I have also yet to work in industry, but I do have experience in creating a gantt chart in high school, for my capstone class, and again at NJIT in my current capstone class. Both times, I believe the easiest way is to color code and bold words I deem are necessary to meet as a deadline. It is also helpful to have the months on the x-axis and on the top so it can be followed like a schedule and easily looked at. It is also helpful to go over the gantt chart several times with the other members to make sure it is feasible to meet the demands of the timeline. It is also important to stick to the gantt chart if a hard deadline is approaching, and make reasonable amount of time for each task to be completed on time and in an efficient way. It also allows other team members to work along with you, or catch up to speed on what needs to be done if a group project is being done.