Effective Learning Service
The Effective Learning Service (ELS) offers guidance and support to all students who wish to develop their academic writing and study skills. Our aim is to help you become as self-reliant as possible as you progress through your degree programmes here at QMU.
Online and In-Person Appointments
Both ELS and ELSinternational are now offering a mixture of online and in-person appointments. In an online appointment we will communicate guidance and advice on your assignments via e-mail. If you have any follow up questions on the advice given, then just contact us by email.
If you have an appointment, then please try to send your work to us (along with the assignment brief if possible) at least 24 hours in advance of your appointment time. All in-person appointments will be in the ELS room (1153 in the LRC).
Make an online or in-person appointment with the ELS team
Please book with only one ELS advisor at a time, once per fortnight, and do not send any work to us if you do not have an appointment.
Study Skills Workshops
Regular study skills workshops on a wide range of topics will be run throughout the academic year. The workshops below are small, informal, and aimed at undergraduate students, although postgraduates can join too if there is space available. These workshops will be delivered both on-campus and online via Collaborate.
Session Title |
Dates and Times |
---|---|
Positive Time Planning |
Tue 24th Jan 1-2pm Online Wed 25th Jan 10-11am Online |
Engaging with Lectures |
Tue 31st Jan 1-2pm Online Wed 1st Feb 10-11am Online |
Reading and Note-making |
Tue 7th Feb 1-2pm On-campus Thu 9th Feb 10-11am Online |
Essay Planning and Structure |
Wed 8th Feb 10-11am On-campus Fri 10th Feb 1-2pm Online |
Essay Writing and Drafting |
Thu 16th Feb 10-11am On-campus Fri 17th Feb 1-2pm Online |
Balancing Children or Caring with Study |
Tue 21st Feb 1-2pm Online Wed 1st Mar 10-11am Online |
Doing Exams for the first time |
Wed 22nd Feb 10-11am On-campus Fri 24th Feb 1-2pm Online |
Reflective Writing and Blogs |
Tues 28th Feb 1-2pm Online Thu 2nd Mar 10-11am Online |
Using Sources Effectively |
Mon 6th Mar 10-11am Online Fri 10th Mar 11-12pm On-campus |
Report Writing |
Tue 14th Mar 1-2pm Online Thu 16th Mar 10-11am Online |
Proofreading and Word Count |
Tue 21st Mar 1-2pm Online Thu 23rd Mar 10-11am Online |
Exams and Revision |
Wed 22nd Mar 1-2pm On-campus Fri 24th Mar 10-11am Online |
Plagiarism and Turnitin |
Mon 27th Mar 10-11am Online Fri 31st Mar 11-12pm Online |
Literature Reviews |
Wed 29th Mar 1-2pm Online Thu 30th Mar 10-11am Online |
Criticality Cafe
ELS runs regular 'Criticality Cafes', which offer a space for strengthening and discussing that side of your academic work. They restart on the 25th of January, and you can book in or find out more on our StudentCentral 'Forthcoming Events' page.
Academic Skills Course for NEW International students
ELS international is running an optional in-sessional academic skills programme aimed at NEW Post Graduate students who have come to QMU this January. It will be delivered online on Thursdays from 3.30 to 4.30 pm. and it will run for 5 weeks with the first session being on Thursday 2nd February.
If you would like to join this online course, use your student e-mail account and contact ELSInternational@qmu.ac.uk to request your place. In your email please confirm you are a new student at QMU (January 2023 start) and say which programme you are studying on. The number of students is limited to 35, so make sure you book early.
Resit Programme
Every summer we also run a Resit Programme to help students to get through their resits successfully and to develop their academic skills and confidence for the following year. It is designed for undergraduate students, resitting modules as a second diet, but students sitting assessments as a first diet in August can also apply. This programme runs for two weeks in July.
Details and information on how to apply for the Resit Programme
Podcast of the Month
Listen to a short podcast on a different topic each month.
Listen to podcast on: Academic Writing
if you find these useful, you can find other similar podcasts in our Guides and Resources section below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I book an appointment for ELS support?
We use StudentCentral for bookings.
How often can I book an appointment?
In the interest of fairness, please book with only one ELS advisor at a time, once per fortnight.
I cannot see any appointments listed, even if I look ahead…
Our appointments tend to get booked up quite quickly, which is likely to be why none are showing. Emailing us at ELS@qmu.ac.uk or ELSInternational@qmu.ac.uk can be a good way forward. We upload our availability around 2-3 weeks in advance, and each advisor has different working patterns, so bear that in mind if looking ahead, or for a specific day.
Can I book with an international or home advisor if I do not fit that category?
You can, but please notify the advisor in your booking comments. They will do their best, but may have to cancel your booking and prioritise an under-served group of students.
Do I need to have a draft-in-progress to book an appointment?
It is beneficial to have something to share with an advisor, and this can be a previously submitted assignment, including at college. We can support you without a draft, but please mention some specific academic skills when booking, such as essay writing or time planning.
It is hard to find a slot that fits my studies and placements…
Try one of our ‘email’ appointments, which you can select within our ‘Online’ session types listed on StudentCentral; you can then look over our feedback whenever it suits you.
Can you do a ‘quick check’ or proofread of my essay or reference list?
ELS supports you to become more confident and independent in your academic work and is not a ‘proofreading’ service. Nor is Studiosity, which you can access via the Hub, but they can be useful for feedback, including with grammar. You can submit work to them 24/7. We do welcome drop-ins at ELS, but more sizeable queries will tend to require an appointment.
