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Developing your academic writing
Writing is a skill. It is a powerful communication tool that allows us to express thoughts and ideas to others. Being a good writer is something that most people aspire to. Writing is complex, requiring good structure and a multitude of skills. The Skills Centre can help you develop your academic writing and allow you to showcase your knowledge through our sessions and resources.
The sessions are focused on many common writing issues. You can explore the basics of “How to Write an Essay” and learn about the structure of written assignment. Additional sessions will teach you how to build an argument and weave that elusive golden thread through your essay. Sessions on “Unpacking the Question” will allow you to develop the skills to confidently approach your assignments. In our one-to-one “Writing Clinics”, you can bring a piece of writing to tutor who will provide feedback on the structure of your work.
Academic writing in university is a very different process to that practiced in secondary school and can seem daunting until you become more familiar with it. The most important thing to remember here is that it is very much a learned skill, and one which gets much easier with practice and patience – so there is no need to panic! The quality of your assignment will rely heavily on the way you phrase your argument. In other words, how you say it is as important as what you say.
Students often think that they must use an overly sophisticated vocabulary to write in an academic tone, and this can make the prospect of writing an assignment even more daunting. However, this is not necessarily the case, and the vocabulary you already have can generally be used in a more formal and academic manner. This skill session will cover some of the basic skills in assignment writing that you will need to refine your writing skills as you progress on your journey throughout UCC and beyond.
Check out our downloadable handouts on assignment writing cover important guidelines for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. These resources are based on common questions about academic writing, general skills and research, exam preparation and specific assignments within your course. When availing of these resources, they will help you unlock YOUR Potential!
You can also learn more from Assignment Writing Essentials related videos from our 'Gimme Two Minutes' series linked below:
Do you find your assignment questions long and confusing? Sometimes they can appear that way! Knowing what you are being asked to do is half the battle. The first step to making sure that you offer an appropriate, well-rounded response is fully understanding the question.
This Unpacking the Question session will cover techniques for unpacking the assignment requirements for clear understanding so that you can be confident about developing your response. It will show you how to take your assignment brief and decode it allowing you to plan your answer in a clear and succinct way.
One of the key areas for you to understand is the directions that a question imposes on you. The words are chosen with care and it is important that you craft your response to the question ensuring that you have fully understood what you are being asked to do. This glossary of directional words should help to guide you in this area.
If you are interested in learning more about this topic, you can download our handout on Unpacking the questionand listen to our Write Here, Write Now Podcast episode on Unpacking the Question.
We all argue, but is this enough preparation to present an academic argument? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Learning how to write an essay is a skill; it is not necessarily something that you can just sit down and do, although many believe that you can. It is okay to find writing and especially writing assignments difficult. In order to build an academic argument, you need to:
- employ
- question the material you are examining
- make a thesis claim and use supporting evidence
- provide an overview of the situation
- divide your writing into points and sub-points.
Your writing should take the reader by the hand; lead them to the logical conclusions by giving them the evidence in a coherent and well-structured assignment. Sign up for this session and let the tutors provide you with the guidelines that will help you build an argument within your assignment.
To learn more about this topic, you can check out our resources listed below:
Learning how to write an essay is a skill; it is not necessarily something that you can just sit down and do, although many believe that you can. It is okay to find writing and especially writing assignments difficult.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Is knowing where to start your essay assignment difficult?
- Do you know what you want to write but you do not know how to structure it?
- Is planning an essay hard for you?
- Would you like to explore different elements of writing?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, the Skills Centre session on How to Write an Essay is for you.
You will find a step-by-step exploration of everything you need to know about essay writing, including the three main parts of the essay structure: introduction, main body, and conclusion. This session will give you the confidence and clarity you need to improve your essay writing skills.
The Boole Library Website has some excellent resources for you to help you manage your assignments. Make sure that you look at their information on planning your essay, help in identifying the resources that you need to research effectively, and it will even help you search the databases effectively. For those who are writing in the sciences, the Royal Chemistry Association offers guidelines around reading in the area. Additional advice regarding assignment preparation can be found on the Harvard Writing Centre Pages.
