Study skills

Study Skills Learning Advisors run drop-in sessions to support you with a range of study skills. In these sessions, we can assist with:

• Understanding assessment task requirements
• Assignment writing and structure
• Feedback on assignment drafts
• Finding journal articles and other information resources
• Avoiding plagiarism and referencing
• Time management, study planning and exam preparation

Study Skills also offers specialist drop-in sessions for:

• English Language Help
• Referencing Help

Study Skills drop-ins are delivered both face-to-face and online:

• The on-campus drop-in sessions are on Level B of the Library (Building 8).
• The online drop-in sessions can be accessed in the Virtual Room of the Study Help UCLearn (Canvas) site (in the left navigation menu).

The Study Skills drop-in service starts in Week 2 of Semester 1, 2024. The on-campus Study Skills drop-in sessions run in the Library Learning Hub (Building 8, Level B).  The online Study Skills drop-in sessions are held in the Virtual Room of the Student Support Hub Canvas site (left hand menu). The timetable for the Study Skills drop-in is below.

For study help outside of these times please visit the ASK Advisor service or Studiosity.

For more information about this service, please click here or email Study Skills.

Study Skills provides consultations for students whom UC staff feel could benefit from individual study support to achieve their academic goals. Individual consultations are available face-to-face and online Monday to Friday 9.30 am to 4.30 pm during all teaching periods. Consultations may be arranged outside of these hours on a case-by-case basis.

Staff can access the Individual consultation referral form (staff login required).

The MASH (Maths, Stats and IT Help) Centre provides drop-in learning support for mathematics, statistics and IT for students across the University. These drop-in sessions run Monday to Friday each week during semester, and sessions are also available during winter term.

In the Maths, Stats and IT Help sessions, students can get help with a range of mathematics, statistics and IT enquiries, including introductory mathematics, solving chemistry and nursing equations, introductory and business statistics, and data analysis.

The MASH drop-in service is delivered both face-to-face and online:

• The face-to-face drop-in sessions are held in the MASH Centre, 6B36 in the Building 6 Student Resource Centre.
• Online MASH sessions can be accessed in the Virtual Room of the Study Help UCLearn (Canvas) site (in the left navigation menu).

The MASH service starts in Week 2 of Semester 1. The MASH timetable is available for download here: MASH timetable.

For general maths assistance outside of the MASH times, please visit Studiosity's Connect Live service (see Online Study Help section for more details).

For more information contact Study Skills by email or phone (02) 6201 2205.

PALS (Peer-Assisted Learning Sessions) are weekly group study sessions designed to support large-cohort foundation units. PALS are led by Peer Learning Advisors who are students that have successfully completed the units themselves. The Peer Learning Advisors share their effective learning strategies and also provide structured group activities specific to the unit.

PALS is usually delivers both face-to-face and online sessions. Sessions start in week 2 of Semester 1. The online sessions will be run in the Virtual Room in the PALS Student UCLearn (Canvas) site. You can access and enrol in the PALS student site via this link: https://uclearn.canberra.edu.au/enroll/P6BCC8

In Semester 1, 2024 PALS is supporting the following units:

The PALS timetable for Semester 1, 2024 can be downloaded here.

The PALS timetable for Integrated Nursing Concepts (INC) 1 and 3 can be downloaded here.

If you have any questions about PALS, please email Study Skills.

The  ASK (Academic Skills and Knowledge) Advisors are UC students who are able to assist students with assignments and general library enquires. They are available for one-on-one consultations of up to 20 minutes, assisting with:

• understanding assessment tasks
• assignment structure
• finding information
• referencing
• using UCLearn
• e-Portfolio (Mahara)
• Library searching and borrowing
• general help.

The ASK Advisor service is delivered both face-to-face and online:

• The on-campus ASK Advisor service is in the Learning Hub, Level B of the Library (Building 8).
• The online ASK Advisor service is available through the Chat function on Study Help, Study Skills and Library websites.

