pen and paper

The majority of university assignments still require you to write – and with good reason. Writing is not just how we demonstrate our understanding of a topic – in many cases it is how we learn. The ability to start with a blank page and order your ideas into something that is coherent, engaging and insightful is one of the most important skills to develop at university.

Here you can explore the live workshops the Centre for Academic Success has to offer over the next couple of weeks on the theme of Writing. 


Monday 4th November 2024

Assignment Research & Reading

In this workshop you will learn approaches to make you a more effective and efficient reader, allowing you to learn more, save time, and improve the scope and depth of your written work.

  Singleton Campus
  Monday 4th November 2024
 10:00 - 11:00 BST

  critical reading skills, skimming/scanning, note taking

Sign up to this workshop
a student studying

Titles, Planning and Structure

This workshop will teach you how to correctly interpret question titles and use this knowledge to plan and structure a successful assignment.

  Online via Zoom
  Monday 4th November 2024
  11:00 - 12:00 BST

  academic writing, essay titles, planning

Sign up to this workshop
making notes

Academic Writing in English

This course best suits students whose first language is not English. You will learn and develop skills in written academic English. The course covers the overall purpose and structure of academic writing, plus elements of academic grammar and vocabulary to improve your writing.

  Singleton Campus
  Monday 4th November 2024 (Session 6 of 10)
  12:00 - 13:00 BST

 writing, grammar

Sign up to this 10 week course
a student writing

Writing Intros and Conclusions

Learn to start and end your assignment well, with techniques for improving the impact of your academic introductions and conclusions.

  Online via Zoom
  Monday 4th November 2024
  13:00 - 14:00 BST

 academic writing, introductions, conclusions

Sign up to this workshop
shaking hands

Editing and Proofreading

The best assignments evolve out of several earlier drafts, so editing and proofreading are essential to good academic writing. This workshop focuses on the tools and techniques you need to ensure that your writing is clear and error-free.

  Singleton Campus
  Monday 4th November 2024
  14:00 - 15:00 BST

 academic writing, editing, proofreading, drafting

Sign up to this workshop
a person proofreading their work

Tuesday 5th November 2024

Argument Structure

Learn how to present and discuss academic arguments accurately, logically and persuasively.

 Singleton Campus
 Tuesday 5th November 2024
 10:00 - 11:00 BST

  academic writing, argument, academic style

Sign up to this workshop
on one hand you have 1, 2 and 3

Report Writing

This workshop covers the basics of report writing, including the structure, purpose and effective presentation of information.

 Bay Campus
 Tuesday 5th November 2024
 10:00 - 11:00 BST

  report writing basics

Sign up to this workshop
a person writing a report

Becoming a Research Writer

Kickstart your journey to becoming a confident and effective research writer. Develop good writing habits and explore crucial tools of the trade to transform your writing process while discovering key elements of effective academic style.

 Singleton Campus
Tuesday 5th November 2024
10:00 - 12:00 BST

PhD thesis, writing habits, writer's block, starting to write

Sign up to session 1 of 6
a desk of a research student

Podcasts for Assessment

Learn to structure and present an effective academic podcast for your assessments.

  Online via Zoom
  Tuesday 5th November 2024
  13:00 - 14:00 BST

  writing, oral communication

Sign up to this workshop
 a man delivering a podcast

Writing with multiple sources

Using sources to evidence facts and support your arguments is an essential part of good academic writing. This workshop will help you to make the most of your sources, and to synthesise (combine) them into effective paragraphs.

 Singleton Campus
  Tuesday 5th November 2024
 14:00 - 15:00 BST

paraphrasing, quotes, citing and referencing

Sign up to this workshop
a student using lots of sources

Wednesday 6th November 2024

Common Flaws in Arguments

We all make errors in our reasoning, but they can be hard to spot and may mislead us. In this workshop we consider some common logical flaws, and practise identifying them in texts, allowing us to critically interpret our own and others’ arguments. 

Singleton Campus
Wednesday 6th November 2024
10:00 - 11:00 BST

critical thinking, fallacies, arguments

Sign up to this workshop
Heart vs. brain

Grammar Basics

This is a course for students whose first language is not English. It will improve your basic grammar before you write your assignments. This course covers key areas of English grammar such as the use of active/passive voice and basic sentence structures to improve written accuracy.

 Singleton Campus
  Wednesday 6th November 2024 (Session 6 of 10)
 12:00 - 13:00 BST

writing, grammar

Sign up to this 10 week course
An English grammar book

Reflective Writing

Discover the purpose and style of reflective writing, and how to engage with different reflective models to make your writing more nuanced and critical.

 Bay Campus
 Wednesday 6th November 2024
 12:00 - 13:00 BST

  academic writing, reflective writing

Sign up to this workshop
a person writing a diary

Academic Writing in English

This course best suits students whose first language is not English. You will learn and develop skills in written academic English. The course covers the overall purpose and structure of academic writing, plus elements of academic grammar and vocabulary to improve your writing.