Building your academic vocabulary can be challenging but being able to express yourself clearly using the appropriate language is a skill that takes time to develop and improves with practice. This fantastic Academic Phrase bank has been developed by Manchester University, we hope you find it useful.
Gimme Two Minutes - short educational videos on essay related topics:
Downloadable handouts:
So you have the required amount of words on the page and your assignment is ready to submit. Right? – Wrong!!
The first draft of your writing is rarely polished and ready to be turned in; you will not receive a good grade on this submission. The ability to both edit and proofread is vital for producing high-quality writing that will get you top marks. This session will explain the difference between editing and proofreading, point out key things to look out for and offer some practical tips to help develop your skills in this area. It is a practical session that will allow you gain the skills required to proofread your own material and ensure that what you submit is the final draft, not the first draft.
Downloadable handouts on editing & proofreading:
To cite means to give credit to the source of words or an idea when the material is not of your making or original idea. It appears as a “citation” or a “reference”.
Citations are vital for several reasons, they show the breadth of your research – in other words shows how much research is behind your assignment, citations also allow falsehoods and misunderstandings to be traced back to their source. For example, if you reference a certain academic work or theorists in your assignment and it turns out their claims are later proven to be false, then you cannot be held accountable for this error. They can reveal the flow and evolution of information by allowing the reader to follow your thought process. The reader can easily track your information but also, if you want to expand on a point, you can refer to the original source.
But most importantly, citations give due credit to other writers and researchers. This class does not tell you how to cite or construct a bibliography, according to the specific department guidelines. Instead this session will dive into topics such as what a citation is, the reasoning behind it and the when's & what's of citing.
Skills Centre downloadable handouts:
Be the change you want to see in your own life by being the Hero of your own life.
Having goals is easy. Achieving your goals is a challenge. They take your time, effort and your sustained action. The more of yourself that you put into accomplishing your goal, the more benefit and self-confidence you will gain beyond the fulfilment of that goal.
With our Goals and Motivation tutorials, we will consider your strengths and challenges in the achieving of your goals in the past before moving towards a plan to sustainably achieve your current and future goals. We will focus on personal time management and scheduling as fundamental building blocks to attain your goals whilst maintaining a more balanced, well rounded life. The tutorials will teach you how to take command of your time and goals so that you can take control of how you want your life to develop.
Preparing for Exams - A Practical Guide: This session will provide practical tips and tricks for effective study routines in the lead up to exams, guidance on how to plan your study timetable, and help to develop efficient exam techniques.
Exam Preparation resources:
Using Technology to prepare for Exams:Let your device do the talking- making the most of the on-campus technology. Learn how to use on campus software to convert text into audio. Also, see how you can use your phone to listen to anything from websites to textbooks
Taking Examinations at UCC:This session, offered by the Exams and Records Office at UCC, will provide practical guidance on the examinations process in UCC and how to prepare for and conduct yourself during examinations.
Minding Yourself During Exams - Mindfulness Techniques:This session will help students develop mindfulness techniques to remain calm and centred during times of stress and activity. Mindfulness, at its most basic, is a way of becoming present in the moment through deep breathing exercises and meditation. It is a very popular way of reducing stress and finding clarity in our hectic modern lives, times for these sessions will be released.
Practice Exam Sessions:Sit in an exam-like room for an hour with other students and practice exam questions. Bring a question that you would like to answer and practice taking the exam.
Managing Stress and Anxiety Workshops:Free 90-minute workshops by Student Counselling & Development. Facilitated by Anne Cooke, these sessions explore causes of anxiety, including exam stress, and offer practical ways to reduce stress. Additional details can be found on the student counselling website - https://www.ucc.ie/en/studentcounselling/info/
Writing in the disciplines
The writing style you follow may differ between the types of assignment given to you in college. You will be expected to present your academic findings in different forms, these may come through group projects, presentations, reports and more.
