Stuck in a writing rut? Try freewriting.

‘Writing is an exercise in sculpture, chipping away at the rock until you find the nose.’ Stanley Elkin (American novelist) If you go to university you are going to have to write — there are no two ways about it! As previously discussed, writing is a skill and must be practiced. But even the most …

Should you use a proofreader for your dissertation or thesis?

Photo by J. Kelly Brito on Unsplash You have worked hard and written thousands of words! These words may determine your final classification of if you get your PhD and you want to make sure they are just right! So, should you hire a proofreader to give your work the final once over before submission? …

Academic skills coaching or private tutoring?

If you have been looking for support with your studies you may have come across the terms academic skills coaching and private tutoring and wondered if there is a difference. The difference – although not ‘official’ and sometimes subtle – is based on the differing aims of coaching and tutoring. Academic skills coaching helps students …

What is an independent learner?

As a university student, you will often hear the term ‘independent learner’ and how you need to become one! As a new student, such a term might make you think that you are on your own, but that is not the case. An independent learner is not a student who does everything on their own. …

What are academic skills?

Academic skills underpin your subject-specific studies. Any list of academic skills will typically include critical thinking, presenting, reading, referencing, reflection, researching, time management and writing. In my experience, first-year undergraduate students can find grasping the importance of these skills and starting to develop them challenging – particularly if they have been out of education for …

Writing is a skill…and you need to practise it!

Writing is a skill, and like any skill — if you want to get better at it — you must practise it. To become a better writer at university, you must find opportunities to practise and not only write when you have to (such as when you have to do an assignment). Your first step …

Judo strength + conditioning revisited

As covid-19 lockdown measures begin to ease, and judo clubs are making the gradual return to full training, I thought it a good time to consider some of the demands of contest judo, and what judoka (those who compete) are preparing for. As mentioned in a previous post, during 2009 and 2010 I contributed to …

Planning and structuring indoor cycling classes

Whilst it might seem to those in my indoor cycling classes that sessions are thrown together at the last minute, there is some thought that goes into planning them! Alongside employment in various coaching, teaching, and research roles I have taught indoor cycling classes at the same fitness facility for over 15 years. In this …

Planning and structuring indoor cycling classes

Part II: Intervals Introduction As identified in part I of this series of posts, the first decision I make when planning an indoor cycling class is whether it is going to be an interval-based or continuous session. In this second post of the series, I will discuss the further decisions I make if I opt …

Planning and structuring indoor cycling classes

Part III: Continuous In part II of this series I discussed my approach to planning and structuring interval-based sessions for indoor cycling classes in a health and fitness setting. In this post I will discuss some of the approaches I have used when opting for a continuous session, instead of an interval-based session. A continuous …