Academic Skills Online Resources Index

Browse the contents of these sections and find short guides on

• Writing
• Editing
• Research and Documentation
• Science and Math Resources
• Study Skills
• Time Management

How to Write in University

How to Approach Any Assignment

• How to Write Essays
• How to Write Lab Reports
• How to Write Annotated Bibliographies
• How to Write Article Summaries
• How to Write Business Reports
• How to Write Literature Reviews
• How to Write Reflections
• Presentations
  • How to Prepare and Deliver Oral Presentations
  • How to Create Effective Powerpoint Slides
  • How to Create a Poster Presentation

Planning your Assignment

• 10 Steps to Complete your Assignment

Developing an Argument

• Developing a Topic
• Developing a Thesis
• Organizing an Argument
  • Outline Checklist
• Beyond the 5-Paragraph Essay: A Flexible Essay Model

Writing Introductions, Conclusions, and Body Paragraphs

• Successful Paragraphs
• Effectively Integrating Evidence
• Creating Coherence (or Flow)
• Writing an Introduction
• Writing a Conclusion

How to Edit your Writing

Strategies for Revision and Proofreading

• Revising the Whole Paper
• Editing for Clarity and Grammar
• Proofreading

Grammar and Style

• Sentence Structure
• Punctuation
• Using Apostrophes
• Pronoun Agreement and Reference
• Subject-Verb Agreement
• Misplaced, Squinting, and Dangling Modifiers
• Parallelism, Consistency, and Voice
• Capitalization
• Words often Confused

How to Use Sources

The Research Process

• The Research Plan
• Searching for Sources
• Efficient and Effective Reading
• Useful Research Notes

Avoiding Plagiarism

• Paraphrasing and Summarising

Documentation Guide

• Common Citation Questions
• Find Style by Discipline
• APA Style, 6th edition (American Psychological Association)
• Chicago Style, 17th edition (Footnoting)
• MLA Style, 8th edition (Modern Languages Association)
• CSE Style (Council of Scientific Editors)

Science and Math Resources

Science Resources

• Writing Lab Reports
  • Understanding Hypotheses and Predictions
  • Strategies for Writing
• Writing in Science: Clear and Effective Prose
• Presenting Data

Math Resources

• Math Basics
  • Formula for Success – Math Review and Foundations
  • Math for ERSC
  • Lines, Conics, Limits, and Derivatives
• Statistics Basics
  • Statistics for PSYC

Study Skills

Reading Strategies

• Read Critically and Efficiently
  • Reading Empirical or Scientific Articles
  • Reading Argumentative Articles (Humanities or Social Sciences)
  • Reading the Textbook

Listening and Notetaking Strategies

• Lectures, Listening, and Notetaking
• Notetaking templates

Exam Preparation and Writing

• Prepare for and Write Exams
  • Writing Multiple Choice Exams
  • Writing the Bell-Ringer Exam
  • How to Understand and Answer Free Response or Essay Exam Questions
  • Studying for Essay Exams

Transition to University

• Survive and Thrive: Your First Term at University

Time management

Effective Time Management Strategies

• Time Management 101: Strategies for long-term and short-term planning, creating productive routines, and avoiding plagiarism. Instruction on using tools, including the 4-month calendar, 24/7 schedule, and assignment analysis form.

Time Management Tools

• Download templates and worksheets: 4-month calendar, 24/7 schedule, assignment analysis form, 2-week planner

Planning an Assignment

• Learn how to analyze an assignment and get started. Plan for thoughtful research, organized writing, and careful revision.