Illustrations by Michelle Tieu
It’s just been a month since the Summer term began, but we are already back into the groove of attending online classes, organizing co-curricular activities and studying. Most of us are well into our first essays and projects, and with so much going on it can be difficult to stay on top of everything. So, I thought of sharing some student resources at York that are still fully operational this summer and can help us stay focused and make our lives a little easier.
Important Dates
Keep an eye out for the important dates like course add and drop deadlines, refund deadlines, reading week, study dates and exams. If you haven’t already, it is a good idea to add these dates to your planner or calendar so that you can stay on top of them!
Success Tip: If you don’t have a planner or calendar, we have a post that tells you Everything You Need to Know Before Buying a Planner!
Writing Centre
The Writing Centre is a great resource if you are looking for some help with your essays or any writing project. Their writing experts can help you structure your writing, develop a thesis statement, or learn strategies for revising and proofreading. Drop-in virtual appointments are best for times when you need quick help right away in a short session with a writing instructor. In case you are pressed for time, the SPARK toolkit will be really helpful! But if you need more detailed assistance, you can also book 50-minute one-to-one video chat appointments about any writing assignment at any stage. If you are a first-time user, make sure you enrol first by registering. Check out this handy FAQ with tips on one-to-one writing support.
If you are looking to improve your English language skills, the ESL Open Learning Centre (OLC) will be helpful. The Multilingual Studio offers a safe space for multilingual students to develop their reading, writing, and critical thinking skills.
Success tip: Remember that it is always better to start early and give yourself enough time to complete your assignments. That means asking for help early. This will allow you to reflect on the guidance given by the writing instructors and give you time to improve your work.
Learning Skills Services (LSS)
Whether this is your first time attending online classes or not, it is always good to be prepared. Learning Skills Services offers a variety of workshops on time management, reading and note-taking, memory and more. Make sure to visit their calendar every month to keep up with the latest sessions and to find the right one for you!
If you are looking for a one-to-one consultation to help you achieve your academic goals, a useful individualized online service that LSS offers is Peer Academic Coaching. You can book appointments with an experienced Learning Skills Peer and work with them on areas specific to your own needs, like time management, study strategies, academic reading strategies etc.
To see available appointments and for step-by-step instructions on how to make an appointment, visit How to Book An Individual Learning Skills Appointment.
Success tip: Check out our earlier blog post–Remote Learning 101: Learning Skills Services to know more about LSS!
York Libraries
York Libraries are not just for looking up research material, newspapers, magazines, and free streaming collections. They also offer a variety of interactive online instructional workshops to help you learn critical research and citation skills. If you are looking for instructions on how to use the library website or need guidance on how to evaluate research sources, check out the library’s How-to Videos.
Success tip: If you need help with finding sources or citing sources, you can use the Ask & Services where you can live chat with librarians! Don’t forget that you can access librarians for each of your courses through eClass as well!
Learning Commons
Have a unique problem? Not sure who can help? Get in touch with the Learning Commons who can guide you to the right person. The Learning Commons brings together academic learning supports to help students with areas such as writing, library research, citing, time management, study skills, exam preparation, English language support, career planning and much more. Success tip: Don’t forget to check out our detailed post covering York’s Top Online Library Services. Remember that the Learning Commons partnership also includes the Career Centre, which we have covered in our previous post Remote Learning 101: Career Centre.
Let us know in the comments below, if you have used any of these of these resources.
To stay up to date on campus life and events, connect with York on social media. You can follow us on Facebook @YorkUStudents, Twitter @YorkUStudents, Instagram @studentlifeyu and with our weekly This Week @ York emails.
Deea Deb
Deea Deb is a third-year English and Professional Writing major at York University. She loves reading, travelling, being organized, and writing. She hopes to help York students succeed at university.
