Study support

The Academic English Programme (AEP), free to all fee-paying international/EU students from all departments at any stage of study, provides opportunities to improve your academic skills and language alongside your degree programme study.

The programme has three strands:
• a sign-up programme of courses and webinars open to all fee-paying international/EU students
• 1:1 Consultations for individualised advice on Writing and Presenting in English
• and courses or workshops in your discipline- please see your own department teams to find out if you qualify for one of these courses.

Find out more about the Programme.

Your Academic Liaison Librarian is your main point of contact with the Library – there is one for every subject offered at Reading. They can help you make effective use of the huge range of resources the Library has to offer in support of your studies by:

• showing you how to use information resources effectively - your Academic Liasion Librarian can offer training sessions for your School/Department and online library guides for your subject
• showing you how to save time by making the most of all our Library services
• giving you individual help with research - your librarian can offer in depth one-to-one help in finding information, including identifying the most relevant e-resources for you to use

Find out who your Academic Liaison Librarian is.

For students with maths as part of their course, our Maths Support Team offer resources to support you with the mathematical concepts you need for your studies – such as algebra, differentiation, percentages and statistics. Worksheets have been designed to enable you to independently practice these skills and are available via the ‘Maths Support’ course on Blackboard. We also have a range of guides that and videos to support you.

A global model at Reading

Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) is a globally recognised scheme where students in the same subject work with each other, and in partnership with a supportive academic. Well-trained student PAL leaders run weekly academic study sessions in specific modules. You work with students from the year above who have been through the module, which is known to be tough or difficult, and together you gain a better understanding. Recent data shows that students who go to PAL sessions regularly gain better results.

What students who go to PAL sessions say:

“It's been really helpful to go over what we do in lectures, as the content is difficult.”

“Getting advice from people who have already studied the course has helped.”

“I think it was so useful. To learn from other students who have been in my position before was brilliant.”

“The leaders were friendly and helpful; they made every session worthwhile to go to.”

“We can input into what we would like covered in the sessions.”

Benefits of going to PAL sessions:

• time to go over difficult material together with other students
• opportunity to discuss ideas and ask questions that are hard to ask in lectures
• gain confidence and make friends
• achieve better results in the module

Weekly PAL sessions are structured to be lively, active and fun. If you have the opportunity to take part in PAL as part of your course, you should definitely take advantage of it.

Find out more about becoming a PAL Leader yourself.

Becky Allen, PAL Coordinator
Telephone: 0118 378 6514
Email: pal@reading.ac.uk

RUSU Advice Service can support you if you are having academic problems, or you have concerns about your relationship with the University. They can help with issues such as:

• Help during exams
• University complaints
• Results Appeals
• Plagiarism
• Help for Disabled Students
• Academic Misconduct
• Disciplinaries
• Extenuating Circumstances

You can use their online Advice Request Form to set up an appointment with an adviser.

Email: advice@rusu.co.uk
Telephone: 0118 378 4100
Where: RUSU's main reception
Drop-in: 11:00-13:30, Monday & Thursday; 14:00-16:00 Wed

The Study Advice Service can help you develop more effective ways of studying. They are a team of specialists who can offer academic support alongside that given to you by your tutor. They can talk to you about essay and report writing, time management, reading and note-making, exam revision, dissertations and effective study practices.

You can book a one-to-one advice session, tailor-made to your needs or attend weekly seminars to develop your academic skills.

In addition they run a daily drop in service (13:00-14:00) where you can discuss your quick queries with a Study Adviser.

Their website has a wide range of self-help guides and video tutorials on aspects of studying that you can access 24/7.

Email: studyadvice@reading.ac.uk
Telephone: 0118 378 4242
Where: Ground floor, Library
Drop-in quick queries: 13:00-14:00, Mon-Fri during term time
Bookable one-to-one sessions available: 09:00-17:00
We remain open throughout the vacation (except during University closure days) for booked appointments.

To give you the best possible start to your course, we encourage you to complete Study Smart – a free online course which we’ve created especially for all of our new undergraduate students.

Study Smart will help you prepare for study at the University of Reading, which is likely to be different to your previous studies at school, college or in your home country.

With contributions from current students and academic staff from all subjects here at Reading, Study Smart will give you essential insights into what will be expected of you as a student so you can start your studies with confidence.

Study Smart focuses on three main areas of university study:
• academic integrity
• communicating at university
• independent learning

The course will help you to understand how these concepts apply to you and your studies. It also contains vital information on how you’ll be studying, including advice on engaging in seminars, getting the most out of online course material and using our digital tools. You'll be able to connect with other new students through the course and share thoughts about this exciting new step in your life, as well as getting advice from current students.

We recommend you complete the course before the term begins to get the maximum benefit. It can be completed in a few short sessions and is designed so you can work through it at your own pace.

If you are a new first year undergraduate student you will receive an email with a link to the course on the 31st August.

If you have any queries or issues accessing Study Smart, please email: studyadvice@reading.ac.uk.