We offer sessions on reflective writing, which is an essential and fundamental part of learning and professional development. Our 7-week “SPEAK Programme” will teach you the essentials of how to give a presentation and examine the intricacies of storytelling to an audience. By understanding the requirements of scientific writing and language, you can achieve a level of professionalism in your lab reports.
The Skills Centre understands that students’ academic needs change throughout their time in college. Our sessions and resources will help you adjust and develop your skills within the disciplines, so you can successfully and efficiently communicate your arguments, ideas, and thoughts in your academic work.
Reflective writing is an essential and fundamental part of learning and professional development. Even though reflection can seem a natural skill that we often use on a daily basis, reflective writing is skill that needs to be learnt and developed. The concept of reflective practice is often debated with many professionals defining it in diverse ways. One definition sees reflection as
‘a cognitive process carried out in order to learn from experiences through individual inquiry and collaboration with others (Benammar, 2004; Dewey, 1933; Mezirow, 1991; Moon, 2004; Schön, 1983). …reflection is commonly reported as a process of self-examination and self-evaluation that practitioners should engage in regularly in order to interpret and improve their professional practices (Husu, Toom, & Patrikainen, 2008)’ (Leijen et al., 2014:315).
One of the main challenges of reflective writing, which is the core of reflective practice, is being able to critically reflect. Often what happens is that students tend to describe more than reflect. This workshop focuses on the following questions: How can freewriting help you become a reflective practitioner? What models for reflective practice exist and how can these models help to generate reflection? What questions do you need to ask yourself to begin reflecting? What is the difference in use of language between describing and reflecting? What language can you use to ensure that you are critically reflecting?
Reflective writing sessions are available at the Skills Centre and are bookable through the Book your Skills Session page of the site.
Is this session not on the skills sessions timetable? Would you or a group be interested in attending this session, but the Skills Centre is currently not offering it? Let us know! We would be happy to know what session students look forward to the most, so the Skills Centre can cater to all of your academic needs, simply email us skillscentre@ucc.ie about the sessions you or a group would like to attend.
Additional Sources you may find helpful to develop your understanding of reflective thinking and writing.
Communityworksinstitute.org. (2018). Dispelling the Myths of Reflection. [online] Available at:https://www.communityworksinstitute.org/cwjonline/articles/aarticles-text/cwilliams_reflectionmyths.html [Accessed 15 Jan. 2018].
Education.ie. (2018). Early Years Practitioner Survey Findings. Available at: https://www.education.ie/en/The-Education-System/Early-Childhood/Early-Years-Practitioner-Survey-Findings-2016.pdf [Accessed 15 Jan. 2018].
Latrobe.libguides.com. (2018). LibGuides: Reflective practice in health: When to use reflective practice. [online] Available at: https://latrobe.libguides.com/reflectivepractice/when-to-reflect [Accessed 15 Jan. 2018].
Learnhigher.ac.uk. (2018). Becoming reflective, How is reflective practice applied in academic life? Reflective writing, Reflective writing for assessment [online] Available at: http://www.learnhigher.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/Reflection1.pdf [Accessed 15 Jan. 2018].
Learn.solent.ac.uk. (2018). Reflective thinking and writing. [online] Available at:https://learn.solent.ac.uk/mod/book/tool/print/index.php?id=2732#ch1114 [Accessed 15 Jan. 2018].
Canterbury Christ church University Guide to Reflective Writing Available at:https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/students/support-services/develop-your-learning/reflective-writing.aspx
Planning your dissertation can be overwhelming, especially when you are trying to figure out exactly where to begin. It is essential to have a strong and realistic foundation in the early stages, which ultimately can make the beginning of your dissertation the hardest and most important part.
