• #SussTheStress for National Stress Awareness Day

    All of us at some point in our lives have known the feeling of stress, the cause can vary but a commonality we all share is finding ourselves under pressure from anything from coursework deadlines to dissertations. Stress is a normal part of life, but what happens when that stress becomes consuming, overwhelming even? The first Wednesday of each November is marked as National Stress Awareness Day, an opportunity for us to come together across our communities and start a conversation.

    To help you Suss the Stress, we have put together this handy blog full of useful ways to support you in reducing and managing academic stress. Did you know that the Catalyst Helpdesk has knowledgeable staff on hand to help you, every day of the week? From accessing support to tackling tricky assignments, there’s plenty of people dedicated to supporting you with any query you might have.

    The helpdesk is accessible 8am-8pm on weekdays, and 10am-6pm on weekends. And of course, the Student Advisors (like me!) are here on weekdays between 11am and 4pm to give you a helping hand getting started with checking out books, accessing printers and other resources, understanding referencing and so much more. Just pop to the helpdesk to book a 15 minute appointment or book online through the ‘My Library’ tab.

    Workshops

    If there is a particular topic that’s got you stressed out such as procrastination or presentation skills, why not book on to a workshop? There’s a little section on the My Library tab called ‘What’s On’ with a link to ‘Join a Uniskills Workshop’. Here you can access and book on to a wide range of workshops. For example, a great one that’s running each week till Christmas is ‘Shut Up & Work’ where you can come along to a structured study session that uses the popular Pomodoro Technique to help you stay focused and get things done. This workshop also has refreshments and academic support throughout!

    Appointments

    As mentioned, you can book a 15 minute appointment with a Student Advisor to get started with the library, but did you know you can also book a longer more in-depth UniSkills appointment in the same place? Whether it’s referencing, academic writing, or just generally getting to grips with your work, everyone is here to help.

    Online resources and Toolkits

    So if you’ve not heard the word ‘UniSkills’ enough already, here it is one more time to help you access really useful resources and toolkits. Again, pop over to the ‘My Library’ tab and you’ll see a long list of links you can use to help improve your academic skills, it looks like this:

    Here there are presentations and even quizzes to help you get ahead on a variety of skills. To the right of this you can also find subject-specific links setup especially for your field which give you the perfect tools to nail an assignment, so make sure to take a look!

    Playlists

    To help you #SussTheStress, here are 3 playlists you can use to understand, combat and overcome stress:

    • On Lynda.com you will find this playlist of short online courses and videos looking at stress, time management and resilience. Click here for the playlist.
    • On the Library Catalogue check out some self-help books all about stress management and making the most of your studies.
    • Finally, once all is said and done, kick back and relax with this Feel-good Films playlist on BoB, with all-time film favourites from Shrek to Matilda. Click here for the playlist.

    We hope this blog has given you plenty of things to try out and suss your stress. Make sure to use the hashtag and let us know how you #SussTheStress!

    Written by: RACHEL ARLAND

    3rd Year Early Year Childhood Studies Student

    Student Advisor for Library & Learning Services

    Laura

  • Educational Resources – What is available to you?

    What is a resource? It’s more than you may initially think, and there are many different resources available to you here at Edge Hill University. It is something that can help aid you in doing a specific job, writing an assignment or your dissertation.

    The resources available to you throughout Catalyst are more than you may initially think. So, let’s take a look…

    The Printing Hub

    The printing hub is the place for all of your printing needs. The printing hubs are located within the “landmarks” which are the black circular structures on each floor of the Catalyst building. Every student at the start of each academic year is issued with printing credit. Black and White printing is 2p/sheet and colour is 5p/sheet. Once your printing credit has ran out you may top it up via cash or card at the Catalyst help desk located which is located on the ground floor.

    Stationary and Binders

    Also, you may not know but located within each Printing Hub are stationary tools such as; a hole puncher, staplers, cello tape and paper binders. These are all completely free to use, all we ask is that once you have finished that you please return them to the Printing Hub for the use of other students.

    Newspapers

    Newspapers are a great resource especially when writing assignments. There are range of newspapers covering a variety of topics and stories. These are free to use, read and reference however we do ask that you do not remove these from Catalyst as they are on a “No-Loan” policy as they are fragile and irreplaceable. These are located on the 2nd floor of Catalyst by the spiral staircase.

    Magazines

    Magazines are the perfect resource when writing assignments and dissertations. They also cover a range of topics and academic areas. Again, they are completely free to use, however the University pay a lot of money for these publications and they are on a “No-Loan” policy. These can be found on the 2nd floor of Catalyst by the spiral staircase.

     

     

    Journals

    Journals are a fabulous resource when writing assignments and dissertations. They are reliable academic resources, and really help boost your assignment grades with accurate academic resources. These can be located on the 2nd floor of the Catalyst by the spiral staircase, opposite the Magazine and Newspaper section.

    Teaching Resources and Books

    These are the perfect resources for students who are studying education related degrees. These resources are perfect for when students go out on placement and have to take classes and teach. There are boxes of classroom activities and fictional books such as Harry Potter. So, whether you are teaching or want to read one of the many fictional books, they are available to loan. They can be found on the 1st floor by the bottom of the spiral staircase.

    DVDs and CDs
    Finally, there are hundreds of DVD’s and CD’s available to students and staff too. They are also available for loan! They are the perfect resource for media or film students however if you fancy a movie night or want to be “old school” and listen to a CD because you’ve ran out of your free month from Netflix and Spotify then these are amazing. They are free to take out and are located on the 2nd floor of Catalyst by the toilets. From Disney classics to Horror there is something for everybody.

