Your Faculty Student Support Officer, David Peters can provide support and advice on a range of issues related to university life.

He is there to support you with any problems you experience whilst at university, as well as provide guidance to help you achieve your goals.

He can provide advice on both pastoral and study skills related issues such as:

• Academic writing skills
• Referencing and avoiding plagiarism
• Applying critical thinking
• Managing your time
• Presentation skills
• Preparing for exams
• Dealing with stress and anxiety

Look out for email announcements advertising study skills workshops.

Online Study Skills Support

Current students can use the Skills Online resource on Moodle. The resource includes sections on writing essays and reports, time management, referencing, presentations and much more.

Frequently Asked Questions

I’m not sure who I need to speak to – can I ask you?

Yes you can. If I’m not the person to answer your query I’ll point you in the right direction. You can also ask the SIP on the ground floor of the Geoffrey Manton building for help or advice with who to contact.

I want some advice about some really basic study skills stuff… ?

Don’t worry about this; no query is too small and there’s no such thing as a silly question. However, if you’re stuck and you need help quickly you might be able to find what you’re looking for in the Skills Online resource on Moodle. This resource includes sections on writing essays and reports, time management, referencing, presentations and much more.

Will you proof read my work?

No, I don’t proof read your work, but I will look at it with you and advise you on how to edit it.

I’m getting high 2:2 grades and really want a 2:1. Can you help?

A fresh pair of eyes may be able to highlight areas for improvement, and help you see what your subject tutors are looking for.

I’m a postgraduate student… Is it OK to come?

Yes. There is a lot to take on board in postgraduate study, especially if you have come from employment and it is a long while since you studied.

Can you help with personal problems?

The service is confidential and non-judgemental, so if you just need to get something off your chest that’s absolutely fine. I can provide information and contact details for various services, both within the university and the local area, which may be useful to you. However, it is not a counselling service, and if you would like to speak to a counsellor please contact the university counsellors on 0161 247 3493 or contact your local GP.

Do I need to bring anything with me to an appointment?

If you want to discuss a piece of work it’s also useful to bring your work, assignment brief and unit Handbook with you. If you want to focus on improving your work it is useful to bring any feedback you have received from your tutors.

I’m not enjoying my course, can you help?

Yes. If you have doubts about your course you are welcome to discuss them in confidence. There are a number of options available to you which I am happy to discuss.