Holiday Gift Ideas for You, the Graduate Student
By Ophir Lehavy
Gift giving and gift getting are surely on many people’s minds during the holiday season. Graduate students have unique needs which can widen the gift buying options while providing helpful items. I have compiled a list of gift ideas for graduate students that you can either request from loved ones or give to yourself this holiday season.
- Money has always been on the top of my list of gift requests. If cash is your preferred gift or if you are seeking a new job, you may want to ask for contributions to attend some of the communications’ industry top conferences, such as one of the many PRSA conferences which occur annually, or a PRSA membership.
- To-do lists can help you organize and stay focused on your goals. And they are a must when juggling classes and other responsibilities. The good news is that there are some great organization tools out there for the digitally minded and for those who prefer writing things down.
For those of you who like writing your to-do lists on paper, I recommend purchasing a Bullet Journal and fun stickers that you can place in your journal – next to your to-do bullet – when you’ve reached your goal. For those of you who prefer digital to-do lists, check out bulletjournal.com. For those of you who want to break down your goals into tangible steps, the Commit30 2018 Day Planner provides you with a strategy for accomplishing goals within 30-days. - If you’re not quite sure where all your time goes, check out the app RescueTime. You can use this app to monitor how you spend your time online. How much time are you really spending on social media, video games, research, and studying?
- Sleep is one of the key ingredients to working more efficiently and constructively. If you do not feel rested after a full night’s sleep, check out the Phillips Wake Up Sunrise Simulation. Phillips claims that the light therapy lamp mimics a natural sunrise, improves sleep and energy levels, and can improve your ability to function in the morning.
- For me, a good book is a treat. As communications professionals, I strongly recommend reading books about writing to help inspire your craft and learn some new tricks of the trade. This year, Stephen King is re-releasing his bestselling On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, in honor of the memoir’s 10th anniversary.
Wishing everyone a happy holiday season! Please feel free to reach out to me at olehavy@jou.ufl.edu if you would like a personalized discussion on any of these topics. Wishing everyone well!
Ophir Lehavy is an adjunct lecturer and success coach for the UF CJC Online graduate education program at the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications. You can reach her at olehavy@jou.ufl.edu or on LinkedIn.
Posted: December 15, 2017
Category: Student Success, UF CJC Online Blog
Tagged as: student success, time management
