Developing a range of academic skills is an essential part of ensuring success in your studies and future employment. Explore our Study Skills section and book an online appointment if you require support. Also, explore some useful resources below.
In order to write your assignments and dissertations, you must have good academic language skills. Look out for classes advertised by the English for Academic Purpose (EAP) team to improve your English reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. You may find the sources below useful as well.
For your degree, you will mostly be writing assignments and dissertation. However, some of you may take an exam or two. If you are taking exams, follow the steps below for success.
Useful Study Skills and EAP Resources
The resources below are external links, not provided or subscribed to by the University. Therefore, we are not able to guarantee continuity of access. Please contact us to let us know if they are not accessible anymore.
BBC STUDY SKILLS
These series offer useful study tips and knowledge that will help you in your degree programme/(s) at UoSiL and beyond. Topics include: quoting, paraphrasing and summarising; critical thinking skills; listening and note-taking and more.
BBC LEARNING ENGLISH
This resource from the British Broadcasting Corporation World Service provides comprehensive materials for intermediate to advanced English language learners by using news stories to present English in context. It has a YouTube channel with videos on grammar, dramas, news, pronunciation, vocabulary, music, interviews, celebrities, and students themselves. One of its most popular resources is The Flatmates, the world's best English language teaching soap opera.
BUSINESS ENGLISH
By the British Council, improve your English for the workplace and learn about business topics to help you work more effectively and make the most of career opportunities.
IELTS
This is the website from the International English Language Testing System which provides handbook, test explanations, sample tests, and information about obtaining practice material.
LEARNHIGHER
Learnhigher is a network for promoting and facilitating the development and dissemination of high quality, peer-reviewed resources for learning development in the higher education sector. They aim to support the development of such resources as well as conduct and disseminate research into the use and effectiveness of learning development strategies and materials.
MACMILLAN STUDY SKILLS
This site offers advice on strategies to improve your essential study skills, student life, critical thinking, exam and revision skills, writing and referencing, groupwork and presentations, research methods, and career planning.
PREPARE FOR SUCCESS
This is an interactive web learning tool for international students who are getting ready to study in UK higher education. It contains learning resources which are activity-based to help you find out about different aspects of academic life in the UK and the skills needed for effective study. As well as preparing you for what to expect during your studies, the activities provide scope for English language improvement.
SUCCEEDING AT UNIVERSITY
This is a list of useful resources for those students who are taking the Succeeding at University module on Campus (you may have to log in with your University credentials first).
UCAS STUDY SKILLS GUIDES
These guides include practical activities and advice to help you develop the habits of effective, independent study.
USING ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: A GUIDE FOR STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
This website includes a list of EAP topics intended to help you develop your use of English in the context of studying a subject in British Higher Education. Topics include: vocabulary, grammar in EAP, accuracy and others.
Useful Exam Skills Tips
If you are taking exams, follow the steps below for success.
Before the exam:
- Well before the exam, make sure you clearly mark the date, time and venue of the exam in your diary or calendar
- Make sure you know in plenty of time before the exam what is expected of you and prepare accordingly
- Try and get a good night’s sleep the night before the exam
- On the day, make sure you arrive at the right place and in plenty of time
- Think positively; this is an opportunity to demonstrate what you have been learning
- Have a clear strategy for tackling the exam paper
During the exam:
- Be sure to write your name and/or exam number on all of your answer sheets
- Check the back of the exam paper for important information or instructions
- Scan the paper for questions that you feel you can confidently answer and mark them
- Read the questions all the way through before starting
- Tackle your best question first as this will help you get started
- Make a brief plan for any essay type question before you begin
- Make a note of any new thoughts that occur whilst writing
- Make sure you answer all the questions you need to
- Allow yourself plenty of time to answer each question - try and stick to the times you have allocated to yourself to answer each question during the exam
- Manage your time well so that you can answer as many questions as possible
- Give equal time to questions that carry equal marks, and more time to any that carry extra marks
- Try to give reasonable answers to the given number of questions
- It is better to at least make an attempt at answering all the questions than spending all your time on one question and completely miss out on answering other questions
- If you run out of time you have allocated for one of your answers, then leave a space so that you can return to it later
- Do not write everything you know about a topic but answer the specifics of each question
Remember, examiners are interested in how you:
- Make sense of the question
- Relate it to the course
- Develop a line of reasoning
- Evaluate opposing viewpoints
- Offer evidence that supports your argument