Need help practicing and developing your mathematical and statistical skills?

Posted on 21 November, 2024 by natashakennedy

Student using calculator

The Library’s new Maths Support guide provides links to an extensive range of interactive e-resources and video tutorials which you can access at any time to practise and develop your mathematical and statistical skills. Developed for students by students, in collaboration with Library staff, the guide is organised into key topics to make it easier and quicker for you to find the help you need.

libguides.reading.ac.uk/maths-support

Lecturer helping student at computer

If you want to boost your maths and stats knowledge before approaching new topics in your course, then make sure you also register for Integral for HE. This online resource is designed to support undergraduate students and provides interactive quizzes, videos and overviews on a wide range of topics including Complex Numbers, Matrices, Algebra and Functions, Further Calculus, Vectors, Differential Equations and many more. It’s easy to register for your own account, just fill out this online form and we’ll do the rest!

Wondering how you can get the most out of your lectures? Follow our quick tips:

Posted on 19 October, 2022 by sarahbritland

So, we’re now a few weeks into the term and students have been asking us how to ensure they get the most out of their lectures without spending hours refining their notes or worrying that they may have missed some vital information. Here’s some tips from your friendly Study Advice team:

1. Before the lecture

To get the most out of lectures you should prepare beforehand.

Do some pre reading – if you have been given some reading for the lecture, read it beforehand. You might also want to look at the outline of the lecture and get an overview of the topic from the web or a core textbook. If you have subject terminology to get your head around, putting together a glossary of terms will help you follow the lecture. The more knowledge you have when you attend the lecture, the more you will get out of it.
Check out the slides – you should be given access to the slides before the lecture. Do have a quick look through so you know what will be covered. You can use this in conjunction with your reading to identify any sections you particularly want to listen out for.
Prepare for your note taking – decide whether you want to take notes online or on paper. You should use the slides to help you. Either printing them off with 3 slides and notes on a page, or consider saving them in a folder, if you wish to take notes electronically.

During the lecture

In the lecture be prepared to listen and engage.

Have the slides ready for you to take notes on and be prepared to listen, actively engage and think. This will all help to develop your understanding.
Take a note of your thoughts. You don’t need to take notes of everything that is said – instead, add your thinking to the slides and examples that have helped your understanding. What questions have been raised? And what are your thoughts? Many lectures give the opportunity for you to ask these questions and they’ll also be useful for the seminars that follow.

After the lecture

Allocate time to do some thinking and filing

Review your notes. As soon as possible after the lecture, spend a bit of time thinking about what you learnt. Skim over your notes and fill in any gaps with the recommended reading.
Create a summary. You might want to create a summary note which you can attach (or file) alongside the lecture slides. You could use a spider diagram or something like the Cornell approach.
File away your notes -either using carefully labelled online folders or a lever arch file and dividers – so you can find them easily when you need them for assessments.

To find out more about making the most out of lectures and seminars, check out our guide and attend our weekly webinars, including on managing your reading and notetaking on 19^th October.

Book your place for the Masters Dissertation Fair this week!

Posted on 4 June, 2022 by Ruth Ng

Purple background shows image of a student studying. Text reads Masters dissertation fair, 6-10 June, Booking now! Wondering about how to start researching and writing your Masters dissertation or project? Why not book onto the Masters Dissertation Fair that’s being run by our Academic Liaison and Study Advice team?

Choose from a selection of different webinars, workshops and drop-ins running this week until Friday 10 June offering advice on all elements of your dissertation planning, researching, and writing.

For more information on each session and to book, take a look at our Masters Dissertation Fair Guide

Our friendly sessions include topics such as:

Managing your dissertation project
Overcoming writer’s block
Critical writing
Systematic literature searching
Finalising your research question
Writing your literature review
Literature searching tips
Finding information beyond the UoR Library
Reference management tools
Writing your discussion

More help available

You can also book a 1-2-1 session with a Study Adviser, who can offer advice to enable you to manage your project, write critically and ensure academic integrity and your Academic Liaison Librarian who can support you with researching and accessing the material you need and how to reference it correctly. And for those that prefer self-paced online resources, we have a suite of videos and guides on dissertations, major projects and literature reviews.

Remember, you can always discover key resources in your subject area in the liaison team’s guides and use our guide for Taught Postgraduates.