    So, next time you are struggling to form an assignment or perhaps are having trouble finding reliable academic resources visit the Catalyst building and check out one of our many books or view one of the available journal or newspaper articles. Or why not borrow one of the many CDs or DVDs, whether it’s for academic use or personal use and you just fancy a movie night with your flat mates, feel free to check them out. There are also many other hidden resources within Catalyst like the Archive Room on the ground floor and you can borrow webcams for video interviews etc. These can be borrowed from Catalyst help desk.

    So if there is something you might need then pop down to Catalyst, because you never know we might just have it.

    Written by: SHELBY LUND

    2nd Year International Business Student

    Student Advisor for Library & Learning Services

    Laura

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  • November UniSkills Workshops

    UniSkills is a package of workshops, hands-on support and online resources to help you develop a range of essential academic skills and to enable you to produce high quality University assignments. UniSkills workshops are a series of small group sessions, focusing on a particular set of academic skills and techniques, available to book via ehu.ac.uk/workshops.

    This November why not attend one of our UniSkills workshops to get support with academic writing, finding academic information, Harvard Referencing, presentations, proofreading strategies or a session to support you with writing your undergraduate or postgraduate dissertation. This November will also see the introduction of our Shut Up & Work workshops, which are 2-hour structured sessions aimed at encouraging work and productivity.

    Introduction to Academic Writing

    This workshop will introduce you to the style of academic writing used at University. Discover how to plan, structure, use feedback and cover the basics of Harvard Referencing.

    Here are the dates and times below.

    • 6th November @ 1:00pm
    • 8th November @ 1:00pm

    Book your place here.

    Developing Academic Writing

    Are you looking to build upon previous academic writing experience and skills?

    Building on previous experience, this workshop focuses on understanding and recognising assessment criteria, how to apply critical reading, how to demonstrate critical analysis in your writing and the importance of integrating referencing.

    Here are the dates and times below.

    • 7th November @ 1:00pm
    • 12th November @ 12:00pm
    • 19th November @ 12:00pm
    • 21st November @ 1:00pm
    • 28th November @ 12:00pm

    Book your place here.

    Finding Academic Information

    Are you struggling to find relevant academic information? Do you want to enhance your search strategy?

    This hands-on workshop aims to help you improve your search strategy, find resources for your assignment (including books, eBooks and journal articles) using the Library Catalogue and Discover More and how to evaluate the reliability and strength of your sources. These workshops will take place in Oak Room (Top Floor, Catalyst).

    Here are the dates and times below.

    • 2nd November @ 1:00pm
    • 13th November @ 12:00pm

    Book your place here.

    EXPRESS: Harvard Referencing

    Referencing is an important part of your assignment as it allows you to acknowledge other writers and authors who have contributed to your thinking and argument. This workshop is ideal for students who want extra support with Harvard referencing and the chance to look at examples of how to reference correctly. This workshop will introduce you to the Harvard referencing guide, including in-text citations, bibliography/reference lists and the importance of referencing to avoid plagiarism.

    Here are the dates and times below.

    • 8th November @ 12:00pm
    • 14th November @ 12:00pm
    • 20th November @ 12:30pm
    • 22nd November @ 1:00pm

    Book your place here.

    Powerful Presentations

    Giving a presentation as part of your next module? Need help putting together a powerful presentation? This workshop will allow you to recognise the importance of planning and structuring your presentation, how to create an accessible yet visually appealing presentation and tips for presenting with confidence and poise. These workshops will take place in Oak Room (Top Floor, Catalyst).

    Here are the dates and times below.

    • 5th November @ 1:00pm
    • 14th November @ 1:00pm

    Book your place here.

    Shut Up & Work

    Do you just need to shut up and work? These workshops provide a quiet, comfortable environment to encourage a more productive study experience. Each session runs for 2 hours with a mixture of structured study time and (free) breakout refreshments. There will be academic support on hand throughout if you need help searching for resources, Harvard referencing support etc.

    Here are the dates and times below.

    • 6th November @ 10:00am
    • 13th November @ 10:00am
    • 21st November @ 10:00am
    • 29th November @ 10:00am

    Book your place here.

    Writing Your Undergraduate Dissertation

    This workshop may be of interest to those who are starting to plan and think about their undergraduate dissertation. This workshop will cover how to keep a narrow focus, what is originality of research, explore the structure and function of each section. This workshop also includes a troubleshooting group discussion (Level 6).

    Here are the dates and times below.

    • 26th November @ 1:00pm

    Book your place here.

    Writing Your Postgraduate Dissertation

    This workshop is aimed at postgraduate students who are starting to plan and think about their dissertation. This workshop will cover how to keep a narrow focus, what is originality of research, explore the structure and function of each section. This workshop also includes a troubleshooting group discussion (Level 7).

    Here are the dates and times below.

    • 5th November @ 12:00pm
    • 27th November @ 1:00pm

    Book your place here.

    Proofreading Strategies

    Before submitting your next University assignment, essay or academic research paper, it is very important to spend time proofreading your work, checking it carefully to ensure that you have made no errors such as grammar, punctuation and spelling mistakes. This workshop will teach you tips and techniques on proofreading strategies and how to proofread your work effectively before you submit. Learn how to use software (Read & Write 11) to speed up the process of editing and proofreading your work.

    Here are the dates and times below.

    • 9th November @ 1:00pm
    • 15th November @ 12:00pm

    Book your place here.

    Laura

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