Study support

Developing your study skills

By ‘study skills’, we mean the general skills you need to succeed as a student, for example: the ability to manage your time, communicate in writing and verbally and effectively use information technology.

Experience counts

These skills are not just acquired through study; all sorts of experience can be relevant here. For example, if your work, voluntary activity, or interests have led you to read widely and in depth, you will have developed useful skills for processing information. Similarly, any extended writing (reports, articles, diaries) helps develop communication skills.

Academic preparation

At the same time, there are particular academic requirements and conventions in higher education, and it is a good idea to find out how much reading, writing and public speaking might be involved in a course. Pre-university study routes, such as Access courses, or A-levels, are designed to help you to develop the relevant skills for higher education, as well as subject knowledge.

Tap into our support

Our Student Services team are here to help you throughout your studies and the dedicated Study Skills website  offers you plenty of advice on everything from essay writing to accessing journals. The study support team also runs a series of workshops, which are free and are held throughout the year.

Helena Attlee is Writer in Residence at the University of Worcester. Appointed by the Royal Literary Fund (RLF), she is on hand to help anyone at the University with their academic or general writing skills. This includes offering students practical advice on essay, thesis and day-to-day writing styles. Contact her on: h.attlee@worc.ac.uk