Academic Liaison Librarians and Study Advisers

Getting ready for the exam season! Top tips from the Study Advice team.

Posted on 18 March, 2022 by sarahbritland

Have you started thinking about exams yet? This year, some exams will continue with the take-home format, while, in some other cases, in-person exams may be returning! Whatever the case may be for your subject, getting organised early is key.

Study Advice is here to help! Check below our top 10 tips for exam success and info on all the additional resources and interactive support we offer:

For efficient revision…

Make a plan! Check when your exams are scheduled and allow yourself plenty of time for revision in small doses.
Note the format of your exams. Format may differ among different Schools and modules; make sure your information is correct and up to date, so you can prepare accordingly.
Go beyond your lecture notes. You can’t revise everything in detail, so select fewer topics to focus on in more depth. Check your reading list for further reading; think how you’d use what you’ve read to answer a question. Use your module’s revision session to ask questions or clarifications of the module convenor.
Past papers are your friends! Use them to work out how many topics to revise, to practise writing quick plans and timed answers, and to familiarise yourself with exam instructions. Past papers are available at the exams office archive.
Take good care of yourself. Eat healthy meals, sleep properly, and give yourself time off – taking breaks will reinvigorate your brain and increase your efficiency in processing information.

On exam day…

Read the questions carefully. Don’t just look for familiar key words; check again. You might find the topic you are well prepared for is worded differently.
Use outlines before your start writing. Think about the key points in your answer and dedicate a paragraph to each one. To structure your paragraph, make your point early and clearly, then give your evidence and analysis to support it, and end with a concluding sentence to link the point back to the question.
Work out your timings. Know when you need to move on to the next question. Spend longer on questions worth more marks and allow time for checking. If your exam is not timed, it is still advisable to stick to recommended timing and word count; this will help you understand the scope required to cover and avoid going off topic.
Don’t panic! Under pressured conditions in invigilated, time-bound exams, you may initially feel you don’t know enough; go over the question again and put down in a list what you do know. If you go blank, take a few deep breaths and don’t push yourself to remember. Instead, move to a question you can answer and return afterwards. Chances are you will remember when your brain isn’t under pressure.

After the exam…

Reflect on your experience. What strategies worked well? Use these in your preparation for the following exams.

For more tips on exams revision, how to approach different types of questions, exam room strategies, and more, check out our Study Advice exam prep resources.

We are also planning interactive sessions you can join to discuss your questions or practise in exam-room conditions. Book your place via our Webinars and Workshops page.

Wednesday 23 March, 2:00pm-3:00pm: Revising for university exams (online)
Wednesday 20 April, 1:00pm-2:00pm: Preparing for in-person exams (face to face)
Wednesday 20 April, 2:30-4:30pm: Practice exam workshop (face to face)

Best of luck to all!

Library website migration

Posted on 24 February, 2022 by

The Library webpages have moved over to the University’s new content management system (CMS) – you may already be familiar with the new interface as many areas of the University website have already been migrated.

The migration means that the look and feel of our webpages have changed, but access to all our guidance, resources and other information should remain available. If you can’t find the information you’re looking for, please email us at library@reading.ac.uk so that we can help you stay on track with all your information needs.

Your Library team

New Year: have a plan

Posted on 5 January, 2022 by libnews

File, calendar, notebook with pencil and laptop graphic

A term in, it’s time to reflect on what has worked and what new strategies we need to try to keep on top of our studies. Study Advice have some videos to help you, a new webinar series and some top tips to starting the New Year on the right track.

