Sticking to a Time Line Aids Graduate- and Professional-Student Success

For graduate and professional students, charting a time line for their programs of study is a good way to begin planning for successful program completion. The USA Funds^® Life Skills^® financial-literacy program offers suggestions for charting a path of progress — and sticking to it. Financial-aid administrators can share the following tips with their students:

Start by examining your catalog or handbook and identifying all the steps involved in completing your program requirements. List all the required due dates and deadlines for filing important forms and documents.

Next, meet with your adviser to determine additional, important milestones, such as when to have a thesis topic selected and when to schedule exams. Recognizing your optimal “time to completion,” create a realistic schedule that you can follow.

Once you’ve charted that time line, stick to it. Here are some strategies for staying on schedule:

• Gain support from your partner or spouse.
• Gain support from your academic peers.
• Stay in frequent contact with your adviser or mentor.
• Stay enrolled.
• Keep your time line posted in a highly visible area of your office. Check off tasks once they are completed.
• Prioritize your tasks. Make sure the more-important tasks are completed.
• Pay attention to deadlines. Failing to meet critical deadlines can seriously delay your program of study.
• Schedule regular time-line audits to ensure that you are track.
• Identify important milestones along the way and celebrate their attainment.

Creating time lines is important because they visually reinforce the requirements involved. They also outline for you the stages or sequence of steps toward program completion, breaking down the process into smaller, more-manageable units. The completion of each unit allows you to note your achievements as you move toward successful program completion.

More information about charting a time line for completing graduate or professional school is available in USA Funds Life Skills Module 6, “Embrace New Academic Challenges — Drafting Your Professional Plan.” The CD that accompanies the module includes a template to help students complete their personalized time lines.

For more information about USA Funds Life Skills, contact your debt-management consultant. You can order USA Funds Life Skills materials through the USA Funds Web site. Please allow two weeks for delivery of ordered items.