Succeed with your Writing: Study Skills Centre Workshops , January - May 2016

SUCCEED WITH

YOUR WRITING Study Skills Centre Workshops January – May 2016 STUDY SKILLS CENTRE

Helping you get the most out of your studies Student Services

SUCCEED WITH

YOUR WRITING

Contents HELPING YOU GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR STUDIES

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SEMESTER 2 WORKSHOPS

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ACADEMIC WRITING WORKSHOPS

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DISSERTATION RESEARCH WRITING

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WORRIED ABOUT YOUR EXAMS?

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DISCOVER MORE ABOUT OUR WRITING CONSULTATIONS

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DON’T MISS THE CENTRE’S OTHER HELPFUL ACTIVITIES

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Helping you get the most out of your studies

• Individual writing and study skills appointments

• Maths and Statistics drop-in • Writing, research and exam skills workshops

• Postgraduate Dissertation writing school

• PhD writing groups • Online study guides

studyskills.bangor.ac.uk

The Study Skills Centre has scheduled two workshop programmes for Semester Two: an Academic Writing Series focusing upon assignmentrelated writing, and a Dissertation Series. Towards the tail end of the semester, two further workshops focus upon the exam revision process and the management of exams themselves.

Our workshops provide an opportunity to explore practices and strategies that help to develop your understanding of academic expectations and to improve the quality of the work that you produce.

Conversation is central to our approach.

The workshops are task-based, enabling you to learn by doing and questioning.

You are welcome to follow the complete programme, or to opt in only for those sessions that appeal to you. Each workshop is repeated once the following week with the same content. We look forward to working with you.

NO NEED TO BOOK

The Study Skills Centre works alongside students at all levels of undergraduate and postgraduate study, and offers a range of services including:

Semester 2 workshops

ACADEMIC WRITING WORKSHOPS January – March 2016 Length: 90 minutes Aimed primarily at undergraduates, but also of relevance to postgraduates, this free series provides a hands-on opportunity to explore issues central to the academic writing process. Approaching topics such as the management of your studies, the use of source material, and critical approaches to reading and writing, and discussing also ways of generating and organising your ideas, the series aims to provide a sound foundation for approaching future assignments.

For an outline of the content of each workshop, go online to http://studyskills.bangor.ac.uk/ workshops.php.en Registration is not required.

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WEEK 15

WEEK 16

Manage your studies

Beating writers block

27th January - 2pm Alun A1.01

4th February - 2pm Main Arts LR3

2nd February - 2pm Alun A0.01

8th February - 2pm Alun A1.06

This workshop has been designed to help you think strategically about the semester ahead and to map out a plan for managing your time.

This workshop aims to kick-start your writing by introducing a variety of strategies for generating and capturing your ideas. If you find yourself crossing-out more than you write, or staring at a white page and wishing it wasn’t white, then this workshop will benefit you.

studyskills.bangor.ac.uk

WEEK 17

WEEK 18

Writing better sentences

Note-taking and reading for purpose

10th February - 2pm

Alun A1.06

18th February - 2pm Main Arts LR3

16th February - 2pm

Wheldon LT2

22nd February - 2pm Alun A1.06

This workshop looks at common errors in sentence construction and flow, and explores ways of editing your writing to maximum effect. The session should be of interest if feedback from your lecturers suggests that you need to polish your punctuation and grammar.

In this workshop we will consider what it is that you need to get out of your reading, and explore ways of capturing information from lectures in note form.

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WEEK 19

WEEK 20

Paraphrasing and avoiding plagiarism

Making your argument stronger

24th February - 2pm Main Arts OSCRA

9th March - 2pm Wheldon LT2

1st March - 2pm Alun A1.01

15th March - 2pm Main Arts LR3

This workshop investigates what constitutes good practice when using the work of other writers, and offers a number of methods for avoiding plagiarism.

Particular emphasis is placed upon discussing ways of putting the ideas of other writers into your own words.

If feedback from your lecturers highlights the need to develop your argument and to make your writing less descriptive then this is the workshop for you. During the session, we explore how to present a position, how to argue your case, and how to test your argument.

studyskills.bangor.ac.uk

DISSERTATION RESEARCH WRITING

WEEK 15

January – April 2016 Length: 90 minutes Aimed at students who are thinking ahead towards their dissertation and at those who are engaged in preliminary background research, this free series provides a handson opportunity to: (a) develop your research goals, (b) assess your research management, (c) consider how to approach your literature review, (d) shape an abstract, and (e) explore what makes a purposeful introduction.

