Now that the whirlwind that was 2020 has come to a close and we’ve entered the part of 2021 where every conversation includes the phrase, ‘do you have any New Year’s resolutions?’ I’ve got a question for you; do you have any academic New Year’s resolutions?

My big goal for this year is to manage my time better! Like most students, I’m so busy with assignments and other commitments that it can be a bit chaotic to try and get everything done on time. It’s not unusual for me to work well into the evening, which isn’t exactly the best study habit to have. Time management is a big source of problems for a lot of students so here’s a quick post to share how I’m going about sticking to my study resolution this year. These strategies aren’t just specific to my goals though, whatever your study goals are, hopefully these points will help you in setting and sticking to your aims.

1.       Break it down

Having a big goal is great but wanting to ‘have better time management’ isn’t very specific. It’s good to have idea of what you’re going to do to reach that goal. For me, that means setting rules such as ‘no working past 10pm.’ It’s much easier to stick to a New Year’s resolution when you know exactly what you need to do, not just what you want as an end result.

2.       Give yourself a time frame

A year is a long time, it can be easy to put things off or lose steam when the goal is so far away so it’s a good idea to give yourself smaller deadlines that are more manageable. I like to set quarterly goals every three months because that time frame is short enough that I’ll stick to it but long enough to get a substantial amount done. What works for you will depend on your preferences, so think it through and choose what is best for you.

3.       Work with friends

If you and a friend both want to improve your timekeeping, why not get together (virtually) and make study timetables together? Keeping each other on track is a great way to stick to your plans and make it more fun. Even if your goals are different, just sharing them can help you stay motivated.

4.       Don’t overwhelm yourself at the start of the year

It can be easy to get carried away with everything you want to do and end up with a mile-long list of goals for the year, but that might not be the best approach. This is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s probably best just to pick a few goals to work at steadily rather than burning yourself out within a month.

5.       Come to a UniSkills session

Start the way you mean to go on by booking on to one of our brand new UniSkills webinars! The Spring programme will be available for you to book on soon and covers a wide range of subjects including academic writing, being critical, Harvard referencing, searching for academic information and much, much more. You can also book a 1-2-1 appointment for more tailored support with our knowledgeable Academic Skills Advisors

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates about what we’re doing in the Library and Learning Services department and how we can support you throughout the year. And while you’re here, let us know in the comments what your #NewYearNewUniSkills study resolutions are!

We know that you’ve all been eagerly awaiting our Autumn timetable and we can announce that bookings are now open!

The UniSkills webinars are delivered by our knowledgeable team of Academic Skills Advisors and are jam packed with the very best advice to help you ace your assignments. Whether you’re just starting out on your student journey, or you’re a postgraduate who need help with your Masters dissertation, there really is something for everyone. There’s everything from academic writing, critical analysis, proofreading, referencing and all the way through to writing your dissertation.

If you’re new to writing at university level and have your first assignment title but you’re not sure how to get started then Introduction to Academic Writing would be ideal for you. There’s also Being Critical, Become a Paraphrasing Pro and Using Harvard Referencing which can be useful as you approach each stage of your assignment. If you are struggling to find resources for your assignment and want some help finding your eBooks and eResources, we even have bite size sessions such as Finding Online Resources via the Library Catalogue and your Reading List and Finding Electronic Journals in Discover More.

If you have had a break in your studies, and possibly feeling a little overwhelmed, the Returning To Learning community is a chance to meet other students, chat about your learning experiences, and discover study tips and strategies, as you settle back into University life.

UniSkills also has loads to offer returning students so you may be interested in Developing Academic Writing further as you move in to higher level writing and our Grow Your Academic Resilience session can help you to cope with the challenges this may bring. If you’re going in to your final year then I’m sure that lots of you are thinking about your dissertation and Writing Your Undergraduate Dissertation can help you on this journey. We haven’t forgotten about postgraduate’s either as the Writing Your Postgraduate Dissertation session will help you consider how to keep a narrow focus and originality of research.

