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Dissertation Resources for Business & Economics

Curated by Cynthia Hillman for the Booth PhD Program

Time Management

Everyone struggles with time management and striking the right balance between work and social life. As you move through your time in the PhD program, you may also find that strategies that worked well in past don’t seem as effective for dissertation work.

Conventional Wisdom:

  • Clarify your priorities and learn to say no
  • Make goals and create a realistic timeline for achieving them
  • Keep a time log to diagnose problem areas
  • Plan breaks and celebrate success along the way

Find what works for you:

  • ABC Task List: Separate tasks based on level of difficulty. Focus on the most demanding tasks (A) when you know you work best (morning for many people, but afternoon for others). B-level tasks might not need your full attention or uninterrupted work time, and C-level tasks can be saved for your least productive time of day.
  • The Pomodoro Technique: Improve productivity by working in concentrated bursts of 25 minutes each.

Booth PhD Program Office Contact Info

The University of Chicago
Booth School of Business
5807 South Woodlawn Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60637
Tel: 773.702.7298
phd@ChicagoBooth.edu