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? …

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 …