Academic Skills

If you are a student at university you have already developed academic skills. Many students, however, find that there are ways in which to enhance their academic skills in order to succeed. For example, to make the most of university study you need to be able to:

• Listen effectively. How do you identify the important material in a lecture, tutorial or seminar?
• Read effectively. You will have a great deal of reading to cover during your studies. How do you decide what you must read?
• Construct and write essays and assignments. You must be able to construct arguments and organise your writing logically. How do you do this?
• Think critically. You must be able to question as you read and write. Could there be another interpretation? Have you considered all angles?
• Give presentations. Students are frequently asked to make presentations or talk about their assignments. Many people find this aspect of academic life difficult. How do you prepare for it?
• Tackle exams and revision. There are many different ways of learning, but which is most efficient for you? How do you tackle an exam essay, a short-answer paper or multiple-choice questions?
• Manage your time. Many students work part-time or have family responsibilities. For all students, using precious time well means prioritising. How do you decide what to prioritise?

The Student Learning Service can help you with all of these. We run workshops throughout term-time. Look at our Workshops page to see what topics we offer and where to book. For those of you who would prefer individual help, we offer Study Advice Sessions with an Academic Skills Adviser including specialist study skills advice for those with dyslexia and other learning differences. These sessions are strictly confidential.