How to paraphrase a wordy sentence [closed]

My friend John, a smart postgraduate, once worked on a project which was assigned by his professor and was required to finish in three months.

A couple of suggested alternatives:

  • John, my friend and a smart postgraduate, was assigned by a professor to work on a project with a completion time of three months.

  • John, a smart postgraduate and friend, had a professor who assigned him to work on a project with a completion time of three months.