Tip #1: Reflect on the last term
Regular reflective practice is an important part of doing well at university. It involves looking back on a recent period of study, evaluating your approaches, and setting yourself targets for further development. Before you start planning for the coming term, think back on how the term just gone went:
• What did you enjoy the most? Can you think of why you enjoyed it so much? Equally, what did you enjoy the least, and why?
• Was there anything you did particularly well at? What did you do that worked so well?
• Was there anything you could have done better? If you had to do something similar this term, how might you approach it differently?
• Did you get the support you needed last term? If not, do you know where to find it?
Tip #2: Make a plan
If you don’t have a study timetable, now’s the time to make one. Follow these 5 steps to make a workable weekly plan and ensure you keep on top of your studies this term:
1. Note down everything you need to complete each week. For instance: watching videos, attending seminars, working on assignments, and reading around your subject.
2. Allocate time. Work out how much time you have for each task each week. You should see studying as a full-time job, so aim to allocate 35-40 hours a week to studying.
3. Schedule in time. Using a weekly planner, add in your fixed appointments, then begin slotting in your other study activities. Use the times that you are motivated for study and mix up reading, writing, and listening tasks within a day.
4. Making it easy to stick to. Try to have a set routine, starting study at the same time each day, plan in regular breaks and move things around if your plan is not working for you.
5. Plan backwards from assignments. Give yourself weekly targets to work towards. Try using a termly planner and put it up near to where you study.
Tip #3: Read actively
It’s called ‘reading for a degree’ for a reason: no doubt you’ll be asked to read lots of articles, book chapters and other material to support your learning. But if you find that you read without knowing why you’re reading, you don’t think about what you’re reading or you fail to make connections along the way, then you’ve fallen into the trap of passive reading. Instead, consider why you’re reading, what question might it answer? And consider if you agree with what’s been said. How does it fit in with your course material and other ideas you have come across? In short: think more and read less.
Tip #4: Be more proactive
• Start working on your assignments sooner, even if it’s just setting up a way of organising your lecture notes according to which assignment they’ll be useful for.
• Make sure you’ve done enough preparation before going to your lectures. Give yourself enough time to engage with the required reading, screencasts, or other materials. Take active notes where you are not just summarising the content, but also processing your own thoughts, identifying key terms you don’t understand, and noting down your questions. Using your notes this way will help you participate in class more actively!
• Look for support sooner: don’t ever think you will be penalised or judged for needing support. Students succeed because they use the support available to them, not because they are ‘naturally’ good students.
For more
Watch our new short videos on Organising your studies and Reading academic texts; and see our Time Management Guide
Visit our Study Advice website for more resources, to book a 1-2-1 or attend a webinar this spring term. Our webinar on the 12th January is: ‘work smarter not harder’ and is essential if you want to use your study time more effectively.

Study Advice

Autumn term – time to continue your studies

Posted on 1 October, 2021 by

So, the summer holidays are almost over, and thoughts are starting to turn to coming back to uni. Where do you start and how do you make sure you’re ready for the challenges ahead? Follow our Study Advice tips below to ensure you’re ‘study ready’ for the autumn term.

Tip #1: Sort out the stationery

Start with preparing yourself mentally by ensuring you have all the equipment that you need. You’re likely to be attending seminars on campus as well as engaging in online content, so you’ll need to decide if you’re going to stick to pen and paper, make notes digitally or have a combination of both. You may need pens, paper, files and dividers, or ensure you have the digital versions ready; so, set up your online folders for each module.

Tip #2: Check out Blackboard

If you have access to your Blackboard account, check out the information that’s available for each module. Download and save any key documents where you can easily access them. Make a note of the assignment details and deadlines and familiarise yourself with the structure of each module.

Tip #3: Access your reading list

Once you have access to your reading list through Blackboard, you can start by making a note of your essential readings. You might want to purchase some of the books, or check out their availability in the Library. Your online reading list will show you where to find books on the Library shelves, or how to access online versions available through the Library. You can plan your reading in advance, and you may be able to access and read online versions before you start.

Tip #4: Make a study plan

Once you have access to your own timetable, you can create your own weekly and termly study plans. Check out our videos on managing your time which offer some tips to get you started. Our video on organising yourself offers some advice on managing your studies in a blended learning environment.

Tip #5: Brush up on those academic skills

You might feel that some of your study skills have become rusty over the summer. So, if you want to refresh your skills on writing essays, referencing and organising your study time, check out our Study Advice videos. We also run Weekly webinars to support you to develop your academic skills. Book your space on these today and get yourself study ready!

And if you’re a first-year student, make sure you join 1000s of your fellow students on our Study Smart course. This has been designed by us specifically to help prepare you for studying at university. You’ll find loads of resources to help you and some of our current students are online to answer any of your study questions.

Study Advice

Get set for dissertations with live and video training!