But once you have a solid plan and guidelines in place, this can make the process of writing that much easier. This session will run through the process of writing your dissertation and aims to equip you with some practical tips to effectively plan, research and write your final project. Check out our downloadable handouts on Planning your dissertation
Literature reviews are a critical evaluation of research already undertaken on a specific topic. They give you the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to identify relevant information and outline existing knowledge. Literature reviews also identify gaps in the research that your work will address, all while producing a rationale for an analysis. This session will teach you some helpful tips about writing a literature review. If you are interested in learning more about this topic, you can also check out our downloadable handout on Literature reviews
This form of writing is used in the general and social sciences, as well as business, so to be able to compile a good report is a very transferable academic skill. A report is written with a clear purpose and for a specific audience and, as with all types of academic writing, clarity and conciseness is key. If you are interested in learning more about this topic, you can check out our downloadable handout on Report writing
Writing a review of a report is one thing. Writing a literature review for science is another challenge. From biological or medicinal terms, finding credible sources to cite from, or, for that matter, even knowing where to begin, the Skills Centre is the place to be to find the help you need! You’ll get invaluable feedback form our tutors on how to research literature, structure your review and refine your critical thinking skills. Don’t worry if you’re unsure of how to approach an assignment exploring the composition of atoms or a particular lab report, our tutors can guide you down the right path and ensure you feel confident and well – equipped to approach your reports from now on!
Group work can be an amazing opportunity for students to learn together in a one-to-one capacity allowing for peer learning and the creation of new knowledge. Working in teams is helpful for future job opportunities, it allows you to speak in an interview about a real scenario and the learning that you took from it. It also can be used to showcase how you operate in a group and still have responsibility for your individual work.
This session aims to help you make the most out of any upcoming group projects or presentations you will have in university life, by making you aware of the key aspects of group work to enable you to make conscious, well-educated decisions. These key aspects include preparation, communication, organisation, conflict and reflection. This session will also cover some extremely useful digital tools you can use for increasing efficiency while doing group work! Make the most out of your group projects today, by booking into a Skills Centre session on Group Work!
Check out our downloadable handouts on Group work!
Are you a student coming from an overseas university/college? Then our skills session on the culture of academic writing is perfect for you! We at the Skills Centre understand that UCC may have different academic approach then what you are used to. And so, this session aims to highlight key areas for academic writing that can be different from the culture of writing that you have experienced before. But instead of comparing the numerous academic writing styles from various cultures, this session will mainly highlight the key areas of academic writing that is expected from you here at UCC.
Here at UCC, you will need to learn about the differences in the culture of academic writing, and not expect yourself to know them from the very beginning. And so, you can pop down to the Skills Centre and avail of this session through our timetable! You can also listen to our Write Here, Write Now Podcast episode on Academic Writing Styles!
Lab report writing doesn’t require you to fill out a checklist in order to have a ‘good’ result, and ultimately a good grade. Good grades don’t come from high yields or long reports, like any experiment, anything unexpected could occur to throw off the flow of the procedure. And so, this session aims to teach that there is no such thing as a good or bad result, if you discuss why something happened and backed it up with evidence then you are applying good scientific methods.
This session will help you understand what content is required for a scientific lab report, such as introductions, objectives, materials & methods, results & discussions and conclusions. The ‘lab Reporting’ skills session will also help you to become familiar with using scientific language, such as the differences between objectively vs subjectivity, passive and active voices, and so on.
By understanding the requirements of scientific writing and language, you can achieve a level of professionalism in your lab reports. Pairing down unnecessarily long sentences while retaining the concept is an example of efficient scientific writing. How a student writes is an indication of their level of understanding the course material.
Book this skill session now to bring your Lab Report Writing to the next level by checking out the Skills Centre timetable
Refining your academic writing
It is essential to understand the rules of writing and the basic structures to follow when writing in the context of academia. It is just as vital to refine these skills as you traverse through college. These sessions and resources on improving your academic writing are focused on many common writing issues.
Our session on making feedback work for you will teach you how to make the most out of advice you receive on your assignments, so you can learn from your mistakes and apply it to future work. In our designated skills sessions, you can also explore grammar, punctuation, and the structure of your sentences and paragraphs. Critical thinking helps you not just to engage with the material, but to establish the validity of the material and to look for bias. Please view our full listing of skill sessions below that will help you refine your academic writing.