For an outline of the content of each workshop, go online to http://studyskills.bangor.ac.uk/ workshops.php.en Registration is not required.

Defining your Topic 26th January - 2pm

Wheldon LT2

3rd February - 2pm

Alun A1.06

Is your research aim achievable, and what are the merits of pursuing it? These are two questions that this workshop considers as we work through the process of generating a research question from an initial topic choice.

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WEEK 16

WEEK 17

Planning your Dissertation

Reviewing the Literature

9th February - 2pm Alun A1.01

23rd February - 2pm Alun A0.01

17th February - 2pm Alun A0.01

2nd March - 2pm Alun A0.01

This workshop explores the notion of a ‘research audit’ as a means of identifying the stages that you will need to work through in order to successfully manage your research project to completion.

In this workshop we explore the purpose of literature reviews and consider how the review is located within your research.

We consider also how to shape an authoritative stance towards the literature and how to organise your review to maximum effect.

studyskills.bangor.ac.uk

WEEK 18

WEEK 19

Writing Abstracts

Writing Introductions

8th March - 2pm Alun A1.01

12th April - 2pm Alun A1.01

16th March - 2pm Alun A0.01

20th April - 2pm Alun A1.01

What makes a good abstract? This workshop aims to answer this question through comparison of abstracts from a range of different disciplines.

This workshop explores the function of written introductions and the moves that writers make when introducing their work to their readers.

studyskills.bangor.ac.uk

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WORRIED ABOUT YOUR EXAMS? We have two workshops focusing upon revision skills and the management of exams.

Doing your best Last minute in exams exam revision 13th April - 2pm Alun A1.01

4th May - 2pm

Alun A1.06

19th April - 2pm Alun A0.01 Exams can be a daunting experience.

Timed to coincide with the revision period for the summer exams, this workshop aims to reduce exam anxiety and stress by exploring successful approaches to exam preparation and technique.

Timed to coincide with the exam period, this workshop aims to take some of the anxiety out of exams by offering top tips for last minute revision and for the day of the exam itself.

Discover more about our Writing Consultations What is a writing consultation?

Writing consultations provide you with an opportunity to meet individually for up to 50 minutes at a time with a member of our writing team in order to discuss your academic writing. You can book an appointment at any point in the writing process, and we welcome the opportunity to talk with you about assignments that you are currently working on, and also those that have already been assessed. We encourage you to bring your work to our consultations.

EMAIL: STUDYSKILLS@BANGOR.AC.UK WWW.BANGOR.AC.UK/STUDYSKILLS studyskills.bangor.ac.uk

Our writing team Our writing consultants comprise both Study Advisers and Peer Writing Mentors.

The Mentors are fellow undergraduate and postgraduate students who have been recruited via an interview process and who then follow a rigorous training programme.

94% of our consultations are rated 4 star or higher, with two-thirds given a 5 star rating.

How to book a consultation Appointments can be booked online using our website booking form, or by phone on 01248 382689. Alternatively, call in person to Rathbone reception. Both English and Welsh medium consultations are available. Consultations are both completely free and confidential.

www.bangor.ac.uk/studyskills

PHONE: 01248 382689

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Don’t miss the Centre’s...

Other Helpful Activities Maths and Stats Drop-in The maths and stats drop-in service provides an opportunity to meet individually with a tutor to discuss any maths and stats difficulties that you may be experiencing, and to ask the kind of questions that you might be reluctant to ask of a course tutor.

Support can be given with exercises, tutorial sheets, past examination papers, and with the use of statistical packages (Excel and SPSS). If you are struggling to understand the mathematics, to formulate a hypothesis, to choose the correct statistical test, or to interpret the results of a computer generated output, drop in to see us during term time in the Deiniol library.

Tuesdays: 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm Wednesdays: 10:30 am – 4:30 pm The service is entirely free and fully confidential. No booking is necessary.

Writing groups We have been running writing groups for PhD students since we were founded and welcome new writing group members and also interest from students at other levels of study. Our groups provide an opportunity to share writing and receive feedback from critical friends, and provide a stimulus for the writing. If you are interested in joining a group, register an interest through our website.

Online study guides Our website provides a range of study guides on writing and other skills areas from presentations, to exam skills, and maths and statistics. Head online for essay writing guides, tips on avoiding plagiarism, and advice on the art of editing.