Posted on 15 June, 2021 by Rachel Redrup

Young asian girls crouch at running race start line Set to start your dissertation this summer? No? Get on track by joining this week’s live webinars introducing reference management tools EndNote and Mendeley, or catch up with our new videos summarising topics discussed at last week’s Master’s Dissertation Fayre!

Join reference management workshops

Book through the Actions tab on RISIS to join Extra EndNote and Mendeley reference management workshops:

EndNote Online – Tue 15 June 11am
Desktop EndNote – Wed 16 June 11am
Mendeley – Thu 17 June 11am

View Master’s Dissertation Fayre videos

Last week all students attending live webinars and giving feedback said they would recommend the sessions to others. One said, “Everything has been helpful; despite writing two dissertations I have not had sessions like these before. Learning to focus my research (‘systematic searching’ and ‘finalising research questions’ were great) and [learning to] plan my study more carefully are the sorts of things I’ve been needing to improve.”

So help yourself to these newly recorded video versions provided by the Library’s Liaison and Study Advice Teams. Aspects covered include:

Ready? Get set. Go!

Rachel Redrup, Academic Liaison Librarian

Book your Master’s dissertation webinars this week!

Posted on 7 June, 2021 by Kim Coles

Put your studies on track for success with a series of webinars for Master’s students working on their dissertations! The Master’s Dissertation Fayre, run by the Library’s Study Advice and Liaison teams, is back after the success of last year. Students loved our range of topics covering all elements of dissertation planning and writing, from choosing a research methodology to writing your literature review. This year, we’re offering all that and more!

Webinars are running online at 11am and 2pm each day from Monday 7 – Friday 11 June. These friendly and helpful sessions are open to all Master’s students, and you can book a place online.

Topics include:

Critical writing
Avoiding plagiarism
Systematic literature searching
Finalising your research question
Using company information databases
Writing your literature review
Literature searching tips
Reference management tools comparison – Endnote vs Mendeley
Writing your discussion
Using primary sources/archives online
Finding statistical sources

We’re looking forward to seeing you virtually, and hearing your feedback.

Academic Liaison Librarians and Study Advisors

5 tips for starting your Master’s dissertation

Posted on 4 June, 2021 by

So, you may have just finished your exams but now you have to turn your attention to your dissertation. Where do you begin and how can you ensure you stay on track? Below are our Study Advice and Library tips to help you get started and stay focused.

Student studying in the Library

Tip #1: Have a plan

Having a plan not only helps you to stay on track but weekly goals keep you motivated. Work backwards from your hand in date and remember to build in extra time for proofreading and final touches. Our videos on managing your time offer some tips to get you started.

Tip #2: Start with something small

To help you get going, start with a task that you can get done easily. This might be something simple, like setting up a word template or printing off a couple of key articles. Being able to complete one task can give you a sense of achievement and motivate you to tackle more challenging ones.

Tip #3: Think about the information that you need…

…and how to access it! If you are carrying out a literature review, or analysing documents or literature, make sure that you are familiar with the key online resources in your subject area. You can find out more about what’s available to you, as well as contact details for your Academic Liaison Librarian, on your Library subject guide. Look at the COVID-19 page in the guide for top tips on how to access resources when off-campus.

Tip #4: Think more, read less

It’s important that you think critically about what you’re reading. This requires you to see the links between various theories and consider what they mean for your research question. So, when taking notes remember to not only record a summary of your reading but more importantly note what you think about what you have read. This will help you when you come to write up. Our video on critical note-taking offers some advice on this.

Tip #5: Attend a webinar

The Library and Study Advice teams are running a series of webinars for Masters students working on their dissertations. The Masters Dissertation Fayre is back for a second year, covering a range of topics from selecting a reference management tool, to structuring your literature review.

Webinars will run online at 11am and 2pm each day from Monday 7^th – Friday 11^th June. These friendly and helpful sessions are open to all Masters students, and you can book a place online.

Thanks for reading,

The Study Advice Team

How to avoid screen fatigue

Posted on 25 January, 2021 by Rachel Redrup

If you find that your eyes feel tired, you feel headachy, struggle to concentrate or have neck and back pain, one possible explanation could be screen fatigue, say our Study Advisers.

Our devices help us to study and stay connected to each other but, unfortunately, they can also tire us out and limit our productivity. Screen fatigue can be avoided by putting some simple strategies in place, read on to find out more!

