Hello and a massive welcome to all new students starting courses this January, we look forward to meeting you and getting to know you all. We are the Student Engagement Team (you might also hear called the UniSkills Team too!) and we are here to provide support with all aspects of academic skills. Here we’ve everything you need to get you started with your studies from induction information, academic writing support, and how to find resources.
Learning and Support Services Induction
Head over to the Learning and Support Services Induction pages to find out more information about who lives in Catalyst, what they do and how they can support you. There’s an interactive Induction Toolkit that you can work through at your own pace, which will introduce you to Library and Learning Services, Student Services and Careers, or you can even watch an induction video, if you prefer.
Academic Skills Support with UniSkills
The best place to find out more about how we can support you is to head over to the UniSkills web pages where there’s a vast wealth of information around academic writing and research skills. Here you’ll find our interactive online UniSkills Toolkits which contain loads of tips and tricks to help you with assignment planning, critical thinking, punctuation, proofreading and much more. There’s also some handy guides and videos too!
You can also book your place on a wide range of Uniskills Workshops. The UniSkills Spring 2022 Workshop programme starts on Monday 24th January and covers a wide range of topics including academic reading, writing and referencing, effective exam preparation, finding academic resources, conducting a literature review, presentation skills and much more!
Our knowledgeable team of Student Advisors also be delivering a series of ‘Get Going With Uniskills’ webinars all week, 31st January – 5th February, specifically aimed at new students. These sessions will help you log in, explore the Blackboard Institution homepage, show you how to find academic information for your university assignments and give you an overview of the UniSkills support available – all the essentials to ensure you’re ready for the start of your course.
If at any stage during your studies you feel you would benefit from more specific support with your academic writing, referencing or information skills you can always book a 1-2-1 virtual appointment with an Academic Skills Advisor.
Returning to Learning
Have you been away from education for a while and feel anxious about returning to study? Do you feel that your academic skills are a bit rusty? If so then our Returning to Learning community could be just the ticket for you. Returning to Learning offers a dedicated time and safe space to meet with others in the same boat, to share your concerns, experiences and discuss strategies for a positive and successful time at university. They run every other Wednesday 2-4pm so join us as you navigate your return into learning!
Finding Your Resources
To find all your print and electronic resources Discover More is the place to search. From here you can also access your online reading lists and, by clicking on the book titles, you can jump straight through to find out the items location and availability. You can collect items directly from the shelves and check them out on any of the self-issue machines located around Catalyst. If an item is unavailable (e.g. all out on loan) you can place a reservation and we will let you know when it is ready to collect.
eResources
As an Edge Hill student you also have access to thousands of high quality academic eResources. Your subject resource pages contain all the relevant journals and databases for your programme of study as well as links to newspaper collections, classroom resources, useful websites so you can keep up to date with current affairs and recent developments in your subject area. If you need any help finding your academic information or navigating your online resources don’t forget we have lots of handy UniSkills toolkits, videos and guides on the UniSkills pages – all available 24/7!
You Want It We Get It
And, if there is ever a book or journal article that we don’t have in our collection you can ask us add a copy by using the You Want It, We Get It service. Just fill in the details on the form and we’ll do our best to get it in for you – how cool is that?
Welcome Competition
During your welcome festivities Library and Learning Services have an exciting opportunity for you to win a £50, or two runner up prizes of £25, Amazon eVoucher – and all you need to do to enter is engage with us on social media accounts! You can enter up to two times (once via Twitter and once via Instagram) and it’s really easy to do!
Simply visit us in the HUB during the Student Union Welcome Fair (26th January), and scan our competition posters!
Further Help & Support
If you have any general enquiries about resources for your study, IT related enquiries or academic skills support you can contact the Catalyst Helpdesk Monday to Friday between 8am and 8pm and Saturday and Sunday between 10am and 6pm.
We wish you all the best for this coming academic year and look forward to supporting you soon!