  Online by Zoom
  Wednesday 6th November 2024 (Session 5 of 10)
 13:00 - 14:00 BST

 writing, grammar

Sign up to this 10 week course
a student writing

Academic Writing in English

This course best suits students whose first language is not English. You will learn and develop skills in written academic English. The course covers the overall purpose and structure of academic writing, plus elements of academic grammar and vocabulary to improve your writing.

  Bay Campus
  Wednesday 6th November 2024 (Session 6 of 10)
  14:00 - 15:00 BST

 writing, grammar

Sign up to this 10 week course
a student writing

Thursday 7th November 2024

Developing Critical Paragraphs

Learn how to write critical main body paragraphs. This workshop will help you show your marker that you have understood and critically engaged with your topic. We will cover paragraph structure, critical arguments, synthesis, and coherence and cohesion.

  Online via Zoom
  Thursday 7th November 2024
 13:00 - 14:00 BST

 academic writing, arguments, synthesising

Sign up to this workshop
a student working on an assignment

Being Critical in Your Writing

This workshop examines the difference between descriptive writing and critical writing, what your lecturers are looking for when they ask you to be ‘more critical’ or ‘less descriptive’, and how to communicate your critical thinking through writing.

Singleton Campus
Thursday 7th November 2024
14:00 - 15:00 BST

critical writing, critical analysis, argument

Sign up to this workshop
a student looking at a series of questions

Friday 8th November 2024

Writing for Webpages

Writing for the web requires purposeful and concise language use to capture and hold the reader's attention. This workshop teaches how to convey information effectively via a webpage.

 Singleton Campus
 Friday 8th November 2024
 10:00 - 11:00 BST

  writing, webpage design

Sign up to this workshop
A plan of a webpage layout

Paraphrasing and Citations

This workshop offers tips on how to paraphrase, quote and cite external sources. These skills are essential for avoiding accusations of plagiarism and maintaining academic integrity. They are also the first steps for you engage critically with your sources.

  Online via Zoom
  Friday 8th November 2024
  13:00 - 14:00 BST

 paraphrasing, quote, citing and referencing

Sign up to this workshop
A Marker and a Thought Bubble with quotation marks

Writing with Flow

Develop an understanding of how to present information and arguments in a way that is logical, engaging and easy to read.

 Singleton Campus
 Friday 8th November 2024
 14:00 - 15:00 BST

  academic writing, paragraphing, academic style

Sign up to this workshop
a flowing stream

Monday 11th November 2024

Argument Structure

Learn how to present and discuss academic arguments accurately, logically and persuasively.

 Online via Zoom
 Monday 11th November 2024
 11:00 - 12:00 BST

  academic writing, argument, academic style

Sign up to this workshop
on one hand you have 1, 2 and 3

Academic Writing in English

This course best suits students whose first language is not English. You will learn and develop skills in written academic English. The course covers the overall purpose and structure of academic writing, plus elements of academic grammar and vocabulary to improve your writing.

  Singleton Campus
  Monday 11th November 2024 (Session 7 of 10)
  12:00 - 13:00 BST

 writing, grammar

Sign up to this 10 week course
a student writing

Tuesday 12th November 2024

Developing Critical Paragraphs

Learn how to write critical main body paragraphs. This workshop will help you show your marker that you have understood and critically engaged with your topic. We will cover paragraph structure, critical arguments, synthesis, and coherence and cohesion.

  Bay Campus
  Tuesday 12th November 2024
 10:00 - 11:00 BST

 academic writing, arguments, synthesising

Sign up to this workshop
a student working on an assignment

Abstracts, Intros & Flow

Hook your readers from the first word. Learn to craft engaging introductions and abstracts that outline your research. Improve structure and flow, explain the unique value of your work, and master the art of information presentation. 

Singleton Campus
Tuesday 12th November 2024
10:00 - 12:00 BST

thesis introductions, journal abstracts, flow in research writing

Sign up to session 2 of 6
a mountain stream

Common Flaws in Arguments

We all make errors in our reasoning, but they can be hard to spot and may mislead us. In this workshop we consider some common logical flaws, and practise identifying them in texts, allowing us to critically interpret our own and others’ arguments. 

 Online via Zoom
 Tuesday 12th November 2024
 11:00 - 12:00 BST

critical thinking, fallacies, arguments

Sign up to this workshop
Heart vs. brain

Writing for Webpages

Writing for the web requires purposeful and concise language use to capture and hold the reader's attention. This workshop teaches how to convey information effectively via a webpage.

 Online via Zoom
 Tuesday 12th November 2024
 13:00 - 14:00 BST

  writing, webpage design

Sign up to this workshop
A plan of a webpage layout

Titles, Planning and Structure

This workshop will teach you how to correctly interpret question titles and use this knowledge to plan and structure a successful assignment.

