PART 1 - IN PLACE1. Starting out - university study and youWhat is university learning all about?Learning: how do you go about it?Learning in lecturesLearning to listenTaking good notes in lecturesLearning in tutorials, seminars and workshopsLearning and listening2. Settling down - studying aloneStudying outside formal classesPlanning your study timeStudying at nightStudying as part of a groupGetting started with your university studyReading for studyMaking notes for essays and other assignments3. Teaming up - working in groupsWhat is a team?Why use teams for study and in the workplace?What does teamwork offer individuals?What kind of tasks are appropriate for teams rather than individuals?What makes a team effective?How can you make your team effective?Maintaining an effective teamSupportive behaviour within the teamCollaborative writing of a team projectMaking a team presentation4. Finding out - becoming well informedWhy are information skills important?Becoming familiar with the library?Finding resources listed on a reading listUsing the library's searching toolsLocating material in the library buildingElectronic collectionsFinding information for your assignmentSumming upPART 2 - IN TEXT5. Writing up - essay writingWhy write?What is an essay?How do you write a good essay?What are your essay markers looking for?The matter of scholarship6. Arguing through - preparing and presenting written argumentHow do we define an argument?What makes a strong inductive argument?What is acceptable reasoning and evidence in developing an argument?What is unacceptable reasoning or evidence?A word of warningA summary of the requirements for a strong argumentative essaySome hints for planning an argumentative essay7. Stating facts - presenting research findingsWhat are report readers looking for?General layout of a reportWritten expression and presentationWriting a laboratory report8.
Making sense - writing annotated bibliographies, summaries andreviewsPreparing an annotated bibliographyWriting summaries or précisWriting a reviewPART 3 - IN DETAIL9. Writing well - language and sentence structureWhat is good writing?Achieving the goals of good functional writingChoosing the right wordUsing inclusive languageStructuring clear sentencesFinding out about correct grammar10. Dotting 'i's - using punctuation correctlyWhy is punctuation important?Using abbreviations and other shortened forms of words or phrasesUsing apostrophes correctlyUsing capital lettersUsing colonsUsing semicolonsUsing commasUsing ellipsesUsing the full stopUsing numbersUsing quotation marksFinding out more about punctuation11. Owning up - acknowledging sourcesThe author-date (Harvard) systemThe note systemThe Vancouver systemNotes and note identifiersThe importance of acknowledging sorucesPART 4 - ON SHOW12. Speaking out - public speakingWhy are public speaking skills important?Preparing to give a talkDelivering your talkCoping with questions13. Showing off - communicating with figures and tablesWhy communicate graphically?General guidelines for clear graphic communicationDifference types of graphsTables14. Pasting up - preparing postersWhy make a poster?How to produce a posterWhat are your poster markers looking for?Designing your posterVisibility and colourAcknowledging sources15. Facing up - succeeding in examsWhy have exams?Types of examPreparing for an examSitting exams: a guide to technique for written examsSpecific advice for multiple choice examsSpecific advice for oral examsSpecific advice for open book examsSpecific advice for take-home examsOnline exams.