A new academic year is about to begin, and new students will soon fill the hallways and lecture theatres. There are a number of ways you can prepare students for your class, even before the first lecture starts. The Student Learning Centre has worked hard to prepare a series of seminars addressing academic skills issues for new students. The Academic preparation program runs from 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm each day of O’Week presenting five 50-minute seminars (2 each day with repeats).

Academic writing and referencing	What is academic writing? Conventions of academic essays, how to approach essay writing, how to generate and sort ideas, writing arguments, essay structures, paragraphs, essays vs reflective writing, paraphrasing, referencing alluding to EndNote.
Reading academic texts	The difference between academic texts and non-academic texts. How to select reading materials in university, common reading issues, reading strategies, typical structures and types of academic texts, critical reading, how to take notes effectively, what constitutes a good academic source, how to integrate your reading notes with your essays/assignments.
Assignments how-to (including academic integrity)	Describes types of assignment, planning, researching and reading, structuring, drafting, writing, proofreading and editing, and submission stages. Turnitin is also addressed, as are academic integrity issues.
Critical thinking	Critical thinking is defined, and why it is important. Also covers critical reflexivity, independent thinking, unpacking reading texts, context, purpose and audience, essay question analysis, the importance of evidence, and argument structure.
Maths refresher	Useful for students who require basic maths principles for studies as a refresher. Covers topics such as algebraic equations, ratios, scientific notations and logarithms. Useful for students to self-identify areas of mathematics to improve.

If you feel any of these might be helpful, feel free to direct students to the orientation website where they can get details and register.

Dr Greg Collings
Student Learning Centre