As you get accustomed to the new academic year, or to university life altogether, you might be thinking about your upcoming assignments and how to prepare. The Academic Skills Service can help you enhance skills that are instrumental to academic success – including time management, essay writing, planning for assignments, and maths and statistics.
Digital resources
The service has a variety of digital resources to get you started:
- The A-Z of study resources page gives an overview of every skill and aspect of academic study for which the Academic Skills team and website can support you. Explore all skills by clicking on them.
- The introduction to academic writing page breaks down the requirements of effective writing, from how to structure an essay to the meaning of an academic argument.
- The assignment planner maps out the necessary steps to complete an assignment before the deadline.
- The time management page outlines the principles of effective time management, and tips for finding the method that works best for you.
Get expert advice
If you need tailored advice for your subject or have any questions about academic skills, you can either complete this query form to ask the team what you need, or visit them in person at your preferred type of drop-in:
| Writing Café – every Monday and Friday (starting from Monday 23 October), 14:00-16:00, Building 85 (Life Sciences) Café
If a quiet study space doesn’t get your writing flowing, or you would prefer to be around other students when working, the Writing Cafés provide a safe, informal space where you can work alongside a productive community of writers – regardless of your subject. Specialists in academic writing will also be there to answer your questions. |
| Academic skills drop-in – every Tuesday and Thursday, 13:00-16:00, Academic Skills Hub (Hartley Library ground floor)
Talk to a team member about study skills you need support with, or your upcoming assignments – from narrowing your focus and finding an argument to planning and writing, they can provide advice and recommend resources to help. |
| Academic skills and maths & stats drop-in – every Wednesday, 13:00-16:00, Academic Skills Hub, moving to SUSU Veg Out Space from Wednesday 25 October
Chat to a member of the specialist team if you require support with any study skills, including overcoming maths anxiety, understanding key maths concepts, or gathering and analysing data. |
Research skills support
The Library Research Skills Service can help you find information needed for your studies and assignments. This includes subject guides suggesting relevant resources and databases, how to cite and reference correctly, understanding plagiarism, and more. Contact the Library team via this enquiry form, use the online chat (Monday-Friday, 09:00-17:00), or email [email protected].
Academic Skills Trail for new students
Take part in the Academic Skills Trail to explore academic and research support (and other key support) at the University. You can win a prize by scanning the QR codes or digital tokens found at every checkpoint (physical or virtual). The top 10 finishers will each receive a £15 voucher to spend in The Locker or the SUSU shop, while the top 300 finishers will receive a Meal Deal voucher for the SUSU shop.
Start the trail and get the first clue via the Academic Skills website.