Currently, the ASK Advisor service is available at these times:

For Writing Feedback or Connect Live study support outside of these times, please use Studiosity online study help (in the left menu of your UCLearn (Canvas) teaching sites or the Student Support Hub).

Study Skills Services

All Study Skills programs and services are generally available both online and face-to-face. See the individual tabs on this webpage for timetables and further information.

The Study Help site

Hosted by the Student Support Hub, the Study Help site (UCLearn login required) is available for all UC and UCC students to access 24/7. The site contains a large range of self-paced interactive modules and e-resources to help students with strategies for online learning, assignment writing, referencing, researching, time management, exam preparation and more.

Studiosity Online study support

1. Writing Feedback: Students can submit assessment drafts for Writing Feedback on structure, writing style, grammar, referencing and more. Studiosity supports Harvard, APA and Chicago referencing styles. Studiosity specialists provide feedback on writing usually within 24 hours. Writing Feedback is available 24/7.
2. Connect Live: This service connects students with live study help for general study skills, including writing help and English, as well as foundation level assistance with subjects including mathematics and science. Connect Live is available 24/7 with easy sharing of questions through and interactive whiteboard, audio and text chat.

Studiosity can also be accessed through most unit UCLearn (Canvas) sites in the left course menu or through the course menu of the Student Support Hub.

English Language Support

English Language Help Drop-In

Study Skills runs a drop-in service providing individual English language support for students with a focus on:

• academic reading and writing skills
• paraphrasing and academic integrity
• grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary
• academic listening and speaking skills

Dates and times are available on the Study Help site (UCLearn login required) during semester. Access the English Language Help service on campus on Level B of the Library in front of the short loans section or online through the 'ASK Advisor and Study Skills Drop-in' link in the 'Virtual Room' of the Study Help site.

This is a free service, no appointment necessary.

For more information about this service, please click here or email Study Skills.

English for Uni Course

This is a free one-week course, delivered by Study Skills and is designed to help students develop their English language skills, with a focus on:

• academic reading strategies
• academic writing style
• paraphrasing and academic integrity
• grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary
• tutorial discussion and academic presentations

Students may attend the entire course or select sessions to suit their study needs.

English for Uni course dates for 2024

• Tuesday 23rd to Thursday 25th January, (the week before Semester 1 Orientation)
• Tuesday 26th to Wednesday 27th March (Week 8 Semester 1, class-free week)
• Tuesday 16th to Thursday 18th July (the week before Semester 2 Orientation)
• Tuesday17th to Wednesday 18th September (Week 8 Semester 2, class-free week)

For more information email Study Skills. To register your interest in this course, go to the UCLearn (canvas) Study Help site.

Want to know more about:

• study planning?
• navigating online resources?
• writing at university level?
• researching and referencing?

In the free Study Skills for Success program, Study Skills Learning Advisors will provide strategies and information to help you succeed at UC.

The Study Skills for Success program is delivered live on the weekend at the end of Week 2 of Semester 1 and Semester 2. Students can get more information and register by following this link: Study Skills for Success: Student Support Hub.

Now available: Online Study Skills for Success (SS4S), complete the full program online in your own time.

This online program allows students to explore the same topics as the facilitated version in an interactive self-paced format. Access the online program now through the UCLearn (Canvas) Study Skills for Success - Online: Student Support Hub page.

For more information and to register please email Study Skills.

EndNote Support

EndNote is a referencing tool, allowing users to organise bibliographic references and use them in MS Word documents. EndNote is a useful tool, especially if you are required to reference more than 20 sources in an assignment. Using EndNote requires a competent understanding of manual referencing practices.

Would you like to know more about how to use EndNote? There are useful resources produced by the Library including the Library EndNote Guide. There are also EndNote Basics and EndNote Advanced self-paced modules on the Study Help site (UCLearn login required).