Now that you are a university student your computer skills may be put to the test. Are you being asked to create documents that you never previously had to? If you are ‘Frightened of Formatting’, or ‘Worried about Word’ then the Skills Centre’s Microsoft Word sessions are the place for you.
These practical sessions will take you through the functionality of Microsoft Word showing you how to line-space, indent, format and file. Understanding the functionality of the software will help you to work more effectively, saving you time and effort, and leaving more time for researching, writing and proofreading.
There are excellent free resources available to you so that you can brush up on your skills at home. These may also help if you are working on an assignment after office hours and need to format your work!
Remember as a UCC student you have full access to the G-suite through your email. This is a valuable resource and you should become familiar with it as soon as possible. If you have any questions pop by during a drop in time where the Skills Centre Tutors will be available to answer any queries you may have.
These sessions will run throughout for the first four weeks of semester one.
Please complete this little survey, it will help us to deliver the skills you need.
Is this session not on the skills sessions timetable? Would you or a group be interested in attending this session, but the Skills Centre is currently not offering it? Let us know! We would be happy to know what session students look forward to the most, so the Skills Centre can cater to all of your academic needs, simply email us skillscentre@ucc.ie about the sessions you or a group would like to attend.
Resources you may find useful:
If a student uses Office 365 it has excellent built in literacy supports called Immersive Reader.
Microsoft Immersive Reader is a free tool in Office 365 Online that supports literacy development for learners regardless of age or ability.
Immersive Reader uses proven techniques to enhance:
- Reading comprehension
- Language learning
- Decoding for readers with dyslexia
Please click here for broad overview of what it offers:
Immersive Reader: https://ucc.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=e2d49d1b-1299-44f2-a1f7-aac400e1ba4b
Office 365 and all its tools are aimed at being used online. However, with the Immersive Reader Offline Extension you can use Immersive Reader without an internet connection.
Click here to download: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/immersive-reader-offline-extension/9pjzqz821dq2?activetab=pivot:overviewtab
For those of us who have writing difficulties it is very important to work on developing touch-typing skills. MS Office 365 offers speech recognition which could be a powerful tool when writing/typing is not an option due to writing/stamina difficulties. Essentially it allows you to speak to the computer (in MS Word, Outlook and PowerPoint) and it will type what you say.
This video will show you what it offers:
Dictate Speech Recognition: https://ucc.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=f33a244f-023f-40c3-ba72-aac40103a060
For student who want to build their typing skills please visit the typing website www.typing.com
Proper grammar, sentence structure and paragraph structure are essential and indispensable in life, especially in academic research. Without proper grammar, effective communication is diminished. The Skills Centre Grammar sessions will take your grammar and language skills to a new level. The Skills Centre Tutors will deconstruct words, sentences and whole paragraphs with you. You will be shown how to rebuild the sentences so that your arguments make sense.
Transitions and connecting words will become your new best friends. In addition, you will learn communication etiquette. You will know how to communicate properly with your lecturers and advisers ensuring the best possible outcomes for you.
The Grammar and Punctuation sessions are delivered over two hours. This is split into 2 x 1-hour sessions. You can book them separately, but we advise that you book sessions 1 and 2 at the same time to make sure you have secured your seat.
Additional sessions, such as Sentence Structure, Paragraph Structure, Building an Argument, How to Write an Essay and Unpacking the Question will help you approach your assignments with confidence and ease.
Downloadable handouts:
Grammar & Punctuation related Gimme Two Minutes Videos:
Feedback is the return of information about the result of a process or activity. It can also be defined as information about past behaviour delivered in the present which may influence future behaviour. Peer feedback is the evaluation of your work by people who are at a similar level or at a similar stage of their studies.
It is vital as it is the responsibility of the educator to help you develop as a student. The advice should be trusted and taken on board. As a student you should be committed to improving and learning from your mistakes. Peer feedback is where one student can offer guidance or mentor the other. This can be invaluable to not only the person receiving the feedback but also to the person giving the feedback.