Tip #1: Take breaks

As with any kind of study, it is important to take regular breaks. To avoid screen fatigue, making clever use of your breaks can help. For example:

If you take a ten-minute study break from writing up an essay on your laptop, try to take that break away from screens. Avoid the temptation to look at your phone in your break and instead try to do something physical, even if it’s just emptying the dishwasher or making a cup of tea.
If you have time for longer breaks, try taking a walk or going for a run. This will give your brain and eyes a rest from the screen but can also relieve aches and pains from poor posture adopted while working on a screen.

Tip #2: Plan screen and non-screen time into your studying

Planning your studying with a timetable, to-do lists or planners is a useful practice and might be something you are already doing (see our advice on Organising your studies). However, have you considered planning your study with regards to screen time? For example, you could:

Mix and match your studying activities for the day to include some screen and some non-screen activities. For example, you could spend an hour searching for journal articles for an essay, take a break and then spend another half an hour sketching out an essay plan on a piece of paper.
Think about activities that you could switch from online to offline. Could you print out a paper to read instead of reading it from the screen? Could you make that meeting a telephone call instead of a video call?

Tip #3: Watch out for triggers

You will, of course, need screens every day to study and stay connected, but look out for situations where you end up online unnecessarily:

Turn off notifications. Do notifications on your email or phone pull you back to screen? Could you turn some of them off? Even just turning off notifications temporarily while you are working, off-screen can help.
Buy an alarm clock. If you use your phone as an alarm in the morning, it can be very easy to drift onto the internet after turning it off. Buy a simple alarm clock instead and remove the temptation.
Seek offline distractions. If boredom finds you picking up your phone or opening an internet browser, watch out for this, and try to replace these activities with something else – listening to the radio, calling a friend or even doing some colouring in a book will give you a break from the screen.

For more

Watch the Study Advisers’ new short videos on Organising your studies and Taking notes from videos and see our Covid-19 Guide.

Visit our Study Advice website for more resources, to book a 1-2-1 or attend a webinar this spring term.

Study Advisers

This article is also available on the Student Services News Blog as How to avoid screen fatigue.

New Year Study Advice: have a plan

Posted on 5 January, 2021 by Rachel Redrup

Computer-generated laptop,, file, calendar, diary images Covid-19 has brought with it new ways of working and learning for all of us. A term in, it’s time to reflect on what has worked and what new strategies we need to try to keep on top of our studies. Our Study Advisers have some new videos to help you and some top tips to starting the New Year on the right track.

Tip #1: Make a plan

If you don’t have a study timetable, now’s the time to make one. Follow these 5 steps to make a workable weekly plan and ensure you keep on top of your studies this term:

Make a note of everything you need to complete each week. For instance: watching videos, attending seminars, working on assignments, and reading around your subject.
Allocate time. Work out how much time you have for each task each week. You should see studying as a full-time job, so aim to allocate 35-40 hours a week to studying.
Schedule in time. Using a weekly planner, add in your fixed appointments, then begin slotting in your other study activities. Use the times that you are motivated for study and mix up reading, writing, and listening task within a day.
Making it easy to stick to. Try to have a set routine, starting study at the same time each day, plan in regular breaks and move things around if your plan is not working for you.
Plan backwards from assignments. Give yourself weekly targets to work towards. Try using a termly planner and put it up near to where you study.

Tip #2: Take more effective notes

With lecture content now likely to be recorded, you need to develop different note taking skills to what you might be used to. If you’re finding that watching this content is taking longer than you hoped it would, try these things before, during and after watching:

Before: Access the slides and familiarise yourself with the content. Decide if you will write on the slides or pre-format a document with some headings on.
During: Decide whether you will hand write notes or create them online (perhaps using OneNote). Watch the video without pausing, if you miss something critical just jot down the time and re-watch that bit. Your notes must have a meaning to you, so just note down anything that springs to mind when your lecturer is talking.
After: Spend a few moments summarising what you have just learned. Consider how it fits in with what you already know and other areas within the module. Pattern notes or a mind maps work well for this. Remember to file your notes away in an organised way,

For more

Watch our new short videos on Organising your studies and Taking notes from videos and see our Covid-19 Guide

Visit our Study Advice website for more resources, to book a 1-2-1 or attend a webinar this spring term.

Study Advice