About us
The University Study Advisers are a professional and friendly team based on the first floor of the Library on the Whiteknights campus. Our aim is to help students to develop more effective practices for studying at university, so that they have a clearer understanding of what is expected, their studying is less stressful and they are more likely to achieve better marks. In order to do this most effectively, we regularly conduct research on student needs and preferences, and have established links with academic departments.
In 2010 the Study Advice team at Reading gained three awards for their outstanding service to students.
- Team Award for Outstanding Contribution to Teaching and Learning (Study Advice team)
- Student Nominated Award for Outstanding Contribution to Teaching and Learning (Dr Kim Shahabudin)
- School Nominated Award for Outstanding Contribution to Teaching and Learning (Dr Michelle Reid)
So get in touch and find out how our success can help you to succeed too!
Who uses the Study Advice service?
We see students at all levels of academic study including:
- Foundation and Certificate
- All levels of undergraduate
- Taught and research Masters students
- PhD students
Students consult Study Advice if:
- they are already getting good marks, but want to know how to move up to the next level
- they would like help understanding how to best respond to feedback comments on their work
- they want to know how to make their studying or time management more effective
- they are finding a particular study practice challenging
- they want to be clearer about what is expected at university
- they want to discuss assessment or support for a specific difficulty like dyslexia or dyspraxia
Getting the most from the Study Advice service
Our online and paper study guides cover most of the most frequently asked questions by students on topics including essays, reports and dissertations, reading, note-taking and referencing, managing your time and preparing for exams.
The guides are also on the Study Advice Blackboard site, along with slides from workshops, handouts and exercises that can be used to help develop more effective practices for university-level study.
For a more personalised discussion, we offer confidential individual advice sessions which usually last 30 minutes. Please do note that these can be very popular at busy times of term, so do try to book in advance.
Our regular workshops are free and open to all students, providing more interactive training on similar topics to our Study Guides.
We also provide assessments for dyslexia and dyspraxia and can advise students on strategies for dealing with these and other conditions in regard to university study.
Professional expertise and experience
The Study Advisers are specialists in student learning development and the effectiveness of resources and interventions to support this. We are active members of the LearnHigher network which researches student learning development and the effectiveness of resources to support this, and many of the team hold senior posts at national level in professional associations including the Association of Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE) and the Association of Dyslexia Specialists in Higher Education (ADSHE).
Working with academic departments
In addition to our centralised functions, we also provide consultancy, resource development and team-teaching for embedded study skills training. Drawing on considerable professional experience and expertise developed through research and through working directly with students, we can advise on the effectiveness of interventions and training, and suggest models.
If you are a member of academic staff considering developing embedded training for your students, you may find it helpful to consult with the member of the team who is responsible for liaising with your department.
Dr Judy Turner liaises with Departments in the Sciences and Life Sciences.
Dr Michelle Reid liaises with Departments in Social Sciences and in Henley Business School.
Dr Kim Shahabudin liaises with Departments in Arts and Humanities.
You can also find more information and updates on new services and resources in our regular newsletter for staff: Study Advice newsletter May 2011.
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