Essentially, feedback is the intent to support or help improve your performance and it should be implemented in your work. Treating feedback like a gift from another person while soon help you to recognise other benefits of feedback and there are many benefits. This session will teach you how to how to make the most out of the feedback you receive on your assignments, so you can learn from your mistakes and apply it to essays. It will also teach you how to give feedback, by pointing out key aspects to look out for.
Check out our downloadable handout on Making feedback work for you
Proper sentence and paragraph structure allow ideas to be communicated effectively. Without this skill, your written communications, including your assignments, will not deliver a clear message. A poorly written paragraph can obscure the main ideas that are presented. It can be very difficult for the reader to follow the author’s logic and it may lead to confusion and even misinterpretation. Knowing how to construct sentences properly along with the correct use of paragraphs will be valuable as you approach your writing. It will allow you to communicate your ideas in a clear and comprehensive way and let you showcase your knowledge.
Come and join the Skills Centre Tutors for this session on sentence and paragraph structure. Following the session, you will be able to diagnose areas within your writing that you need to work on to improve your sentence and paragraph construction.
You can learn more about this topic through our downloadable handouts on Sentence structure& Paragraph structure
Watch our Sentence & Paragraph structure related Gimme Two Minutes Videos!
The Skills Centre is located in the Boole Library in the heart of the UCC main campus. The staff in the library are a wonderful resource for all UCC students and strive to help in any way they can. Throughout September a series of workshops will take place in the Creative Zone of the Boole Library. This is located on the ground floor.
Kick-start your academic journey by attending these 30-minute Library sessions. There is no need to book, just turn up.
Remember, additional information on how to reference can be found on the Boole Library Website.
If you'd like to learn more, listen to the Skills Centre Radio Show episode on Referencing & Plagiarism. You can also check out our downloadable handouts on sourcing & cite-seeing!
Research is most useful when it can be used and understood by stakeholders. Given that not all stakeholders will be experts in your research area, learning the skills which enable you to write for wide audiences opens numerous doors to alternative careers, should academia not work out (the age-old problem).
Translating your academic research for non-specialist audiences also enables you to apply your existing research to topical agendas, which may have significant policy and cultural implications, or may serve to enhance society’s foundational knowledge base by providing tangible access to sometimes inaccessible research. It can also serve to enhance your own understanding of the research, potentially unlocking new insights by forcing you to consider the research in different contexts.
Is this session not on the skills sessions timetable? Would you or a group be interested in attending this session, but the Skills Centre is currently not offering it? Let us know! We would be happy to know what session students look forward to the most, so the Skills Centre can cater to all of your academic needs, simply email us skillscentre@ucc.ie about the sessions you or a group would like to attend.
There is a lot more to publishing than simply shipping a piece of work off to an editor. The path to publication is windy, foggy, and sometimes unpleasant. This workshop is designed to take you step-by-step through the process of turning your research proposal into a publishable product by providing student-based insights on what has worked for us in our publication endeavours.
We also hope to inspire you to get creative with your research and find multiple purposes for your current projects. We will do this by guiding you through publishing academic work and translating aspects of this work into unique publishable pieces for wide audiences.
Is this session not on the skills sessions timetable? Would you or a group be interested in attending this session, but the Skills Centre is currently not offering it? Let us know! We would be happy to know what session students look forward to the most, so the Skills Centre can cater to all of your academic needs, simply email us at skillscentre@ucc.ie about the sessions you or a group would like to attend.
Abstracts. The bane of many peoples’ lives.
Is an abstract a summary? How can I turn 10,000 words into 300 words? What do you mean I cannot copy and paste bits and pieces of my introduction and conclusions?
Through this workshop, we hope to answer these questions, and also guide you through the writing of abstracts from a student-based perspective. That is, while we are still learning the art itself, we hope to give novices the best chance of success by providing our insights into how we learnt the skills necessary to turn 10,000 words into 300 words.
Is this session not on the skills sessions timetable? Would you or a group be interested in attending this session, but the Skills Centre is currently not offering it? Let us know! We would be happy to know what session students look forward to the most, so the Skills Centre can cater to all of your academic needs, simply email us at skillscentre@ucc.ie about the sessions you or a group would like to attend.
