4.3 Study and library skills

Students often enter university with a strong sense of their independence. With high grades in prior qualifications, it’s easy to be over-confident about your ability to cope with university study, and to feel that seeking help is a sign of weakness. It’s definitely not a sign of weakness - our most successful students are those who engage with all of the support on offer and we actively encourage you to access as many of our workshops and resources as possible!

We have a huge range of academic support on offer in HaSS, delivered by a range of faculty members, external coaches and facilitators, students and online providers. One of the most important tasks in the first couple of weeks of your course is to identify which of our many online resources, workshops, or one-to-one opportunities for development could benefit you the most, and then sign up for them.

Through your first meetings with your Academic (Personal) Tutor, you’ll be encouraged to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses – perhaps you’re brilliant at maths but could do with some help with essay writing? Or maybe you’ve realised that your IT skills are holding you back? Every one of you will be expected to identify how you might reach your full potential. You’ll be encouraged to do this throughout your time in HaSS.

So what’s on offer?

Induction Pages

Each Department will have its own Academic Induction Module and section on the HASS Faculty 'Gateway' which you’ll be able to access on ELE. These are compulsory (but non-credit-bearing) modules on which you’ll be automatically enrolled and should appear in your online list of courses. They are designed to get you off to the best possible start in understanding our academic requirements and conventions. You may also need to complete a series of short tasks within your first few weeks with us. These resources will also include various style guides and links to relevant referencing guides for your department.

ASK Academic Skills & Study Zone

The ASK Academic Skills Team provide general or assignment specific advice for Exeter students on the Penryn campus. This can be in person or online, in a bookable one-to-one appointment that can be made on a day, and time, that works best for you. You can book a one-to-one appointment with us via our appointments page.

In our online Study Hub you will find a range of study guides and resources to help you develop new study skills and build on your existing ones. They are designed to help support you with many of skills that you will need while studying on your chosen course. Dip in and out when you would like to know more about a topic such as getting organised, maths and stats, managing your reading or developing your critical thinking skills. 

In addition, when your Exeter student IT account is set up, you’ll also be able to visit Study Zone Digital and explore a wide range of online study skills guidance, from essay writing, to presentation skills, exam preparation and note-taking.

University of Exeter Library

Our library team have prepared a short pre-arrival guide that will take you through some basic information about accessing our online and on-campus resources. They also have their own subject guides, which you can either look through now or once you’ve arrived. The enormous range of resources on offer can seem overwhelming at first, so it’s worth spending some time exploring it all before your assignments start coming in!

As a Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences student at the Penryn campus, you can call on Rachel Browning, our friendly subject librarian, for help at any time. You can attend a drop-in, book an appointment, or email Rachel to get advice on anything to do with finding and using resources.

The Digital Hub

If you’re looking for help with the digital elements of your study, whether that’s understanding how to join any online classes and meetings via Teams or Zoom, use Digital Check-in, or simply print something on campus, the Digital Hub is the place to go. When your Exeter student IT account is set up, you can find more details on the Digital Hub SharePoint site.