1. Surviving Your First Semester
This workshop will:
Provide basic information on who, where and what to access for course information
Suggest ways to organise yourself, your notes and course documentation
Describe how University learning differs from school and college study
Louise Livesey
Academic Skills Advisor
21/09/2018
Academic Skills Advice

2. Academic Skills Advice
Today’s Plan…
What is expected of you
Be organised
Use the technology
Transition into University study
Ask for help
Review and prioritise
Enjoy!
21/09/2018
Academic Skills Advice

3. Course staff are the first port of call
1.What is expected of you
Administration
Know which staff do what
Read the small print: handbooks and other documentation:
Learning objectives
Marking criteria
Deadlines and rules
Reading lists
Course topics
Referencing rules
Seeing tutors
Course staff are the first port of call
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Academic Skills Advice

4. Academic Skills Advice
2.Be organised
Keep a timetable/diary/year planner
Read and safely file all course documentation
Keep your lectures notes etc. organised 1 2
Your course and module handbooks etc. contain lots of vital information about objectives, marking criteria, plagiarism policy, progression etc. 3
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Academic Skills Advice

5. Academic Skills Advice
Oct
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thurs
Fri
Sat
Sun
Wk 1
Wk 2
Lecture 3-4
Lecture 11-12
ASA workshop 4-5
Seminar 10-11
Library research for essay
Librarian App
Wk 3
Work on essay draft
Jenny’s birthday
Wk 4
Lab practice
ASA workshop
12-1
App with ASA re essay 10-11
Wk 5
Directed
Study
Week
Essay Deadline 4pm
Wk 6
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Academic Skills Advice

6. Academic Skills Advice
Use colour to highlight important days on a wall planner
Orange= today
Yellow = directed study
Red = coursework deadlines
Blue = exams – you can add the specific dates for your exams as soon as the timetable comes out (usually early/mid-December)
Green = vacation 15
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Academic Skills Advice

7. Academic Skills Advice
3.Use the technology
Make yourself aware of libraries, computing facilities etc.
Find your way round the University website
Find out what you can/can’t do online
Attend workshops/ get help sheets/ practice
Find out about technology
Software licences
Blackboard
Check out the libraries, computing facilities, etc., early on – not 3 days before your essay is due in.
Make the most of induction events, spend some time exploring the University website
Think about ways you can work from home - what you can and can’t do online
Check with your tutors about any software you need to use that is out of the ordinary, and practice using it
Get as much help as you can to get used to our IT
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Academic Skills Advice

8. Academic Skills Advice
3.Use the technology
Activity 1: What technology can help you?
5 mins – in pairs, make a list
Think about your ‘ideal world’ – what sort of technology, computer facilities, software etc. would help you in your studies.
Then think about what is available that might help.
Will find out soon where to go for help with IT questions
Do not click on next slide as gives answers 5
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Academic Skills Advice

9. Academic Skills Advice
3.Use the technology
Blackboard
(on campus and at home)
Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Prezzi
Library: catalogue, online renewals, subject databases
PC labs
Software licences (SPSS, Virus etc.)
University website – support services
IT Service
E-vision
End-note
What we think you will need:
Blackboard – course info, updates, documents, resources, lecture slides, links, discussion boards etc. etc. etc.
– on campus and at home – vital info is passed on this way – don’t miss it!
Word, PowerPoint, Excel etc. – if you’ve never used these, make yourself familiar before you need them for a deadline
Library - catalogue, online renewals, databases, passwords and access, help sheets etc.
PC labs - What software is available on these? Where are they? When are they open? How busy do they get?
Licences - Do you have a PC at home? Do you have the software you need?
University website – for information on where to find help
Workshops – how to Google (properly!!!)
E-vision - University mobile website/ webmail
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Academic Skills Advice

10. Academic Skills Advice
4.Transition into University study 6
Your learning is your responsibility
Different styles of teaching
Attend classes for university and subject information
Less contact time
Check your university and BlackBoard regularly
Get together with other students on your course
Classes - Urgent announcements might be made at lectures, hints about assessment, exams etc.
Blackboard - This is how the university makes announcements and how important information is delivered to you e.g. reminders about book return etc.
Make contact with your personal tutor so they know who you are – don’t forget they work for you
Those students who work together are often the most successful and happy at Uni
If you struggle with communicating or dealing with new people/situations, contact Counselling for workshops and courses to boost your confidence
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Academic Skills Advice 7