As an undergraduate, feedback specific to your work may have alluded you. Suddenly, as a postgraduate, everyone wants to review and critique your work. This can be a bit daunting at first. But I assure you, you will get used to it.
This workshop hopes to guide you through the process of receiving, interpreting, and applying feedback. Hopefully you can exit this workshop not dreading the feedback you are due to receive from your supervisors any day now, and instead maybe embrace it.
This workshop serves to compliment and tie together the previous three parts of Research Dissemination 101, while also complimenting existing Skills Centre workshops, such as, Making Feedback Work For You.
Is this session not on the skills sessions timetable? Would you or a group be interested in attending this session, but the Skills Centre is currently not offering it? Let us know! We would be happy to know what session students look forward to the most, so the Skills Centre can cater to all of your academic needs, simply email us at skillscentre@ucc.ie about the sessions you or a group would like to attend.
Transitioning into college life
The pace and speed of university life differs from second level, between colleges, and even within degree programmes. The increased volume of work, combined with a new environment, may leave you feeling unprepared or struggling.
The Skills Centre's transitioning skills lessons are designed to help you settle into academic life and master the many different elements in this transitional phase. Learning how to be a college student will come from experience, but the Skills Centre provides useful resources so you can be prepared. While you adjust to college with us, you will learn useful skills like practicing time management and refreshing your study strategies with efficient note-taking techniques which will allow you to become a self-reliant learner. Your early development of these skills and engagement with college content will relieve exam stress at the end of the semester! Please view our full listing of “Transition Skill” sessions below.
Time Management is the key to success.
It is a skill that is continually developing as our lives adjust to daily demands. You might suddenly find that your world is very busy; you may be having difficulty working out how and what to prioritise. Or the complete opposite may be true. You might feel that since you have started college it feels like you have loads of time on your hands. You might even miss the structure of second level.
During the Time Management session, the tutor will explore different strategies for planning your time. This will involve setting clear goals for the division of your time and helping you to break these goals into achievable steps. Reviewing your progress and learning to prioritise will help you to gain insight into how to achieve the study/work/social life balance.
To help you plan out your week and make sure you maximise your fun and free time download your Weekly planner here. You can also check out our downloadable handout on Time management or our GIMME TWO MINUTES - How to create a schedule.
Is this session not on the skills sessions timetable? Would you, or a group, be interested in attending this session but the Skills Centre is currently not offering it? Let us know! We would be happy to know what session students look forward to the most, so the Skills Centre can cater to all of your academic needs, simply email us skillscentre@ucc.ie about the sessions you, or a group, would like to attend.
Study Skills are the skills that you need to develop to study and learn effectively. In time you will develop your own personal study plan to suit the way you learn. Exploration of learning styles and study tips will help you to create that plan.
By attending the Skills Centre Study Skills session, you will begin to understand what being a learner in university means. It will introduce strategies that will help you transition to, and progress through university life.
The Study Skills session will introduce you to some time management principles and strategies, help you to identify your learning style and manage your workload effectively. By improving your organisational capability and employing strategies that suit you, you will improve your study techniques. You will strive to be an engaged learner, allowing you to make the most of this self-directed learning environment.
You can check out our downloadable handout on Study strategies here.
Is this session not on the skills sessions timetable? Would you or a group be interested in attending this session, but the Skills Centre is currently not offering it? Let us know! We would be happy to know what session students look forward to the most, so the Skills Centre can cater to all of your academic needs, simply email us skillscentre@ucc.ie about the sessions you or a group would like to attend.
The term ‘paraphrasing’ is used to describe the process by which we explain our interpretation of others’ ideas and research in our own words. Effective paraphrasing skills are an essential element of strong academic writing, and allow you to:
- Condense and simplify large chunks of text
- Refine your critical thinking skills
- Deepen your understanding of the material
- Add credibility to your argument
And that’s just for starters! However, there are certain guidelines which need to be followed when paraphrasing: Ensure you are developing this vital aspect of your academic skillset by checking out the Paraphrasing sessions at UCC Skills Centre!
