Develop your academic skills

Tips, advice, and opportunities for academic skills development

It is important to enhance and develop your academic study skills in tandem with your studies.

Where to get help with your academic study skills

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

Digital Education at UCL Moodle course, supporting you to be a successful digital learner.

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

Succeeding in a Digital World Course, The Open University

How to give a good (enough) presentation, UCL

Creating accessible PowerPoint presentations, UCL Digital Skills Development

Talk 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?

UCL’s notetaking tips

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

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