Balancing Study and Life

A student describes what went wrong in her first year, and what she changed. Listen twice, answer fifteen questions that mark themselves, and open the script last.

Listen

The Recording

What to do: Listen straight through once for the general story: what her problem was, what she did about it, and what she tells other students. Then listen a second time for detail and answer the questions below.

AudioBalancing Study and Life

Try all three question sets before you open the script. You will learn more from listening than from reading.

“When I started university, I honestly thought I could do everything without planning. I was studying full-time and working about fifteen hours a week in a café, and at first it felt manageable. But pretty quickly, problems started to appear.

First, I kept underestimating how long my assignments would take. I’d tell myself I’d finish an essay in one evening, but it usually took two or three. That meant I stayed up late and felt exhausted the next day.

Another major issue was that my work shifts changed every week. Because my schedule wasn’t fixed, I found it hard to create a routine, and I often forgot deadlines or revision sessions.

Things only improved when I changed how I organized my time. I started using a digital planner and wrote down everything — lectures, work shifts, deadlines, even social plans. I also began breaking big tasks into smaller steps, which made them feel more manageable.

Finally, I learned to be more realistic. Instead of trying to do everything perfectly, I set clear priorities and accepted that sometimes saying no is necessary.

My advice to other students would be this: don’t wait until you’re stressed to get organized. Plan your week in advance, be honest about how much time things really take, and make sure you leave some time to rest. Studying is important, but burning out helps no one.”

Two words worth noticing. The speaker says started university and revision sessions. Both are normal British usage. In American English you would hear started college and study sessions instead. Both versions are correct — the transcript matches the recording exactly, so you can hear the difference for yourself. No question below depends on either word.

Complete the Notes

One or Two Words

What to do: Complete each sentence with one or two words from the recording. Listen again if you need to. Then tap Check Answers. Spelling counts.

1. She was working about ______ hours a week in a café.

2. She kept ______ how long her assignments would take.

3. She started using a digital ______ and wrote down everything.

4. She began breaking big tasks into smaller ______.

5. Her advice is to plan your week in ______.

Talk About It

Discussion

What to do: Discuss with a partner or write your own answers. There is no score, so give your real opinion.

Questions

Which of her two problems would be harder for you, and why?
Do you usually guess how long a task will take correctly, or do you guess low like she did?
She writes social plans in the same planner as her classes. Is that a good idea?
What is one thing you could realistically say no to this month?
She says burning out helps no one. Do you agree that rest is part of studying well?
What is one change you could make this week to manage your time better?

Tap to see your score on the three graded tasks, then show your teacher.

Score

Your Result

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This account is a script written for this lesson and performed for the recording. It is not an interview with a real person, and no names, places, or figures in it refer to anyone in particular.