Also for the first time this year we are offering UniSkills Extra sessions. Find out how assistive technology software can be used to support your studies with the Using Assistive Technologies at University and Harnessing Digital Accessibility sessions or if you want to stop procrastinating Developing Strategies for Learning is ideal for helping you to devise strategies to manage your time better.

You can check out the full line-up and book your place at ehu.ac.uk/workshops. There are various times and dates to choose from and there is no limit on the number of webinars you can attend. All the sessions are delivered virtually through Blackboard Collaborate and can be accessed on or off campus. Don’t worry if you haven’t used this technology yet as we’ll send you a link to join the session along with a handy technical guide. You can also watch our useful video guide, for how to really get the most out of attending a UniSkills webinar.

If you are unable to attend a session but would like some additional guidance on any of these topics then please get in touch with us or book a 1-2-1 appointment here.

We’re looking forward to seeing you soon!

Hello and a massive welcome to all our new students, we look forward to meeting you and getting to know you all. Welcome back to all returning students too. We are the Student Engagement team and we are here to provide support with all aspects of academic skills. Although this year may feel a little different please be reassured that we are here to support you!

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.

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!

We’ve also put on some some ‘Getting Started With Uniskills’ sessions especially for new students. They’ll 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.  There’ll even be a prize drawer for a £25 Amazon voucher simply for attending the session so book your place now!

You can also check out what Uniskills Webinars we have on offer throughout the year or if you require more specific support you can also book a 1-2-1 virtual appointment with an Academic Skills Advisor who can work with you on a piece of work or research.

Finding Your Resources

Once you start your tutor will provide with your reading list and I’m sure many of you will be keen to get started! To find your resources the Library Catalogue is a great place to start. From here you can access your Reading List online and, by clicking on the book titles, you can jump straight through to the catalogue where you will find details on the items location and availability.

You can collect items directly from the shelves and check them out on the self-issue machines located around the building or you can currently reserve items straight from the shelves using our temporary ‘Click and Collect’ service. All you need to do to use this service is place a reservation on the book you want, we’ll grab if from the shelves for you and let you know when it’s ready to collect.

As an Edge Hill student you also have access to thousands of high quality academic e-resources which are particularly useful whilst on placement as they can all be accessed off campus. The Subject Resource web pages contain all the relevant journals and databases for your course or you can browse the e-resource collections using the Discover More search tool. You also find links to newspaper collections and useful websites relevant to your course.

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?

Further Help and 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!

Hello and a massive welcome to all our PGCE students, we look forward to meeting you and getting to know you all. We are the Student Engagement team and we are here to provide support with all aspects of academic skills. Although this year may feel a little different please be reassured that we are here to support you!

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.

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 check out what Uniskills Webinars we have on offer throughout the year or if you require more specific support you can also book a 1-2-1 virtual appointment with an Academic Skills Advisor who can work with you on a piece of work or research.

Finding Your Resources

Once you start your tutor will provide with your reading list and I’m sure many of you will be keen to get started! To find your resources the Library Catalogue is a great place to start. From here you can access your Reading List online and, by clicking on the book titles, you can jump straight through to the catalogue where you will find details on the items location and availability.

You can collect items directly from the shelves and check them out on the self-issue machines located around the building or you can currently reserve items straight from the shelves using our temporary Click and Collect’ service. All you need to do to use this service is place a reservation on the book you want, we’ll grab if from the shelves for you and let you know when it’s ready to collect.

As well as the academic textbooks, which you’ll need for writing your assignments, there’s also a dedicated Education Resource Collection which has lots of resources that you can borrow. There are Key Stage 1 and 2 children’s books, larger picture books for whole class reading sessions, phonics resources, subject packs and interactive kits which are available on longer loan, so ideal for using in the classroom while you’re on placement.

As an Edge Hill student you also have access to thousands of high quality academic e-resources which are particularly useful whilst on placement as they can all be accessed off campus. The Subject Resource web pages contain all the relevant journals and databases for your course or you can browse the e-resource collections using the Discover More search tool.

