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.

Book a study skills workshop

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:

ELS@qmu.ac.uk or ELSinternational@qmu.ac.uk

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.

Book a place 

Guides and Resources

Guides and Resources

The LRC also has a wide range of study skills books available in individual subject areas.  

Leaflets:

Quick guides:

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.

Book an appointment. 

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.

Show Contacts

ELS Support Enquiries

Effective Learning Service
ELS International International Learning Support