Spencer's page 1A

## **How to Get the Most out of University**

### **Time Management**

Kruse, Kevin. “Time Management Secrets From 29 Straight-A Students.” *Forbes*, Forbes Magazine, 19 Nov. 2015, www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2015/11/09/time-management-students/#74a020e86a4c

Time management is an essential skill in a vigorous academic environment such as the University of Toronto. With the rich social media landscape that we currently reside in, it is very easy to get lost for hours at a time while surfing the web and browsing through various social media sites and apps. This comes at the expense of not only academic performance, but also one's mental and physical well being.

This article on Forbes, documents many strategies that straight-A Ivy league university students use to ensure their success while at school. While researching for his latest book, *15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management*, Kevin Kruse has discovered several recurring themes that are key to academic success.

The two strategies among all students Kruse interviewed were limiting social media use and using a calendar. Students used apps such as *Selfcontrol* to help limit their social media use. By physically restricting social media, school work became more focused, efficient, and effective. A calendar also aided students in meeting deadlines and making commitments. By utilizing these two relatively simple strategies, many students were able to not only reach academic success, but also enrich their university experience doing other activities because of their new found time.

### **Doing well in University**

Serebrin, Jacob. “10 Secrets to University Success.” *Macleans.ca*, Macleans, 8 Sept. 2011, www.macleans.ca/education/uniandcollege/10-secrets-to-first-year-success/

Students are under immense pressure to do well in University. This Maclean's article documents 10 tips to achieve success in the first year of University. The tips offer many relevant points for first years to consider and are there to help not students succeed in the first year and prepare them for upper years.

The main points of the article cover time management, money management and mental health. Time management is a major part of success in University and in life. Money management is also a big one as students often live alone for the first time in University. Having monetary discipline in regards to eating, shopping and drinking habits is a challenge for many first year students. Finally, mental health is a huge problem in University. With the pressure that comes with University, knowing to how and where to look for support is very important. Mental health is just as important, if not even more important than physical health and grades. At the end of the day, student well-being should come first. Knowing that there is always support in the form of counselors, friends and family is important, and students should never be afraid to reach out.

### **Managing a Budget**

Posadzki, Alexandra. “Heading to University? Expert Tips on Budgeting and Managing Student Debt.” *Global News*, 6 Aug. 2015, globalnews.ca/news/2151106/expert-tips-on-budgeting-and-managing-student-debt/

Managing a budget in university is very difficult. As many students move away for the first time, they must quickly learn to manage tuition, school fees and living costs. Since most students have weak financial literacy, this can mean trouble for many down the line. This is especially true in a city like Toronto, where living expenses are very high.

This article talks about student debt across the nation and covers some strategies students can utilize to better manage money in university. As students gain access to credit, it is very easy for many to go crazy with spending. The article suggests using different lines of credit to gain access to funds if they need to, as credit card debt has the highest rate of interest. The article also covers managing student loans. The average Canadian student exits university with around $22,000 dollars in debt according to the news article. Learning how and having the discipline to effectively manage debt and pay it off is an important skill to have.