"Just what does my professor expect of me?" This is a familiar question asked by university students. One of the greatest challenges of taking courses at university is knowing what the new and very different expectations are. And it's hardly surprising, given the wide range of assignments that students from all academic disciplines can expect to encounter: critical book reviews, position papers, statistical lab reports, abstracts, research essays -- the list goes on. Many students cope admirably, while for others the adaptation process is tougher.

At Trent, help is close at hand. Here at the Academic Skills Centre, a team of instructors is ready to assist students with practically every aspect of academic work. Instructors specialize in providing writing instruction, but that is only one of the skills taught at the Centre. For instance, when students arrive at Trent in the fall, they frequently need to develop good time management skills; as they begin their first assignments, they need to know how to plan, research, draft, and revise papers, from the short (but tough!) one-page response to the major research paper or thesis; as exams approach, students must develop effective study skills and adopt strategies to deal with exam anxiety.

Beyond these fundamental skills, many students seek help in more specific areas such as critical thinking, oral presentations, and efficient reading. Since academic skills are developed on a highly individual and personal basis, the bulk of Centre teaching is done through one-on-one consultations. For 45 minutes, a student has the undivided attention of an instructor. Together they work on particular writing or studying problems, for example, and build effective strategies for coping with the demanding workload of a university degree program.

As a complement to individual appointments, the Centre offers workshops throughout the year on the skills that students need most. Among the most popular are workshops on essay writing (still the most common method of assessment), clear writing, and grammar -- yes, students still need to know grammar, and many even admit that they enjoy it! In addition to workshops and consultations, Centre instructors write and publish their own texts: books and booklets covering both general and specific academic skills. These publications are sold not only to Trent students, but also to local high schools and to university and college bookstores across the country -- and even across the world. More recently, the Centre has branched into web-course development, and it now also offers a credit course in written communication.

Centre instructors provide specialized assistance in some very important areas. One instructor focuses solely on helping students in math and statistics courses; students taking French consult the Centre's French moniteur; and all instructors work closely with a number of students with learning disabilities. Another recent addition to the Centre's teaching program has been TRENT-ESL, which offers instruction in English as a second language specifically for students who plan to pursue a degree at a Canadian university.

As you might imagine, the teaching and publishing programs of Trent's Academic Skills Centre are in high demand. In fact, there's often a waiting list for appointments. Trent students from all disciplines and with a wide range of abilities come to see us; students in International Baccalaureate programs around the world use our texts -- the Centre can truly assist all students on their journey toward academic success.