I'm getting worried about how I'm going to manage a heavy workload and several steep learning curves. I'm currently looking into different productivity techniques and software: I'm already using FreeMind (mind mapping software) and have a Gantt chart on Excel 2007. I've also been looking at GanttProject.biz and the Pomodoro technique (which I have used with great success before in a slightly different form). I'm very much a goal-setter so I've been wondering if there is software for managing endless sets of daily, weekly and monthly to-do lists (I suspect that file sizes would soon become unwieldy in Word 2007).

Of course, the trouble is then trying to manage lots of different productivity software in lots of different formats... especially when that is time I'm not working. I already have background skills in science and programming to catch up on very quickly, plus a huge amount of writing up (draft literature review in three months?) so I need to focus on that old chestnut about working smarter, not harder.

It also feels like years since I wrote a scientific essay or did a regression analysis so I'm going to require additional time to build up my confidence in simply being a scientist again.

What software / techniques have you employed, especially in the early stages of your PhD? Did they work? Any hints / tips / pitfalls / advice?

hi, I,m in a similar situation, just started om my PhD earlier this year and also working full time so any suggestions that come up here will be of interest to me too.
I have my research divided into a number of related segments so I can work each at different times and hopefully pull them all together at a later stage. with regard to using various software to help I started using Endnote referencing software lately and it's a great help, not only in writing up various pieces but in finding relevent data and papers have stored on my laptop.I also use MS Onenote as a diary/journal I just put anything I;m working on in it I find it's better than jotting down notes on bits of paper etc.

Hi there

I'm just finishing off now, should be submitting in just under 2 weeks, and never bothered with any of that stuff. I made plans and reassessed everything every so often, but I've found that the project changed so much over the years and I had to be very flexible in terms of what I could do and when that those kinds of charts and things were just redundent after a week or two. But then I'm in a science field and was working with 2 other labs so I had work around them a lot!

I suppose the important area is being able to file and access the methodology used and all the gathered data so you dont have to go searching when you need it.

WEll, I kept several lab books, one for papers and thoughts and ideas, so I could look back and follow my train of thought. Plus I found this easier to add to when I had a sudden idea or was in transit somewhere than a computer program. The other lab books were for each section of my reserach, one for each methodology or topic, and I wrote everything down that I did. The best advice I can give is to write down absolutely everything you decide to do and why you have chosen it, and to start writing mini discussions of your results as and when you get them. It won't take that much longer at the end of the day, and it helps immensely when it comes to writing up.
And every so often if you feel like you are forgetting what you are doing or why, just take a while step vback, and write down everything like free flow writing and you'll see it all come back and it will all come into context and you can see if you are missing out something that you should include, or doing something that you don't really need to.
But just take it one day and one topic at a time!

I'm doing similar to what you said, reecording all the methodology and reasoning behind it, but instead of writing I use Onenote to record everything, I just find it easier to store and find and also better than trying to read my own handwriting!!