The Academic Support Service in the School of Arts and Humanities:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  1. What support does the service offer?
  2. Where do I find details of the lecture programme / How can I find the academic support lectures online?
  3. Do you do lectures in the city?
  4. How do I make a booking for a one-to-one appointment?
  5. Do you offer any appointments on days other than Wednesdays?
  6. Will you look over my work and correct/edit it?
  7. I am an international student looking for English Language Support – what do I do?
  8. Do you offer sessions on issues that aren’t in the lecture programme?
  9. I am a Modern Language student. Does that mean you won’t be able to discuss my writing with me?
  10. I can’t access this service (can’t make the lectures/ can’t get a one-to-one appointment), what can I do?

What support does the service offer?

The service offers many Academic Support opportunities. These include:

You will receive details of Academic Support opportunities in a weekly email, so keep checking your inbox and looking out for posters around the School. Please note: This is NOT a proofreading service – we will not correct your work. If you are an international student looking for language support, you will need to contact In-sessional English support for help (please see below for further details).

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Where do I find details of the lecture programme/ How can I find the academic support lectures online?

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Do you do lectures in the city?

I will usually do bespoke lectures in the city for courses based in the city, such as CBJ, on request. If you are a CBJ student and are interested in this, then please appoint a liaison person to find out what your needs are and to request a session by emailing: aah.academicpractice@ntu.ac.uk.

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How do I make a booking for a one-to-one appointment?

You can book your appointment immediately on the online appointment board. This will change every week and the new appointment board will appear every Wednesday at 5:00 pm before the following week's one-to-ones. To book, you:

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Do you offer any appointments on days other than Wednesdays?

The main day for the Academic Support Service is Wednesday. In exceptional circumstances, other appointments might be available, but this would be unusual. I will let students know if I can offer an appointment on another day in these circumstances. Bespoke group sessions can be offered on other days.

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Will you look over my work and correct/edit it?

No. This service aims to empower you to take control of your own learning and writing. We believe it is more useful if we help you develop the critical awareness you need to assess your own writing /learning and to attain the attitudes, skills and practices you need to improve independently. Ultimately, your work is your responsibility and it must be your own. As we emphasise your own growth as writers, we are not a proofreading service, so the tutor will not correct your work, tell you what to write or grade your work.

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I am an international student looking for English Language Support – what do I do?

International students need to access In-sessional English support for language help. This is done through subject-specific English support classes, general 'open' classes which are available to all international students, or through one-to-one language tutorials.

Please access the In-sessional English Support Learning Room in NOW for more details about the service. If you have any questions please email englishsupport@ntu.ac.uk

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Do you offer sessions on issues that aren’t in the lecture programme?

Yes. If there are enough students (minimum 8), I will write a special session for your group (time-permitting, of course). If you would like a bespoke session, please appoint a liaison person and email: AAH.AcademicPractice@ntu.ac.uk with your request.

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I am a Modern Language student. Does that mean you won’t be able to discuss my writing with me?

Modern languages students very welcome to come to this service for all its forms of support, even writing development. As the main approach I use to develop writing is to engage with your thoughts/ideas, you will be able to discuss your work with me like anybody else. (Incidentally, I was also a student of Modern Languages).

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I can’t access this service (can’t make the lectures/ can’t get a one-to-one appointment), what can I do?

If it is one-to-one support you want, you can speak to other sources of academic support eg a tutor, your personal tutor in your personal tutor group, staff in Student Support Services, or to a peer.

Have a look in the academic Support Learning Room in NOW.You will also find the Powerpoint slides of the academic support lectures in this room.

There is also a lot of help online. You might find the following websites useful:

Writing

Self-Evaluation/Peer Review Checklists for Writing:

Time management:
Assignment Calculators can help you to plan your time as you prepare for your written assignments:

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