Study Skills also runs a referencing drop-in service, date and times are available on the Study Help site (UCLearn login required) during semester. Access the Referencing drop-in service through the 'ASK Advisor and Study Skills Drop-in' link in the 'Virtual Room' of the Study Help site.

This is a free service, no appointment necessary.

Are you a postgraduate research student needing EndNote support?  If so, please contact a Liaison Librarian.

ePortfolio (Mahara) Support

Study Skills Orientation

New to university?  Do you want a head start to help you develop the key skills to succeed?

English for Uni is a free one-week course, designed to help students develop their academic and English language skills. See the 'Study Skills English Language Support' tab above for more information.

Study Skills for Success is a free, one-day preparation program run at the beginning of each semester at Bruce Campus. See the separate tab above for more information.

Study Skills also provide a range of sessions during Orientation week each semester. These include:

• Navigating Study @ UC – Find out how to navigate the UC environment, including information about the different UC services, how to find your unit information, how to plan your studies, where to get study help and more.
• Mature Age Study Skills Q&A – A 90 minute after hours session discussing essential Study Skills with insights from current mature-age UC students. This is a great opportunity to network with your peers. Light refreshments provided. Designed for mature-age students and those working full-time (all welcome).
• Study Skills Essentials – Get ready for study at UC. Come to this session to feel confident heading into semester. Learn how to:
  • Make the most of your teaching sites.
  • Prepare for semester.
  • Organise your time.
  • Study effectively.
  • Avoid plagiarism in the assessment process, from draft to submission.
  • Use UC resources to complete your assessments with integrity.

Study Skills also provides online orientation information to assist you when commencing studies at UC through the New to UC section of the Study Help site (UCLearn login required).

Support for units through in-lecture presentations and online resources

Library and Study Skills staff can provide in-unit presentations and tailored resources for specific units and assignments for UC and UCC. These may be in person, online, or via a pre-prepared recording.

Some examples of the support we can provide includes:

• 5 to 10 minute in-lecture presentations that provide an overview of the Study Skills programs and academic integrity.
• 20 to 50 minute in-unit presentations tailored to a specific assessment task - these can cover the task requirements, how to find relevant information, how to reference appropriately, and/or how to use Mahara, and also include the available Library and Study Skills support.

Please give at least two weeks' notice to prepare your session.

For more information contact Study Skills studyskills@canberra.edu.au or 6201 2205.

The University of Canberra offers a range of workshops and programs to support HDR (Higher Degree by Research) students including writing groups, coding sessions, statistical support, research integrity workshops, ethics drop-ins, literature review workshops and much more. The full calendar of Researcher Development Workshops is available here.

Students enrolled in research units or who are completing an Honours or PhD thesis, dissertation or project can enrol and work through the free, self-paced course Research and Writing Skills for Dissertations and Projects. This course includes modules on:

• Preparing your research and managing your supervisor
• Project-management techniques
• Managing your time
• The literature review
• The importance of ethics
• Research methodology and methods
• Data collection methods
• Data analysis
• Structuring the argument and chapters
• Writing up and disseminating your research

Library Services also provides Training and Research Consultations for researchers and HDR students, for more information and to book a consultation, visit the Libary's Research Consultations and Training webpage.

Study Skills administers the Student Readiness Survey (SRS) each semester.  This survey is sent as an email link to all newly commencing students.  The survey is designed to help us to understand the study needs and preferences of our students, as well as to interpret other factors which may affect their study, including the amount of paid work undertaken. The responses help inform the design and review of student support programs at UC. Students who complete the survey also receive immediate links into UC support services to support their self-identified study needs.

Students who complete the survey each semester are entered into a prize draw.  Please email Study Skills for the terms and conditions of the prize draw.

Contact Study Skills by email or by phone (02) 6201 2205. For self-paced online resources and further information about Study Skills programs and services, visit the Study Help UCLearn (Canvas) site (log in required).