Tips, advice, and opportunities for academic skills development
It is important to enhance and develop your academic study skills in tandem with your studies.
Develop the right skills for your future
It is also a good idea to think quite early on about how the academic skills you are developing are setting you up to succeed in your future professions. UCL Careers has created a skills hub to help you develop the skills, strengths, and qualities employers are typically looking for.
Browse academic skills by subject-area
- Academic Writing
UCL writing support & resources
UCL Academic Communication Centre shows what support is available to students in each faculty.
UCL Centre for Languages & International Education (CLIE) offers taught courses for students who are non-native speakers of English and resources for staff to help students with their English.
UCL Academic Writing Centre at the IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society, provides short courses, tutorials, forums and online resources to IOE postgraduate students.
The Writing Lab helps with writing through student-led tutorials and workshops for students in the faculties of Arts and Humanities and Social and Historical science.
Writing and Language Support Programme (WALS): peer-to-peer support for non-native speakers of English through UCL Union.
UCL’s Survey of English Usage produces apps on academic writing (free), spelling and punctuation (free) and grammar (various costs).
UCL Student Disability Services has produced some excellent guides on reading, note-taking, essay writing, revision technique and time management.
Academic Integrity at UCL: What is Academic Integrity, why is it important, and what happens if you breach it?UCL also has a licence for LinkedIn Learning, the online video training provider. LinkedIn Learning has several short courses on writing, such as writing in plain English.
External Writing Resources
- Guide to writing essays, the Royal Literary Fund
- Guide to writing dissertations, the Royal Literary Fund
- How to write in Plain English, the Plain English Campaign (pdf)
- Essay and Report Writing Skills Course, The Open University
- Writing What you Know, The Open University
- Writing in Plain English, LinkedIn Learning
- Digital Skills
Succeeding in a Digital World Course, The Open University
Digital Skills Development, UCL home page to book online and face-to-face courses
UCL DigiLearn, A library of online videos covering UCL IT essentials
- Presenting
How to give a good (enough) presentation, UCL
Creating accessible PowerPoint presentations, UCL Digital Skills DevelopmentTalk the Talk, The Open University
Develop your Presentation Skills, LinkedIn Learning
Giving a talk or making a presentation: study skills guide from UCL SSEES
Giving a presentation: UCL Institute of Archaeology study skills guide
- Finding information, referencing and Plagiarism
- Searching for information, Libraryskills@UCL
Evaluating information, Libraryskills@UCL
Kick-starting your literature review, UCL Digital Skills Development
References, citations, and avoiding plagiarism, UCL Libguides
Referencing and Plagiarism, UCL PDF
Reference Management Software, UCL Libguides
Academic Integrity at UCL: What is Academic Integrity, why is it important, and what happens if you breach it?
- Notetaking
UCL Notetaking Techniques Course
The Open University How to Take Notes Course
The Open University Effective Notetaking Course, LinkedIn Learning
- Critical thinking, reading & writing
Critical Thinking, The Open University
Developing your Thinking Skills, The Open University
Critical Thinking, LinkedIn Learning
Critical Reading and Writing, UCL
How to be a Critical Reader, The Open University
- Groupwork
Groups and Teamwork, The Open University
Working with Diverse Teams, The Open University
What's the difference between collaboration and collusion? UCL Academic Integrity course
- Independent learning
Independent research, Libraryskills@UCL
Personal Productivity, Linkedin Learning UCL playlist
Improving your own learning and performance, The Open University
- Research Skills
Short UCL courses on "Research Skills"
Free research skills courses from the Open University