On Thursday, April 13, NeW hosted a panel conversation with our busy NeW alumnae, Brianna Howard and Sophie Czernicki, on the topic Time Management Strategies That Really Work.
Brianna Howard is the Mayor of Mount Jewett, Pennsylvania, and the Social Media Manager at the Independent Women’s Forum. Sophie Czernicki is in her last semester of law school at the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. She also manages positions on the Student Bar Association as well as running her own small business making jewelry.
NeW kicked off the session by posing the question of what a typical day looks like for each of the panelists and what routines they have put in place to stay on top of their busy schedules. Brianna started by describing her typical day as “thriving through the chaos.” Brianna shared she often uses productivity apps like Base Camp to keep her organized throughout her workday as a Social Media Manager. This helps her to keep up with deadlines and helps her stay on track throughout the week. To help her not forget any important meetings, she frequently utilizes the calendar app by setting reminders before the meeting time so she can prep before it starts.
Sophie shared that since her law school schedule has changed each semester, she looks for opportunities to create more of a consistent routine. For her, this looks like having a morning coffee while listening to a podcast on her commute to school or the law firm where she works.
The panel also discussed strategies for keeping organized while in college. Sophie shared that she takes time at the start of each semester to sit down with her calendar and add in each assignment, exam, meeting, or social event that she has throughout the entire semester. Doing this at the beginning of the year takes time but helps keep her on track when trying to manage so many different activities. Sophie also suggested blocking off some free space in your calendar for last-minute assignments or unexpected things that may arise, that way you are already prepared.
Briana added that while in college, it’s important to prioritize downtime and rest as part of self-care. She pointed out that as a student it is easy to never sleep and be constantly working, but that is not always a healthy approach. She said that you must, “respect your own time to recoup.”
As the session was wrapping up, both ladies encouraged the NeW members to not compare themselves to others but to focus on what is best for them. The best type of daily routine is the one that you can be consistent with!
Sophie’s final piece of advice to the group was to practice gratitude whenever possible. When dealing with schedules and deadlines it can be easy to get overwhelmed or frustrated, but by learning to shift your mindset from “it’s not what you have to do but what you get to do,” you can have a sense of peace that comes with gratefulness.
Adelyn Spikes is a NeW Campus Program Coordinator.
