Essay Writing - Structure and Organisation

You’ll find this workshop useful if:

• You are not used to writing essays
• You want to improve your essay writing skills
• You have difficulty knowing exactly what’s required from a set essay
• You’re not sure where to start
• You have difficulty structuring your ideas

This workshop will introduce you to some fundamental principles in writing a good essay and will cover:

• Interpreting essay titles
• The different stages in writing an essay – pre-writing, planning, drafting, editing and proof-reading
• Using your essay plan to help structure the essay
• How to edit your draft essay.

Wednesday	14th April	12.15	Library Computer Room
Friday	16th April	12.15	Library Computer Room

Using the Digital Library

You will find this session useful if you:

• Have trouble finding relevant and reliable information
• Have difficulty navigating the Digital Library

The workshop aims to:

• Increase your confidence in using the Digital Library
• Show you how to find relevant information
• Help you to identify full-text materials

Monday	19th April	12.15	Library Computer Room
Thursday	22nd April	12.15	Library Computer Room

Reading for Academic Purposes

You’ll find this workshop useful if:

• You feel overwhelmed by the amount of material you’ve been recommended.
• You are not used to reading for study purposes.
• You find it difficult to select reading matter to help you with an assignment.
• You find it difficult to make sense and remember what you have read.
• You find it difficult to make your own judgements about what you read.

This workshop aims to help you read more efficiently by reducing unnecessary reading time and reading in a more focused and selective way. It will help you to increase your levels of understanding by reading in a more active and critical way. The workshop will cover:

• Different reading strategies for different purposes – skimming, scanning and in-depth reading.
• Improving reading comprehension through active reading – SQ3R approach.
• Making notes from your reading.
• Critical reading.

Wednesday	28th April	12.15	Library Computer Room
Friday	30th April	12.15	Library Computer Room

Manage your information: using Refworks

You will find this session useful if you:

• Struggle to keep track of your references
• Want to know how Refworks can help you

The workshop aims to:

• Explain how to manage your references
• Introduce Refworks (our referencing software)
• Help you get started saving references

Tuesday	4th May	12.15	Library Computer Room
Thursday	6th May	12.15	Library Computer Room

Essay Writing - Style and Clarity

You’ll find this workshop useful if:

• You attended the first workshop on essay writing.
• You want to develop your essay writing skills.
• You have difficulty expressing your ideas clearly.
• You are unsure about the appropriate style and language to use in your essays.

This workshop follows on from the first session on Essay Writing , which concentrated mainly on planning, structure and drafting. It will give you tips on expressing your ideas clearly, concisely and appropriately and will cover:

• Stylistic conventions.
• Descriptive, argumentative, evaluative and personal/experiential writing styles.
• Tips on expressing ideas clearly.

Wednesday	12th May	12.15	Library Computer Room
Friday	14th May	12.15	Library Computer Room

Starting the literature review for your major project or dissertation

You will find this session useful if you:

• Need help in clarifying your dissertation ideas
• Want to know how to start work on your literature review

The workshop aims to:

• Give tips on mind mapping your topic
• Help you generate key words for searching our databases
• Help you devise a search strategy so that you don’t miss key information

Monday	17th May	12.15	Library Computer Room
Thursday	20th May	12.15	Library Computer Room

Oral Presentations - an introduction

You’ll find this workshop useful if:

• You have never made a presentation before
• You are nervous about the prospect of speaking to a group of people
• You need guidelines on preparing and delivering an effective presentation.

This workshop will introduce you to the principles of preparing and delivering an effective presentation and will cover:

• The criteria for a good presentation and practical tips
• Giving a presentation – initial preparation, planning and delivery
• Factors involved in planning and delivering a presentation

N.B. If you are fairly clear about what’s involved in preparing and delivering an effective presentation, but would like to improve your presentation skills and practise in a safe environment, you should contact the Counselling Service for more information about specialist workshops. Phone 4240 for details.

Wednesday	26th May	12.15	Library Computer Room
Friday	28th May	12.15	Library Computer Room

Harvard Referencing

You will find this session useful if you

• Find referencing difficult
• Have referencing questions that you want to ask

The workshop aims to

• Explain the basic rules of referencing
• Show you how to use our Harvard Referencing Guide
• Answer your referencing questions

Wednesday	2nd June	12.15	Library Computer Room
Friday	4th June	12.15	Library Computer Room
Monday	14th June	12.15	Library Computer Room
Thursday	17th June	12.15	Library Computer Room

Exams and Revision

You’ll find this workshop useful if you:

• Panic at the very thought of an exam
• Find it difficult to organise or settle down to revision
• Feel your memory lets you down
• Run out of time in exams
• Find it hard to fit what you’ve learnt to the exam questions

The workshop aims to help you take an active, planned approach to revision, making the best of the brain’s natural memory rhythm, and polish up your exam technique so as to perform to the best of your abilities. It covers:

• Revision planning and strategies
• How the memory works
• Useful memory tips
• Being clear about what’s required in the exam paper
• Organisation of time in exams

Tuesday	8th June	12.15	Library Computer Room
Thursday	10th June	12.15	Library Computer Room