Congratulations! You've been accepted into your university, you've arranged your transport and you've packed your bags (don't forget the face mask)! Now all you need to do is settle in and begin your university experience. Whether you're a first-year student or a returning academic, university is looking a little different for everyone this year – and for international students, the idea of flying across the world for their degrees is more daunting than ever before.

Management trainers often tread a fine line between academia and practical reality. If they have studied management at university, it’s all too tempting to dazzle their students with clever-sounding terms. But being dazzled is the last thing budding managers need as they seek to perform better and advance their careers. Many would rather point their telescopes away from the sun and see the path ahead clearly.

Sophia Smith is a lifestyle blogger, graphic designer and a food enthusiast. Sophia has contributed to a number of publications including Eco Warrior Princess, Naughty Nutrition, Herbs Mother Earth Living, Yoga Trade, Sivana Spirit, Bonvita Style, Carousel, and Cause Artist.
You can find out more about her writing by following her on Twitter (@sophia_bri)

The BBC has used research data from the Institute for Fiscal Studies to publish an interactive salary checker based on degree subject and university in the UK. It shows how graduate earnings vary five years after leaving each institution and subject, relative to the average degree, whatever that is. And it shows data for men and women, thus highlighting the gender pay gap.

Most office workers know a few Excel functions to get them through the day. But that’s like driving a Ferrari at walking pace. Excel is a massively powerful piece of software that can do almost anything that’s asked of it – if only you know how. Excel has arguably saved more hours of work than any other piece of software, but it needs to be programmed to do so. This means there is a substantial market for Excel training.