To make sure you’re not left out in the cold this festive season, the UniSkills elves (together with your Student Advisors) have been busy planning a round-up of support to help you #SleighYourStudies. Whether you’re revising for exams or juggling assignments with placements, here’s what we’ve got in store…

One of the many misconceptions about autistic people is that we just ‘think differently’ when in actual fact, many of us are dealing with an entirely different cognitive reality that affects the way we experience the world. This means that life changing events like starting university can present a unique set of challenges for us. As an autistic student I have encountered and overcome some of the many difficulties that face neurodivergent people when making the transition to higher education.  

Time to get organised!

Starting university for the first time can be overwhelming. Even if you are in your second or third year, you’re still likely to have lots of information and materials coming your way. From your courses, modules and reading lists to sources, societies and sports (then throw in your personal life and perhaps a part-time job on top of this) it’s no surprise managing your work-life balance can be difficult!  

Being organised is a core skill you will need to develop and improve upon throughout university and your future career! As a PhD student in now my 8^th year at university, I have tried and tested many organisational methods to help me excel in my studies, whilst having a good, healthy personal life balance, including a job!  Here, I share just a few ways I keep on top of my studies…

Winston Churchill famously noted that we should “Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning.” Whether you’re just starting your first semester as an undergraduate or juggling work alongside postgraduate study, the key to academic success is to make time to plan ahead. The busy student schedule and academic demands mean it is impossible to remember every task and deadline if you want to do a good job. In our experience, managing your deadlines and the time you allocate to each of them ultimately becomes a mind game, and it’s that experience that forms the crux of what we would recommend in our top tips below to ensure good time management: 

While proofreading your work is an important part of completing an assignment, for many of us it is often forgotten, rushed, or left to the last minute. But what is proofreading? Why is proofreading important? When is best to proofread your work? And how might you improve your proofreading?

Here, I share my tips as a 4^th Year PhD student on how you can master the art of proofreading for university and beyond. This includes techniques that I have found useful, as well as a fantastic Proofreading Toolkit to help further brush up on your skills.

Hi, my name is Tom and I have just started my second year in Politics and Sociology. I am one of your Student Advisors, working with the Library and Learning services team. Coming back to university again has been great and I’m really excited for what is to come. With having finished my first year, I know the shift to university can be different to everyone. I am going to tell you my experiences and some tips to help you settle into university and succeed with your studies.