Getting in Touch With Us
What happens in an appointment?
An ELS advisor will discuss any concerns you have, such as taking notes, reading effectively, planning and structuring essays or exam techniques; and then work out various strategies to help.
The ELS does not proofread or check completed essays – the aim of the sessions is for you to build up the skills and confidence you need to tackle academic tasks successfully yourself.
Appointments will usually be held in room 1153. One session is enough in many cases, but students often have several sessions over a semester.
How to book an appointment?
The best way is to choose a day and time which suits you and book it using this link.
If you need to get in touch for any other reason then just send an email message to:
Workshops and Classes
Study Skills Workshops
Do you want to find out
- what ‘studying’ is all about?
- tips and strategies for independent learning?
- effective ways to plan, write and research?
The workshops below are small, informal, and aimed at undergraduate students, although postgraduates can join too if there is space available.
Session Title |
Dates and Times |
---|---|
Positive Time Planning |
Tue 24th Jan 1-2pm Online Wed 25th Jan 10-11am Online |
Engaging with Lectures |
Tue 31st Jan 1-2pm Online Wed 1st Feb 10-11am Online |
Reading and Note-making |
Tue 7th Feb 1-2pm On-campus Thu 9th Feb 10-11am Online |
Essay Planning and Structure |
Wed 8th Feb 10-11am On-campus Fri 10th Feb 1-2pm Online |
Essay Writing and Drafting |
Thu 16th Feb 10-11am On-campus Fri 17th Feb 1-2pm Online |
Balancing Children or Caring with Study |
Tue 21st Feb 1-2pm Online Wed 1st Mar 10-11am Online |
Doing Exams for the first time |
Wed 22nd Feb 10-11am On-campus Fri 24th Feb 1-2pm Online |
Reflective Writing and Blogs |
Tues 28th Feb 1-2pm Online Thu 2nd Mar 10-11am Online |
Using Sources Effectively |
Mon 6th Mar 10-11am Online Fri 10th Mar 11-12pm On-campus |
Report Writing |
Tue 14th Mar 1-2pm Online Thu 16th Mar 10-11am Online |
Proofreading and Word Count |
Tue 21st Mar 1-2pm Online Thu 23rd Mar 10-11am Online |
Exams and Revision |
Wed 22nd Mar 1-2pm On-campus Fri 24th Mar 10-11am Online |
Plagiarism and Turnitin |
Mon 27th Mar 10-11am Online Fri 31st Mar 11-12pm Online |
Literature Reviews |
Wed 29th Mar 1-2pm Online Thu 30th Mar 10-11am Online |
Workshops take place either on-campus or via Collaborate and places can be booked on Student Central, or for further information contact els@qmu.ac.uk.
Guides and Resources
Guides and Resources
The LRC also has a wide range of study skills books available in individual subject areas.
Leaflets:
- Managing and Organising your Time
- Active Reading
- Planning and Writing Essays
- Making Effective Notes
- Presentations
- Reflection
- Critical thinking
- Report writing
- Revision
- Exams
- Planning a critical review
- Writing a literature review
Quick guides:
- Keywords used in assignment titles
- Planning essays
- Writing and structuring assignments
- Reading for study
- Dealing with lectures
- Groupwork
- Coping with stress
- Memory tips
- Revision tips
- Exams tips
- Academic writing
- Editing and proofreading
- The paragraph
- The sentence
- Punctuation one
- Punctuation two
Key study websites at QMU:
See our Library section for useful study and information skills.
The Coming from College area of the website has a collection of seminars and podcasts covering a great variety of topics connected with academic life and study.
Other key study websites:
Academic Phrasebank - A site containing lots of examples of academic English arranged by function.
Video Guides
These short videos present recorded advice on some of the topics covered in our workshops.
International English Language Support
Effective Learning Service for international students
The Effective Learning Service for international students at QMU is here to provide support for all students wishing to develop their English language skills.
Where are we?
We are based in room 1153 in the Learning Resource Centre – just follow the signs.
What do we offer?
Individual appointments, in-sessional Academic Writing Classes, and a Pre-sessional English Course
What happens in an individual appointment?
During an appointment the tutor will work with you to identify your specific needs and develop a plan of action. We can offer personal help with any aspect of your coursework, study skills or exam preparation. We can help you improve but we will not complete your assignment for you or proof read your work.
It would be useful if you could send us by email any writing you want us to look at in advance. If the piece of writing is over 1,500 words long please indicate clearly which portion of it you would like to be considered. We would also like you to send us the assignment title, instructions and any marking criteria that you have been given.
Academic Skills Course for NEW International students
ELS international is running an optional in-sessional academic skills programme aimed at NEW Post Graduate students who have come to QMU this January. It will be delivered online on Thursdays from 4.30 to 5.30 pm. and it will run for 5 weeks with the first session being on Thursday 2nd February.
If you would like to join this online course, use your student e-mail account and contact ELSInternational@qmu.ac.uk to request your place. In your email please confirm you are a new student at QMU (January 2023 start) and say which programme you are studying on. The number of students is limited to 35, so make sure you book early.
Pre-sessional English Course
This course is designed to prepare non-native speakers of English for university study in Britain. For more information about this course, or to book a place see Pre-sessional English Course.
How to contact us
Come along to the Effective Learning Service at the LRC and we can make an appointment at a time which suits you. Alternatively, you can make an appointment by email at the following address: ELSinternational@qmu.ac.uk
ELS Support Enquiries
The ELS is based in room 1153 in the Library.
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Friday
09.15 a.m. - 16.15 p.m.