Our academic skills workshops are open to all students in the Keele community. They follow your academic journey in each semester and provide an opportunity to develop your approach to university learning in an informal group setting.
You can learn more about each session and register your place on the workshops using the Keele App or via the links in the drop-down tabs below.
Click on the tab below to learn more about each workshop, view dates, and register your place.
Each semester, three blocks of academic skills workshops are offered on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. You can join these workshops in-person at the Campus Library or online using Microsoft Teams.
Preparing for study
This initial block of workshops will help you to prepare for your academic work here at Keele University. Each session will provide you with supportive tools and guidance to make the most out of your time, lectures, practical sessions, and more.
| Workshop name | In-person workshop | Online workshop |
|---|---|---|
| Workshop 1: Organise your studies | 27 September 2023, 1:00–2:30pm Register for in-person workshop |
28 September 2023, 4:00–5:30pm Register for online workshop |
| Workshop 2: Effective note-taking | 4 October 2023, 1:00–2:30pm Register for in-person workshop |
5 October 2023, 4:00–5:30pm Register for online workshop |
Preparing for assignments
"What does 'discuss' mean?" "How about 'critically analyse'?" "How many references should I list?" "I keep being told my work is too descriptive!" 
This block of workshops will help you to understand academic analysis and evaluation. The workshops will support you to move confidently from deciding what you are asked to do for an assignment to choosing what to read to research the question. The third workshop will support you to use what you have read in preparation for your assignment to present your own understanding and ideas. Bring your current assignments, module handbooks, or reading lists to the following workshops to find the answers:
| Workshop name | In-person workshop | Online workshop |
|---|---|---|
| Workshop 3: Understanding assignments briefs | 18 October 2023, 1:00–2:30pm Register for in-person workshop |
19 October 2023, 4:00–5:30pm Register for online workshop |
| Workshop 4: Choosing reading for assignments | 25 October 2023, 1:00–2:30pm Register for in-person workshop |
24 October 2023, 4:00–5:30pm Register for online workshop |
| Workshop 5: Using academic sources in assignments |
1 November 2023, 1:00–2:30pm |
2 November 2023, 4:00–5:30pm Register for online workshop |
Producing assignments
This block of workshops is designed to help you plan the structure of your assignments and paragraphs more effectively, while teaching you time-saving tricks to ensure you edit and proofread more fully.
| Workshop name | In-person workshop | Online workshop |
|---|---|---|
| Workshop 6: Planning assignments | 15 November 2023, 1:00–2:30pm Register for in-person workshop |
16 November 2023, 4:00–5:30pm Register for online workshop |
| Workshop 7: Building paragraphs in assignments | 22 November 2023, 1:00–2:30pm Register for in-person workshop |
23 November 2023, 4:00–5:30pm Register for online workshop |
| Workshop 8: Editing and proofreading your assignments | 29 November 2023, 1:00–2:30pm Register for in-person workshop |
30 November 2023, 4:00–5:30pm Register for online workshop |