11. Academic Skills Advice
5.Asking for help 8
Don’t suffer in silence: let us know if you have queries/ problems
There are no stupid questions
Ask lecturers
Contact your personal tutor
Use student services
The university can and will help out with most problems you might have – but you have to let us know. Esp. mention deadline extensions
Don’t be afraid to ask your lecturers if you don’t understand something
Make contact with your personal tutor
Make use of LDU, LC, etc.
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Academic Skills Advice

12. Academic Skills Advice
5.Asking for help
Activity 2: Quiz
Blackboard Counselling Programme Leader Disability Service Hub Student Support Centre IT Help Desk Language Centre Lecturer Libraries Module Handbook Personal Tutor Student Academic Reps Students’ Union Subject Librarians Warden Career Development Service 9
10 mins verbal feedback
If you’ve been to induction, looked at the leaflets etc. you’ve been given, browsed the website, you should know the answers to at least some of these questions. If not, have a guess
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Academic Skills Advice

13. Academic Skills Advice
6.Review and prioritise
Keep your plan up to date
Be aware of what’s going on
Review lecture notes etc.
Be aware of, and implement, feedback
Be selective
Constantly review your plan and to-do list to make sure you are prioritising appropriately
Keep an eye on Blackboard, your , and any noticeboards for any changes or updates or general information. Keep your ears open too.
Look through your lecture and other notes regularly to keep ‘topped up’ with your subject so you don’t have to ‘cram’
Your tutors will provide feedback which is invaluable – it’s there to tell you how to improve so use it. If it isn’t specific enough (could improve your structure on essays – overall, paragraph, sentence?) or you don’t understand it – ask.
Goes back to prioritising – easy/hard; deadline close/far;
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Academic Skills Advice

14. Academic Skills Advice
7. Enjoy!
Don’t forget to have a life!
Make friends – on your course, in your halls, in Student Central, in activities
Get involved
Think about sports, societies etc.
Don’t ignore your friends and family
Try to make friends with others on your course/ in the University (if you live off campus etc. your family and friends can be very supportive, but they may not share the learning experience)
Think about getting involved in the Union, societies, Academic Rep, voluntary work etc. Employs also like graduates who can juggle!
Do something for yourself – needn’t be at Uni – dance classes, evening class in pottery etc. 10
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Academic Skills Advice

15. Activity 3: Modelling fun
7. Enjoy!
Activity 3: Modelling fun
Finding info out about the university – no cheating
First team to correctly guess the words, wins.
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Academic Skills Advice

16. Academic Skills Advice
Help is at hand!
On-campus Counselling service
Student Central near SU
30 minute chat
Confidential
Confidence; home-sickness; anxiety; stress; sleep problems; exam nerves
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Academic Skills Advice

17. Academic Skills Advice Service
Where are we? Chesham Building B0.23. Give us a call or come speak to us Monday- Friday 9am-5pm (closing at 4pm Fridays).
Who am I? Louise, the dedicated workshop adviser.
Who can help me with study and writing skills? Lucy and Russell run Instant Study Skills Advice sessions every weekday and Writing Skills Clinics three times a week. You can also access self-help resources on our webpage.
Who can give me maths advice? Helen and Michael specialise in Maths support for students though clinics and pre-booked appointment.
How do I get in touch? Telephone:
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Academic Skills Advice

18. Academic Skills Advice
References
1–diary; 2 and 3–file; 6-connection; 7-puzzle; 8-climb; 11-question: Clip Art
4. Year planner from previous Academic Skills Advice Service PowerPoint Presentation
5: University of Portsmouth. Computer Suites. Portsmouth: University of Portsmouth [online] Available at:
[Accessed ]
9: Preuss & Knorr GbR. Lifesaver, red/white, 13.8 inches. Berlin: Preuss & Knorr. GbR [online] Available at:
Accessed [ ]
10: CutestCatPics. (2013) Bunny, mouse, kitten and puppy. CutestCatPics. [online] Available at:
Accessed [ ]
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Academic Skills Advice

19. Academic Skills Advice
Any questions?
Produced by Louise Livesey May 2014 11
21/09/2018
Academic Skills Advice