Being a tenure-track or tenured professor isn't like working the assembly line a Ford Motors. Academia doesn't have the same characteristics that enable strict scheduling. I don't think I knew many people in academia that could make do with a 40 hour workweek, all things considered. And, for early career folks, poor work-life balance is pretty common. Once you have taught a course a few times and have most of the materials on file and ready to reuse, it gets easier at that end. I hate to tell you that 60 hours may be required (or even more), but at an R1 it might well be the case. You aren't paid or otherwise rewarded for your hours, but for your production.

Two things you might do, one for each major part of the job. For the course you teach see if a colleague who has taught it before will share their materials. Even if you don't use them explicitly, it can give you a head start of preparation.

For research, make sure that there are no "lost moments" and that as the mind works away while waiting for things to happen, that you have a way to capture quick thoughts that might help. This is easier, I'd guess, for people in theoretical fields and likely hardest for those who need to do their research in a lab. But always carry something to write on as thoughts occur while waiting for the barista to finish your order (or whatever...sitting on a bus...). I found note cards to be especially useful and could be arranged into decks and carried for review, etc.

A third general suggestion is to get enough sleep and enough (aerobic) exercise. Lacking either will make the brain less effective and less efficient. Note cards/pads next to the bed can be useful for some.

One additional hint for the teaching side. Don't forget that it is much more important what the students do in a course than what the professor says in lecture. The first forces active learning, but making things depend too much on lecture may lead to a passive state which is less effective for learning. If you can get a grader, all the better. Load the students up with tasks.

Being a tenure-track or tenured professor isn't like working the assembly line at Ford Motors. Academia doesn't have the same characteristics that enable strict scheduling. I don't think I knew many people in academia that could make do with a 40 hour workweek, all things considered. And, for early career folks, poor work-life balance is pretty common. Once you have taught a course a few times and have most of the materials on file and ready to reuse, it gets easier at that end. I hate to tell you that 60 hours may be required (or even more), but at an R1 it might well be the case. You aren't paid or otherwise rewarded for your hours, but for your production.

Two things you might do, one for each major part of the job. For the course you teach see if a colleague who has taught it before will share their materials. Even if you don't use them explicitly, it can give you a head start of preparation.

For research, make sure that there are no "lost moments" and that as the mind works away while waiting for things to happen, that you have a way to capture quick thoughts that might help. This is easier, I'd guess, for people in theoretical fields and likely hardest for those who need to do their research in a lab. But always carry something to write on as thoughts occur while waiting for the barista to finish your order (or whatever...sitting on a bus...). I found note cards to be especially useful and could be arranged into decks and carried for review, etc.

A third general suggestion is to get enough sleep and enough (aerobic) exercise. Lacking either will make the brain less effective and less efficient. Note cards/pads next to the bed can be useful for some.

One additional hint for the teaching side. Don't forget that it is much more important what the students do in a course than what the professor says in lecture. The first forces active learning, but making things depend too much on lecture may lead to a passive state which is less effective for learning. If you can get a grader, all the better. Load the students up with tasks.

Being a tenure-track or tenured professor isn't like working the assembly line a Ford Motors. Academia doesn't have the same characteristics that enable strict scheduling. I don't think I knew many people in academia that could make do with a 40 hour workweek, all things considered. And, for early career folks, poor work-life balance is pretty common. Once you have taught a course a few times and have most of the materials on file and ready to reuse, it gets easier at that end. I hate to tell you that 60 hours may be required (or even more), but at an R1 it might well be the case. You aren't paid or otherwise rewarded for your hours, but for your production.

Two things you might do, one for each major part of the job. For the course you teach see if a colleague who has taught it before will share their materials. Even if you don't use them explicitly, it can give you a head start of preparation.

For research, make sure that there are no "lost moments" and that as the mind works away while waiting for things to happen, that you have a way to capture quick thoughts that might help. This is easier, I'd guess, for people in theoretical fields and likely hardest for those who need to do their research in a lab. But always carry something to write on as thoughts occur while waiting for the barista to finish your order (or whatever...sitting on a bus...). I found note cards to be especially useful and could be arranged into decks and carried for review, etc.

A third general suggestion is to get enough sleep and enough (aerobic) exercise. Lacking either will make the brain less effective and less efficient. Note cards/pads next to the bed can be useful for some.

Being a tenure-track or tenured professor isn't like working the assembly line a Ford Motors. Academia doesn't have the same characteristics that enable strict scheduling. I don't think I knew many people in academia that could make do with a 40 hour workweek, all things considered. And, for early career folks, poor work-life balance is pretty common. Once you have taught a course a few times and have most of the materials on file and ready to reuse, it gets easier at that end. I hate to tell you that 60 hours may be required (or even more), but at an R1 it might well be the case. You aren't paid or otherwise rewarded for your hours, but for your production.

Two things you might do, one for each major part of the job. For the course you teach see if a colleague who has taught it before will share their materials. Even if you don't use them explicitly, it can give you a head start of preparation.

For research, make sure that there are no "lost moments" and that as the mind works away while waiting for things to happen, that you have a way to capture quick thoughts that might help. This is easier, I'd guess, for people in theoretical fields and likely hardest for those who need to do their research in a lab. But always carry something to write on as thoughts occur while waiting for the barista to finish your order (or whatever...sitting on a bus...). I found note cards to be especially useful and could be arranged into decks and carried for review, etc.

A third general suggestion is to get enough sleep and enough (aerobic) exercise. Lacking either will make the brain less effective and less efficient. Note cards/pads next to the bed can be useful for some.

One additional hint for the teaching side. Don't forget that it is much more important what the students do in a course than what the professor says in lecture. The first forces active learning, but making things depend too much on lecture may lead to a passive state which is less effective for learning. If you can get a grader, all the better. Load the students up with tasks.