On the Subject Resource web pages you will also find links to newspaper collections, classroom resources, useful websites and the Times Higher Education, so you can keep up to date with current affairs and recent developments in the education sector. 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 web pages – all available 24/7!

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?

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!

For some students the academic year hasn’t ended yet, so we just wanted to let you know that we are still here to support you throughout your reassessment period in August.

You can find all the usual support on our UniSkills web pages and you might want to check out the exam preparation tab in particular. Here you’ll find information on goal setting, staying motivated, how to avoid common mistakes and links to some helpful online guides & tutorials.

Assessment periods can be a stressful time and you may be feeling anxious about completing your online assessment or resubmission. To help manage your worries it’s a great idea to start planning ahead now, so you are as prepared as possible for any unexpected problems on the day.

Take a look at our Online Learning and Assessments web pages where you will find lots of useful information which will should help tackle those fears head on. Here you will find online assessment guides and toolkit, a pre-assessment checklist and IT troubleshooting tips. Preparation is the key to exam success so here are our top tips to ensure that everything goes smoothly on the day:

• Install Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox onto your PC or laptop as the University systems work best on these web browsers. We don’t recommend trying to complete assessments using a tablet or phone. If you don’t have access to a PC or laptop contact the Catalyst Helpdesk.
• Read and digest any information provided by your tutors for the assessments you will be taking. It is a good idea to have the information about how the assessment will work clear in your head prior to the assessment date itself.
• Make sure you have access to the software you will need, including Microsoft Word or another text editor. Remember that you have access to Office 365 and can download the software to your device for free.
• Log into Blackboard on the device you will be using to check your access.
• Update your alternative email. This is so you can easily reset your password should you need to.
• Access our Help and Support guides which provide lots of step by step technical information on how to access and submit your assessment.

If you experience any technical issues, or would like advice and guidance on how to set up your technology in an optimum way for your assessment, then help is available by contacting the Catalyst Helpdesk virtually via email or live chat. The Helpdesk is available from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 6pm at weekends.

Last but not least good luck from everyone at Library & Learning Services. We know you can do it!

We know being away from campus over the last few months has been difficult for many people and you may feel out of touch with the university. If you want to reconnect, avoid that ‘summer slide’ and get a head start for the new term in September, then our Summer UniSkills offer may be just what you need.

Here in the Student Engagement team we provide a wide range of support designed to help you develop your academic skills and confidence at University and beyond. Since the University closed in the middle of March we have continued to support students virtually and there are a number of ways you can access our services.

UniSkills Webinars

We have a series of online workshops on offer over the summer which are an opportunity to dive deeper into a specific skill that will support you on your academic journey. Sessions include:

• Finding Academic Information
• Develop Your Academic Writing
• Being Critical
• Harvard Referencing
• Grow Your Academic Resilience (new addition for the summer)

You can book your place today via ehu.ac.uk/workshops

1-2-1 Appointments

As well as our UniSkills webinars you can also book a 1-2-1 appointment throughout the summer months with an Academic Skills Advisor. If you have a specific assignment, or piece of research you would like support with, they can help you develop your academic writing & referencing skills and show you how to find resources.

UniSkills Webpages

If you’d prefer to study in your own time and at your own pace then feel free to browse the UniSkills web pages, available 24/7! Here you’ll find our interactive online toolkits which contain loads of handy tips and tricks to help you to brush up on assignment planning, critical thinking, punctuation, proofreading and much more. There’s also some really handy guides and videos too!

LinkedIn Learning

If you are interested in expanding your skills in other areas, such as IT or your personal and professional development, then LinkedIn Learning is the place for you! It’s free for EHU students to use and has over 10,000 online courses for you to choose from, covering everything from Arithmetic to Zoom. We have even created some LinkedIn Learning playlists to get you started on topics such as public speaking and employability skills. Click here to find out more and for details on how to access LinkedIn Learning

Further Help & Support

For 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 – 6pm.