Chapter 6 Project management

Apart from all the programming you are going to learn, it might also make sense for you to learn how to structure your work day/week and your whole project so that you never lose track of what you need to do, and what you already have done, and how to do it all efficiently.

6.1 Computational Notebooks

These are files that allow you to write descriptive text, code, and the output of that code. They are particularly useful for:

• learning and teaching coding, because the code and its output are shown together, so you always know what does what
• documenting analysis/model development, because, besides the outputs of the code you are trying out, descriptive text can help elaborate your ideas better, and even include figures or links in the same file as the code you are working on.
• sharing computational work: Your collaborator/supervisor will be able to follow your reasoning with the descriptive text and check your work in the code blocks and its outputs.

See the complete tutorial here.

6.2 Excel-based orga

Anne has a very nice Excel sheet that she uses as a calendar. It has an annual sheet, a weekly schedule, and more. What is nice about this is that it is not restricted to Outlook has multiple options for sorting, filtering, coloring, and is completely customizable. Her template is available upon request :)

6.3 Pomodoro timer

“The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. It uses a timer to break work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. Each interval is known as a pomodoro, from the Italian word for ‘tomato’, after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer Cirillo used as a university student.” (From wikipedia)

Using the Pomodoro technique can be helpful if you struggle with feeling overwhelmed by your workload. Just start with any task and work on it for the set time (usually 25 minutes), then take a (5 minute) break. You will be surprised by how much you can get done in just one Pomodoro session!

You can either set your phone alarm at your chosen intervals, or you can look up one of the many Youtube channels that provide you with some background white noise during work periods, and music during the breaks. Jana likes to listen to this ambience channel, for example.

6.4 Asana

Basically just on online kanban board. + Its has unlimited projects and a nice look - proprietary and web based.

6.5 Finishing a PhD

Anne collected (with Selina, FU Berlin) all there strategies that helped them to finish their thesis: Tips&Strategies