What was the student surprised to discover he had a lot of? 【25】

Professor: Hello, Dinesh. Come in. You said on the phone that you had a few problems to discuss with me. Tell me what they are and I’ll see what I can do to help.
Dinesh: Thank you very much, professor. I’ve been having some problems adapting to the style of learning at a British university and was hoping you could give me some advice.
Professor: I’ll do my best. You won’t be the first overseas student to have problems. What’s your first problem?
Dinesh: Well, my first problem is organising my time. I mean, after I worked out my timetable for lectures, seminars and tutorials, I was surprised to find that I had quite a lot of free time. However, that’s how it looked on paper and not as it has turned out in reality.
Professor: I see. Take control of this time and organise it carefully. Time that is not organised can disappear very quickly, leaving you rushing to catch up on your work or even running out of time altogether. Learn the essentials of time management. First, make weekly or monthly plans that set out your study targets for the week or month ahead. Schedule time for reading, and work out roughly how much you want to read in each session. Plan time to research and write your essays or prepare projects, so that you do not have to stay up late doing them at the last minute. Have you made such a plan?
Dinesh: No, I haven’t. That’s obviously something I should do. I can easily fill that free time with extra studies.
Professor: No, no. That’s not what I mean. Don’t plan to spend all your extra time studying. Remember to leave some time free for hobbies, sports, seeing friends or simply relaxing. If you do not take time to enjoy yourself, your work will suffer and you will miss out on many other worthwhile experiences. Make a timetable for your free time, if you like. Plan when to see your friends, play your favourite sport, or just hang out. Don’t forget to revise your plans if you need to. As you progress through your course, you will get a better idea of how much time you need for different activities. Adjust your schedules and keep them realistic.
Dinesh: So, you’re saying that I need to keep a balance between work and play and keep an eye on things to make sure that I’m not doing too much or too little.
Professor: That’s right. Feel free to show me your plan when you’ve made one.
Dinesh: Thank you. My next problem is coping with my course. Living abroad in a new environment makes studying more challenging than usual. I’m worried about my progress and about how I will cope with examinations.
Professor: These concerns are natural, but do not let them overwhelm you. Here are two simple ways you can stay in control of your studies. First, ask for regular meetings with your tutor--in your case, that’s me--to review your progress and discuss any problems. You’re doing that now, so you’ve taken the first step. Let me know if you are having any language difficulties, though in your case that seems doubtful. As you are probably aware, there is a language centre here where all students can use language-learning materials, but it’s probably not of much use to you. Second, why not try to form a mutual support group with other international students to discuss common challenges and to share useful ideas? This can be particularly helpful if you find the teaching methods very different from those you have experienced before. Another type of support group could, be other students in your subject area--get together with students on similar courses to discuss the issues, swap ideas and give each other support.
Dinesh: Yes. The second idea is particularly good. As you know, there are not so many overseas students on this course, but I know some other students from my country on other courses here. I think that I feel overwhelmed because I have set myself unrealistic goals. Just talking to you has made me realise that I need to take a more realistic approach and put my problems into perspective.
Professor: Just remember that whatever concerns you may have--about new learning methods, managing your time, or handling your workload--there is someone here who can help. I’m happy to be that person. All you have to do is ask. Hopefully, I can offer you a practical solution.
Dinesh: Thank you very much. There is one other thing. When we had the orientation, the International Student Advisor mentioned a book that’s available from the campus bookshop. It’s not specifically for overseas students, but she said it was useful. I didn’t write it down. You wouldn’t happen to know the book I mean, would you?
Professor: I know it. I recommend it. It’s called Learn How to Learn, by David Warner. I’m popping over to the bookshop myself now. Perhaps we could go together?