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Writing courseworks
What we can do:
Advise on the requirements and conventions for different formats (such as essays, reports, portfolios, dissertations)
Help you to interpret coursework titles and guidelines, work out the tasks involved, and develop ideas for your writing.
Listen to your ideas and help you develop them; advise you on focusing on the question and structuring your answer.
Talk about what it means to think and write critically, in the context of a particular coursework.
Read a first draft of your coursework and comment on the overall argument, structure, and use of evidence (including referencing).
Read a short section of your coursework (maximum one page) and offer recommendations on style, grammar and spelling.
What we cannot do:
- We cannot proof-read or ‘correct’ your coursework.
- In most cases we cannot advise you on the content of your essay.
What you can do:
Bring copies of the coursework task and any guidelines, dates for submission, and any feedback from your tutor to your appointment.
Email a first draft / work in progress, and any questions you have about it, to at least one day before your appointment. This will allow your advisor to spend 15-20 minutes reading your work beforehand
Think carefully before the appointment about your coursework: what is difficult or confusing about it? If you have got ‘stuck’, where and why? What do you want to focus on during the appointment time?
Research, reading and note-taking
What we can do:
Advise you on the resources available to you in the library and on the internet.
Help you to evaluate these resources (are they valid, appropriate, current?)
Discuss your approach to reading – when, where, what and why – and explore alternative approaches.
Advise on reading and note-taking strategies e.g. skimming, scanning, linear notes, mind-maps.
Talk about what it means to read critically and actively.
What we cannot do:
- Conduct a literature search for you, or recommend specific reading material.
What you can do:
Bring examples of your own notes, and any reading you have found difficult, to your appointment.
Managing your time and workload
What we can do:
Advise you on what is expected of you as a university student.
Discuss what motivates you and how to maintain commitment to your studies.
Offer tips and tools for managing your time effectively.
Work with you to plan your workload and identify deadlines across the whole of your studies.
Help you to set realistic schedules and task lists to allow you complete courseworks on time.
Advise you on what to do if things go wrong (if you miss a deadline for coursework, for example)
What we cannot do:
- Negotiate extended deadlines with course tutors
- If emotional or personal difficulties are affecting your studies, we can offer limited, practical help; you may also want to explore these issues further with a university counsellor.
What you can do:
Don’t leave things too late! If you are falling behind with work or struggling with your workload, talk to someone sooner rather than later.
Maths and Statistics
What we can do:
Offer additional support with mathematics that may be essential to your course (such as basic calculations, algebra, solving equations, trigonometry).
Advise you on the uses of statistics in academic work (for example in research projects).
Advise you on the design of questionnaires and other tools for statistical research.
Advise you on recording data using the SPSS statistical software.
Advise you on using appropriate statistical tests to analyse data in SPSS.
What we cannot do:
- Offer support for more complex / higher level mathematics (though we will refer you to other sources of support).
- Input or analyse statistical data on your behalf.
What you can do:
Bring examples of any maths problems, questionnaires or data that you are working on to your appointment.
Groupwork and Presentations
What we can do:
Offer tips and tools for working with other students to start, develop and complete a project.
Act as facilitators for your group to brainstorm, problem-solve and plan your activities.
Listen to your (individual or group) presentation and offer an ‘audience perspective’
Advise you on presentational skills, help you to anticipate problems and questions you might be asked.
Advise you on effective use of Powerpoint presentational software.
What we cannot do:
- In most cases we cannot comment on the content of your project or presentation.
What you can do:
Email your Powerpoint presentation or work in progress to us at least one day in advance, with any questions you have about it. This will allow your adviser to spend 15 minutes looking at it before your appointment.
Exams and Revision
What we can do:
Offer tips and tools for planning your revision timetable.
Help you to develop revision strategies suited to the format of your exam.
Discuss and advise you on exam strategies tailored to the format of your exam.
Read your practice exam answers and comment on argument, structure and style.
What we cannot do:
- In most cases, we cannot offer advice on the specific content of your exam.
- If exam stress or anxiety is a concern for you we can offer some practical suggestions, but you may wish to explore these issues further with a university counsellor.
What you can do:
Bring examples of your notes, exam-style answers, or past exam papers (available from OASIS on the University portal).
We can also help with….
Lectures / tutorials – what are they for?
Plagiarism – what is it and how do I avoid it?
Reassessments
Honours projects and dissertations
Skills for postgraduate students
And more….
The main points
- Ask for support sooner rather than later – the closer you are to a deadline, the less we can do to help.
- All questions are good questions. You are expected to be an independent learner in higher education, but that does not mean working everything out for yourself.
Want more?
Hand-outs
This guide is one in a series of hand-outs you might find useful. You can pick up copies from the Student Academic Support office, or access them from our website (see below). Other topics in the series include:
- Making the most of your time
- Reading critically
- Taking notes
- Starting courseworks
- Writing essays
- Writing reports
- Referencing and avoiding plagiarism
- How to check your work
- Revision and exams
- Research
Useful web links:
The Student Academic Support website at all our study guides. Further advice from universities around the UK and the world can be found at the LearnHigher website ( ).
At Abertay:
English as a foreign language: contact Amanda Shaw ()
Advice for disabled students (including dyslexia): Claire Allan ()
Equality & Diversity: Student Academic Support shares the same Equality & Diversity and Confidentiality policies as the rest of Student Services, which can be found in full via the ‘About Us’ section of the Student Services pages on the Portal. In short, we work with students and staff regardless of racial origin, gender, sexuality, nationality, disability, age or cultural/religious beliefs. Information you share with us might, with your permission, be shared with other members of the Student Academic Support team where it could help us to provide a better service to you, but will not be shared with anyone else except in exceptional circumstances, where there is deemed to be a danger to yourself, others or if there is a legal duty.
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