2 Plan in advance

Plan your time well. Plan out which tasks you need to do. First thing each morning or sometimes the previous day deciding what you are going to do the following day. Follow your plan as closely as possible.

3 Prioritize

You can’t cope with all the tasks simultaneously, so define which of them are major and minor importance. When this numbered list is ready, either get down to finishing off less important things or postpone them to another day.

4 Don’t digress

Lots of things are going to distract your attention. And your task is say “stop” to them. Social media, phone, new messages – all these things steal time from you. It’s better to work first and then to have some messaging.

One more important thing is to focus on only one task. Don’t overload yourself with several assignments, concentrate on one of them – this way you will be able to work more effectively.

5 Have time for rest

Take small breaks between your tasks. First, your work-in-progress will be more creative if you’ve had some rest previously. And second, one way or another you need to relax and have a cup of coffee. Don’t forget to include short breaks in your daily plan.

6 Sleep enough

Your concentration and productivity directly depend on your sleep. Some people prefer to sleep less and work longer, relying on coffee and energy drinks to keep going. Soon their bodies and brain fall function well. It is best to avoid this trap. Your body needs 7-9 hours of sleep.

7 Use organizers

To become focused, one needs to effectively use organizers and timers. It’s easy enough to find the most suitable for you. Download calendars, notepads, time controllers or other stuff which you find good for your work.

8 Keep your deadline in mind

Mark in your calendar or reminder exactly when you have to hand in a paper, article or assignment. This will give you extra time to check and proof-read. So aim for an earlier deadline

Time management skill is a precious thing. If you have it, you’ve gained a great advantage over your classmates, Thanks to the time management tips listed above you can develop it step by step and see result right away.

43 BBC LEARNING ENGLISH

Is student life all good?

Useful notes:

through rose-tinted spectacles – was seeing a situation as better than it really was

out of your comfort zone - being in a situation that you aren’t familiar with

and which makes you feel nervous

counselling – professional help with personal or psychological problems

homesick – missing your family and friends when you’re away from home

balancing act – where you try to give your attention to two or more things at the same time

budgeting – planning how much money you have and how you will spend it.

Listen to Neil and Alice talking about Neil’s first days at university.

Work in pairs and underline the alternative to complete what…

Neil said

1 I did feel comfortable / out of my comfort zone when I arrived.

2 I’m one of those men who is/ isn’t good at talking about their feelings.

3 I do think that university life can be more stressful/ more enjoyable than people realize

4 Now I’m quite good at budgeting/ I’m still pretty bad at that.

Alice said

5 The survey, completed by over one hundred/ thousand students, also found that almost 50%/ 70% of those that suffer from stress do so at least once/ twice a week, and 19%/ 9% feel stressed constantly. Stressed means anxious and worried.

Kirsty McMurron, student at Exeter University, said

6 When I first got to university I’d quickly realized that I’d forgotten how to cook/

to make friends.

7 I was trying to balance social success with academic success/ with my work

8 Dr Ruth Caleb, Head of the counseling service at Brunel University, said

Certain things that I think would be very helpful for students to have put in place are

an ability to do practical things of life – to do the washing/ to do their homework and so on,

being able to cook/ being able to drive a car.