14 Managing Daily Tasks
Now that you can see the big picture of your schedule and weekly priorities, the next step is to create a daily to-do list to prioritize your tasks. Some learners prefer paper-based task management systems, while others prefer to use technology to manage daily tasks. As you make your decision, keep in mind what scheduling tools the school offers to you as a student. Furthermore, consider the advantages and disadvantages of systems you might choose, as presented in table 14.1.
System | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
Paper planner | • User is not required to learn new technology. • Eliminates possible distraction with apps. • Flexible and adaptable to user preferences. | • Difficult to share tasks with team members in group projects. • May require time to create effective calendar and task list layouts. |
Online calendar (e.g., Outlook Calendar, Google Calendar) | • Tasks and other life commitments are integrated in a single view. • Information is easily viewable on multiple devices. • Easy to schedule meetings with team members or share events. | • May be difficult to integrate smaller tasks into the work plan. • May be difficult to move incomplete tasks to a new time slot on a later date. |
Time management app (e.g., Wunderlist, Remember the Milk, Microsoft To-Do) | • Information can be viewed on multiple devices. • Most apps allow project lists to be shared between team members. • Easy to integrate small tasks into the daily task list. • Easy to mark task completion. • Incomplete tasks can be rescheduled simply. | • May require time to learn the platform. • Apps may become obsolete. • Some apps require payment. |