Help in person for taught students

We offer individual support to taught students on a wide range of topics including academic writing, finding information and critical thinking. Our experienced learning advisors can help you to develop your academic skills and strategies.

Book a one-to-one academic skills appointment

View and book available appointments

We offer appointments on Monday to Friday, 9.30am–4.15pm.

Our one-to-one appointments are either delivered in person at the Laidlaw Library or online through Microsoft Teams. You can choose your preference when requesting an appointment. You may see a Learning Advisor up to six times per academic year. This limit allows us to distribute the support we offer fairly across the taught student population.

Where possible email us with the following in advance:

• examples of some work you have been set
• an outline of the assessment criteria
• a timetable of submission dates
• any work you have already written
• feedback you have received from your tutor.

At busy periods you might need to wait for an appointment to be scheduled, so unfortunately we cannot offer a quick fix for assignments with a deadline approaching. We usually require at least two working days to prepare for your appointment.

Joining your online appointment

To access your appointment we recommend using Google Chrome to log into your UOL MS Office 365 account. You can join the appointment by either clicking on the “Join” button from your Outlook calendar or your Teams calendar. It may ask if you would like to install the MS Teams app but this is not essential as the web browser version should be fine.

What to expect from your appointment

Our general academic skills appointments last for up to 45 minutes. You have the opportunity to work with with a Learning Advisor to identify your priorities for developing your skills.

What we can do for you

We will read and comment on sections of your work, picking out key points and making recommendations for change.

We may signpost you to other appropriate services, such as the Language Centre or Careers Centre, and offer advice on getting the most out of your meetings with your tutor. If necessary we will suggest you return for a follow-up session.

You can also access online guidance and resources at the Language Zone, covering topics such as academic reading, writing and speaking. This is particularly helpful if you are new to studying in the UK or if English is not your first language.

What we cannot do for you

We can't advise on the content of your work as we are not subject specialists.

We are committed to the University's Proofreading Policy (PDF) and therefore do not provide a proofreading service. We can't re-write parts of your assignment for you or offer a quick-fix for a deadline that is approaching. If you need further support please contact your module or personal tutor.