This semester, video conferencing and virtual chat rooms are our new classroom and, we all be interacting with each other through different online programmes, through discussion prompts and video reflections. We will be sharing and commenting on each other’s projects this way rather than being in a face-to-face class 100% of the time. This is why polite video conferencing and online classroom etiquette is just as important as minding your manners in the university classroom.
So when we talk “Netiquette”, we mean etiquette in the virtual classroom. Netiquette combines the words internet and etiquette and is a set of rules for behaving properly online. Video conferencing etiquette for polite behaviour is just as important as your behaviour in the actual, live classroom. Here, we will look at tools for how we can be respectful, productive and have fun while we're learning online. We hope that this session will help you navigate your online classes with grace and that it will make everyone’s time in the online classroom more enjoyable by minimising unnecessary disruptions. Check out our Minute Methods video on 'Netiquette' that goes through the do's & don'ts of online communication.
Download the Netiquette tips poster here!
Effective Note taking is a time-saving tool that can produce study aids that will help with revision at the end of the semester. Fostering good note-taking skills will allow you to become an active and effective reader helping you to analyse, reflect and question the material as you go. You might like to explore different note-taking styles, or, if the prospect of note taking makes you nervous, come and join us in the Skills Centre for our Note taking sessions.
As a third level student it is essential to develop effective note making skills to make sure that you get the most out of the time that you spend reading. Good note taking records the useful information which helps you to increase your understanding of the area you are studying. It helps develop memory skills and writing skills, and, will even help you to prepare for your exams. In this session you will learn about the 6 R’s of Note taking, organising your notes and active listening.
You can check out our downloadable handout on Note-taking in lectures. For more tips on note taking, visit our educational videos in the GIMME TWO MINUTES series below:
Is this session not on the skills sessions timetable? Would you or a group be interested in attending this session, but the Skills Centre is currently not offering it? Let us know! We would be happy to know what session students look forward to the most, so the Skills Centre can cater to all of your academic needs, simply email us skillscentre@ucc.ie about the sessions you or a group would like to attend.
Note-taking is a key academic skill that allows you to record important information. At university level, the amount of information that is shared with you can be enormous. It is essential to develop a system that will allow you to record that information in a manner you can easily access and retrieve from.
Jotting down notes on a reading in the margins and/or highlighting important sections can help you to better understand a text to some extent. However, as your reading requirements become more extensive, it become a bit confusing and cluttered it is well worth your while to spend time to write effective notes that will save you time down the research/writing track. There are many ways to take notes, this session will help you find one that suits you. This session looks at a concept centric matrix for reading, as well as spider diagrams and other visual aids for notetaking. You can check out our downloadable handout on Note-taking for academic reading.
Presentation skills will be helpful in different aspects of your day to day life from interviewing for a new job to working with clients. Whether you are talking to a small group of people or speaking to a large audience Presentation Skills are used to ensure a memorable and enjoyable talk. This session will encourage and ensure a powerful and confident presentation.
Some of the Learning objectives of this session include:
- Preparation of notes and slides
- Communication to the audience members
- Visual Aids and how to create an engaging PowerPoint
- How to identify and gear your presentation to your audience members
- Obstacles including how to overcome anxiety
By the end of this session, everyone should be able to answer, “what makes a good presentation?”. You can also check out our downloadable handout on Top tips for presentations
Are you a student coming from an overseas university/college? Then our skills session on the culture of academic writing is perfect for you! We at the Skills Centre understand that UCC may have different academic approach then what you are used to. And so, this session aims to highlight key areas for academic writing that can be different from the culture of writing that you have experienced before. But instead of comparing the numerous academic writing styles from various cultures, this session will mainly highlight the key areas of academic writing that is expected from you here at UCC.
Here at UCC, you will need to learn about the differences in the culture of academic writing, and not expect yourself to know them from the very beginning. And so, you can pop down to the Skills Centre and avail of this session through our timetable. Listen to our Write Here, Write Now Podcast episode on Academic Writing Styles!