Academic Support with Your Studies

While a student with us at AECC University College, you’ll have access to our Academic Support team who can help you develop and strengthen your academic skills.

This can include anything from help with planning and drafting assignments, to prioritising tasks and time management, to revision strategies and study skills.

Study Skills Tutor, Kim Honor, and English Tutor for Academic Purposes, Katie White, tell us more about how the team can support you and how you can prepare for your studies in September:

1:1 Support with Your Studies

“Whilst a student at AECC University College, you’ll have access to one-to-one study support and that can focus on whatever you need it to,” explains Katie.

“It could be writing skills, revision or study strategies, time management – anything that’s related to your academic progress.

“It’s important to mention that we’re here to support all students. We might see students who are achieving solid 2:1s and they want to know how they can get that last 5% and reach that First grade. We also work with students who feel they aren’t keeping up with their workload, or who aren’t sure how to approach an assignment. We’re here for everyone.”

Kim continues: “Any student can make an appointment with us. Sessions last 50 minutes and you can bring anything that you would like to look at with us.

“You might bring your latest assignment to us; you might not be sure how to draft it or plan it, or how to interpret the brief in the first place. This is a confidential space and we don’t report back to the tutors on who we are seeing.

“It might be that you find that the strategies that you usually use to manage your time aren’t working in this instance, or that revision isn’t going so well. We can offer some more ideas or things to try. Our focus is on helping individuals to find the things that work for them. Very often, things come up in conversation and students find their own solution.

“We can also support with new skills that you learn as your studies progress – such as referencing. Your tutors, the Library team and Academic Support can all help with this.

“Definitely don’t be afraid to ask for help!”

Study Cafes

“Last year, we set up Study Cafes on campus,” explains Katie. “These are two-hour group sessions where you can bring whatever you are working on. Last year, this focused on students’ Research Projects and we’ve got plans to extend this further this year.

“A group environment can be really motivating, and you can use the opportunity to ask us any questions that you might have. You also have the opportunity to pick up study skills and strategies from other students.”

Preparing for Study

Kim shares her thoughts on what can be helpful when you are preparing to begin your studies:

“It can be helpful to have a think about what’s been helpful to you previously, in terms of revision and time management. How do you learn best and what do you enjoy doing?

“At University, you’ll have lots of independence in learning and you can follow the study strategies that work best for you. That’s a real positive.

“You could consider how you enjoy studying best. For example, do you enjoying learning in short bursts? Do you like to get into the zone for a couple of hours? Do you like to do quizzes, or make posters?

“If you can come with a sense of who you are as a learner, how you are with concentration and what your relationship with your phone is like, then that’s really helpful. It’s having an awareness of yourself in this way.”

Growth Mindset

Katie continues: “The key thing to remember is that when you arrive at AECC University College, you’re here to learn. You’re not meant to have all the answers – or there would be no point you being here!

“We’re not expecting you to be graduate-level when you arrive. You need to expect to not know things and for that to be normal and desirable. You don’t need to feel like you should know everything.

“It’s having a growth mindset – seeing constructive feedback as a real positive and an opportunity to learn.”

Arrive Refreshed

“Make sure you have a good break before you start with us too,” says Kim. “You’ve worked hard and you deserve to take some time to relax. If you can arrive rested and ready to learn, that will stand you in good stead for your studies.

“Feeling refreshed and enthusiastic is a great frame of mind to be in. Keeping in mind why you want to do the course that you have chosen can also be really motivating.”

Find out more about the Student Support Services available at AECC University College.