantly switch between WhatsApp and Google Drive to share and collaborate on content. Life’s suddenly become a whole lot easier.
