You're drowning in tasks during your internship. How can you effectively manage your time to stay afloat?

The very nature of internships is a time to learn and grow. The best way to overcome drowning in tasks during an internship (or anytime in life) can be done through an acronym called PEC. Preparation - Plan the task into your calendar, so you are tying time to an activity. Respectfully ask for help if you need to understand where to prioritize. Execution - once you set the plan, then execute it, with the mindset you will need to adapt. Again, ask for help if you need to reprioritize. Control - through preparation, execution you commit to yourself and others that you will complete these tasks, or let stakeholders know your progress and if things need to be reprioritized. PEC is a way for you to float above it and not drown.

List and Prioritize Tasks: Write down everything you need to do. Identify the most urgent tasks and tackle those first. Prioritizing helps you focus on what really matters. Set Realistic Goals: Break your tasks into smaller steps with clear goals. Try to complete a few specific tasks each day rather than overwhelming yourself with everything at once. Review and Adjust: At the end of the day, review what you’ve done and adjust your plan for the next day if needed. This lets you stay flexible and keep track of your progress.

- Seek for Feedback from your Supervisor to provide you insights and advice. - Set Priority of tasks which help you to determine which to prioritize over others. - Allocate time requirements for each tasks.

Many internship responsibilities can consist of "busy work", while its important to obtain knowledge and experience its also important to understand the main priorities of your team, once you grasp that, then you can assist effectively. When given a task, always be clear on the deadline and the importance of the responsibility, this way you can determine its urgency. Flag anything that takes top priority and create an action list by date to stay organized. Be sure to review and communicate with all parties involved to make ensure you have all needed information and fire away. Also set a realistic deadline for completion, if you run into any hiccups be sure to communicate in the moment.

Priorities your requirements Seek help from experienced team member. Run through your plans with them and establish a relationship of mentee - mentor .

Understanding yourself is a critical first step in setting meaningful and achievable goals. Here's why: 1. Clarity on Strengths and Weaknesses: Knowing what you're naturally good at and where you need improvement helps you set goals that leverage your strengths and address growth. 2. Alignment with Values: Goals that align with your core values are motivating and fulfilling. 3. Realistic Expectations: Self-awareness allows you to set realistic and attainable goals based on your current capabilities, helping you avoid frustration and burnout. 4. Adaptability: Understanding your preferences and tendencies helps you remain flexible, adapting your goals as you grow or circumstances change.

Set Clear Goals: Setting daily and weekly goals helped me maintain focus and stay aligned with my broader internship objectives.

Time Blocks: I began to block specific times for focused work on important tasks, which helped me manage my time efficiently and avoid multitasking.

- Minimizing distractions has been a major factor. I’ve completely wiped out social media apps like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook from my phone. - Now, I only keep WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and Slack—platforms that keep me engaged with professional goals and networks. - Reducing scroll time has made a huge difference in staying focused.

Minimize Distractions: To stay focused, I used apps to limit phone notifications and set my work environment to "Do Not Disturb" mode when working on high-focus tasks.

At the end of each day during your internship, reflect on your tasks by assessing what you accomplished, what challenges you faced, and how you managed your time. Prioritize the next day's tasks based on urgency and importance, and adjust your goals as needed. Take note of any distractions and consider ways to minimize them tomorrow. Lastly, acknowledge your progress and be open to seeking help when necessary to improve your productivity.

Reflect Daily: At the end of each day, I reviewed what I had achieved and adjusted my goals and tasks for the next day. ....

Seek Feedback: Regularly seeking feedback from supervisors not only improved my performance but also ensured I was working on the right priorities.

One thing that always helps me, has been mentioned already many times, is to prioritize (whether in hand writing or typing) so that you can remain on task. It always helps.