Quick Guides

Description:  Tips and tools to understand university, manage and plan your studies.

• Tips on Getting Started at University
• Managing Online Study
• Managing your Time

Planners: To help you get organised.

• Term Planner - Assessments
• Term Planner - Assessments (Word format)
• Weekly Planner - Study
• Weekly Planner - Study (Word format)

Description:  Tips and tools to maximise your learning - preparing for lectures, effective note-taking, group work and learning from feedback.

• Taking Notes
• Getting the Most out of Lectures
• Study strategies to help you learn the language and concepts of your discipline
• Working in Teams and Groups

Using feedback to plan for improvement: access the accordion below called 'Reviewing and using feedback'.

Description:  Tips and tools to understand, organise, and start your assignments & exams.

• Understanding Assessment Tasks
• Common Instruction Words
• A Step-by-Step Guide to Planning & Putting Assignments Together
• Brainstorming and Mind Mapping
• Organising Information for your Assignments

Description:  Explanation of the common features of different SCU Assignments and exams.

• Abstract or Executive Summary
• Writing an Annotated Bibliography - Harvard
• Writing an annotated bibliography - APA7th
• Case Study
• Critical Review
• Discussion Board Post
• Literature Review
• Planning Your Literature Review
• Planning Your Essay Visual Mapping
• A Model Essay Structure
• Memo
• Oral Presentations
• Proposal
• Reflective Writing
• Report
• Report Writing Checklist
• Creating a Slideshow
• Types of Exam Questions and How to Handle Them
• Infographic Quick Guide

Description: Strategies to understand, evaluate and synthesise academic material.

• How to Evaluate Sources of Information
• Reading Critically
• Tips for Reading Effectively
• Reading: Note-taking and note-making
• Organising your Readings – Synthesis Grid
• How to Read a Journal Article

Description:  Instructions on writing in an academic style and how to write specific sections of your assignments.

• How to Demonstrate Critical Judgement
• Writing Analytically and Persuasively
• Define and use concepts in your writing
• Summarising and Paraphrasing
• Planning and Writing an Introduction
• How to Write a Good Introduction
• Planning and Writing Body Paragraphs
• Writing Paragraphs
• How to paraphrase
• Connecting your Ideas - Linking Words
• How to format your assignment to APA 7
• Formatting for Harvard

Evidence-rich writing

Description:  How to effectively incorporate academic source material to demonstrate academic integrity.

• Rules about copying at University
• How to use direct quotations in your writing
• Using direct quotes as evidence
• Using paraphrases as evidence
• Using reporting verbs to introduce evidence

Description: Tips and tools to proofread and edit your work before submission.

• The Process of Editing
• Assignment Editing Checklist
• Using Grammarly to Improve Your Editing Skills
• Voice Thread submission

Using feedback to plan for improvement

Description: Tips and tools for understanding and using lecturer feedback to improve.

• Accessing and using feedback
• Responding to lecturer feedback
• A SNOB Analysis
• Assignment Tracker
• Assignment Tracker example
• Action Plan 1: Identify major and minor issues
• Action Plan 2: Target action
• Action Plan 3: Personal action
• Action Plan 4: Personal development