  Bay Campus
  Tuesday 12th November 2024
  15:00 - 16:00 BST

  academic writing, essay titles, planning

Sign up to this workshop
making notes

Wednesday 13th November 2024

Grammar Basics

This is a course for students whose first language is not English. It will improve your basic grammar before you write your assignments. This course covers key areas of English grammar such as the use of active/passive voice and basic sentence structures to improve written accuracy.

 Singleton Campus
  Wednesday 13th November 2024 (Session 7 of 10)
 12:00 - 13:00 BST

writing, grammar

Sign up to this 10 week course
An English grammar book

Academic Writing in English

This course best suits students whose first language is not English. You will learn and develop skills in written academic English. The course covers the overall purpose and structure of academic writing, plus elements of academic grammar and vocabulary to improve your writing.

  Online by Zoom
  Wednesday 13th November 2024 (Session 6 of 10)
 13:00 - 14:00 BST

 writing, grammar

Sign up to this 10 week course
a student writing

Being Critical in Your Writing

This workshop examines the difference between descriptive writing and critical writing, what your lecturers are looking for when they ask you to be ‘more critical’ or ‘less descriptive’, and how to communicate your critical thinking through writing.

Online via Zoom
Wednesday 13th November 2024
14:00 - 15:00 BST

critical writing, critical analysis, argument

Sign up to this workshop
a student looking at a series of questions

Academic Writing in English

This course best suits students whose first language is not English. You will learn and develop skills in written academic English. The course covers the overall purpose and structure of academic writing, plus elements of academic grammar and vocabulary to improve your writing.

  Bay Campus
  Wednesday 13th November 2024 (Session 7 of 10)
  14:00 - 15:00 BST

 writing, grammar

Sign up to this 10 week course
a student writing

Thursday 14th November 2024

Writing Intros and Conclusions

Learn to start and end your assignment well, with techniques for improving the impact of your academic introductions and conclusions.

  Bay Campus
  Thursday 14th November 2024
  10:00 - 11:00 BST

 academic writing, introductions, conclusions

Sign up to this workshop
shaking hands

Assignment Research & Reading

In this workshop you will learn approaches to make you a more effective and efficient reader, allowing you to learn more, save time, and improve the scope and depth of your written work.

  Online via Zoom
  Thursday 14th November 2024
 11:00 - 12:00 BST

  critical reading skills, skimming/scanning, note taking

Sign up to this workshop
a student studying

Writing with multiple sources

Using sources to evidence facts and support your arguments is an essential part of good academic writing. This workshop will help you to make the most of your sources, and to synthesise (combine) them into effective paragraphs.

 Online via Zoom
  Thursday 14th November 2024
 13:00 - 14:00 BST

paraphrasing, quotes, citing and referencing

Sign up to this workshop
a student using lots of sources

Report Writing

This workshop covers the basics of report writing, including the structure, purpose and effective presentation of information.

 Singleton Campus
 Thursday 14th November 2024
 14:00 - 15:00 BST

  report writing basics

Sign up to this workshop
a person writing a report

Writing with Flow

Develop an understanding of how to present information and arguments in a way that is logical, engaging and easy to read.

 Online via Zoom
 Thursday 14th November 2024
 14:00 - 15:00 BST

  academic writing, paragraphing, academic style

Sign up to this workshop
a flowing stream

Paraphrasing and Citations

This workshop offers tips on how to paraphrase, quote and cite external sources. These skills are essential for avoiding accusations of plagiarism and maintaining academic integrity. They are also the first steps for you engage critically with your sources.

  Bay Campus
  Thursday 14th November 2024
  14:00 - 15:00 BST

 paraphrasing, quote, citing and referencing

Sign up to this workshop
A Marker and a Thought Bubble with quotation marks

Academic Style and Tone

Master the conventions of academic style with simple guidelines to help your writing match the expectations of the University.

 Bay Campus
 Thursday 14th November 2024
 15:00 - 16:00 BST

 academic writing, academic style, editing

Sign up to this workshop
a selection of pairs of jeans in different shades

Friday 15th November 2024

Editing and Proofreading

The best assignments evolve out of several earlier drafts, so editing and proofreading are essential to good academic writing. This workshop focuses on the tools and techniques you need to ensure that your writing is clear and error-free.

  Online via Zoom
  Friday 15th November 2024
  13:00 - 14:00 BST

 academic writing, editing, proofreading, drafting

Sign up to this workshop
a person proofreading their work

Reflective Writing

Discover the purpose and style of reflective writing, and how to engage with different reflective models to make your writing more nuanced and critical.

 Singleton Campus
 Friday 15th November 2024
 14:00 - 15:00 BST

  academic writing, reflective writing

Sign up to this workshop
a person writing a diary