Flexibility

Mental flexibility refers to the ability to dynamically reprioritize activities based on changing circumstances and to adapt to new (and unexpected) situations. Project-based learning regularly requires flexibility and ability to adapt - when experiments go wrong, when client needs change, or when interests shift. And students must also adapt schedules with competing demands from other courses and activities, changing schedules, teammate availability, and more.

Given the regularity that students report challenges managing their time, in this section I share some proposed interventions for where inflexibility introduces time management and work issues:

• Minimize the time necessary to adapt by planning ahead for changes. Use a calendar to map out not only in-person time (class periods, advisor meetings, team meetings) but also your planned time for working independently. Include in the calendar known "unusual" dates (e.g. holidays, reading days). Planning out time can mitigate the need for flexibility when there are predictable new situations.

• Reflect regularly on what is working and not working in time management. Having this planned reflection time gives you permission to make changes intentionally - if you have set aside a 2 hour block every afternoon to work but your roommate always comes home in that time and interrupts you, don't keep trying to use the same 2 hour block! Use reflection time to identify that the schedule isn't working, and change it intentionally.

• Proactively establish team guidelines that include timelines for responsiveness and norms for communication, including what to do when a situation changes.