Making the Most of Your Studies
Your teaching will be provided in three formats: on campus seminars, synchronous online lectures and seminars, and asynchronous (recorded) online lectures. All of these have their own advantages and you can really get a lot out of them if you fully engage (see our guide on Making the Most of Taught Sessions).
You will see, in the module descriptors for each of your modules, that the allocated hours add up to many more than your taught sessions account for. The other hours should be made up with self-directed study. This can be time spent engaging in some of the support offered at the University, but it will mainly consist of studying on your own or with some of your classmates. This guide provides some pointers on how to make the most of this self-directed learning time.
There are many learning resources you can access at the University, not just those provided by your module.
The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) is open to students. When you are on campus for classes, use time before and after your class to go to the LRC and look through books. Although you are able to access most of the library resources online, it can be useful to browse the shelves to see what is available. Sometimes you might see something that didn’t come up on your database search.
You might want to stay and study for some time in the library. Sometimes this can be more effective than studying at home. You can give yourself a set time to study with specific achievable objectives (see our guide on Time Management).
You can also make use of the many online resources provided by the LRC. All of the LRC resources can be found on the website (LRC webpages). They include:
- sessions with the Liaison Librarians via MS Teams or Collaborate.
- workshops throughout semester
- referencing
- using refworks (referencing writing software)
- using the databases to search for reading for your course
- Ìý°Õ³ó±ð referencing guide.
PALS (Peer Assisted Learning Scheme) runs student-led learning sessions. These are a relaxed, fun and informal way to receive support for your learning at ºÚÁÏרÇø±¬ÁÏ. You can use a session either to help you understand something you are struggling with in a module, or perhaps to consolidate and develop the learning you have already completed. PALS also run revision sessions so you can brush up on your knowledge in the run-up to your exams.
The students who run the sessions are trained PALS Leaders and they’ve all been where you are now and want to support you by sharing their experience. This year all sessions will be run remotely via Collaborate.
At present, some programmes do not run PALS sessions, but they are available in the following Programmes:
| Programmes | Programmes |
|---|---|
| BA (Hons) Business Management | BA (Hons) PR Marketing Communications |
| BA (Hons) Drama​ | BA (Hons) Media & Communications |
| BA (Hons) Education Studies | BSc (Hons) Psychology |
| BA (Hons) Education Studies (Primary) | BSc (Hons) Psychology and Sociology |
| BA (Hons) Events & Festival Management | BSc (Hons) Public Sociology |
| BA (Hons) Film & Media | BA (Hons) Theatre & Film |
| BA (Hons) International Hospitality & Tourism Management | Ìý |
ELS have a number of resources you can access. The guides (like this one) which are available on the website are just a small part of our service. Go to to book a place:
One-to-one appointments
- these take place in person or online via email or Microsoft Teams
- they last up to 50 minutes
- we can discuss study skills, time-management techniques, writing skills etc.
- we can help you understand an assignment brief, guide you in planning an essay or report, read a draft of an essay and give you advice on how to improve it, and much more!
Workshops
- these take place on Collaborate in synchronous sessions of one hour
- numbers will be limited to 30 per session
- topics covered include
- Essay planning
- Essay writing
- Reading effectively
- Using sources
- Criticality
Academic English for speakers of English as a second or other language
- this is a 6 week course
- it will be delivered online
- you will be expected to attend all sessions
- it will cover the main skills needed for studying effectively at university in the UK
We have some one-to-one appointments available on campus. To book one of these, please email us at els@qmu.ac.uk (for home students), or elsinternational@qmu.ac.uk (for international students).
Although it is good to make use of the extra sessions available at the University, the majority of your self-directed study hours will involve you studying on your own. There are many things you can do to make sure you are maximising your learning.
Reading
Reading is