Skills Centre is here to help
The Skills Centre is a unique space designed to help all students maximize their potential here at UCC. It offers a wide and varied programme that can be booked through its website, skillscentre.ucc.ie. The sessions are designed to develop study skills and writing skills that help enhance your learning and communication. Some of our most popular sessions so far in this academic year have been Note-Taking, How to Write an Essay, and Grammar and Punctuation.As the semester 1 exams approached, the Skills Centre offered a series of lunchtime sessions to help students maximize their study and preparation efforts during this busy time. These sessions proved popular with students, and future workshops are open to all students from all disciplines. They included:
- Preparing for Exams – A Practical GuideThis is a session designed to provide practical tips and tricks for effective study routines in the lead up to exams. It should also help students to plan an efficient study timetable and to develop their exam techniques.A demonstration of how to utilise on campus learning technology to support your studying also takes place.
- Examinations at UCCThis is a session offered by the Exams and Records Office at UCC. It provides practical guidance on the examinations process in UCC, and also gives tips on how to prepare for and conduct yourself during examinations.
- Minding Yourself During Exams – Mindfulness TechniquesThis session involves helping students to develop mindfulness techniques to remain calm and centred during times of stress and activity.
As well as offering workshops, we also offer a One-to-One service. These sessions are designed for you to bring your writing to the tutors. Here you will get feedback on structure, grammar and punctuation. Areas that you might need some additional work on will be highlighted and advice given as to the most appropriate session to attend for additional help. You can also take advantage of Advisor Appointments – here you can meet with an advisor and discuss your academic workload. They will help you formulate a plan of action that will help you manage your workload.If you are interested in booking into one of our workshops or One-to-One sessions, visit our website. Here you will find a full schedule of all the classes we have available. Our classes are regularly updated, as we are continuously adding new workshops. To ensure you hear about all our new workshops first, simply register on our website. This will allow you to be the first to book in for any new workshops that become available. We have some exciting new sessions in the works, including a Presentation Skills workshop, which will be available this semester. Watch out for the launch of the SPEAK Programme.The Skills Centre is located in the basement floor (Q-1) of the Boole Library. To find us, simply follow those yellow footsteps on the floor. Feel free to call to the Skills Centre should you need any information, as we are always happy to help. The Skills Centre’s main focus is the welfare of students, and ensuring students are able to reach their full academic potential. For more information, to book a workshop, or to simply register with us head over to our website skillscentre.ucc.ie.We would like to thank Ciara Murphy (Skills Centre Ambassador) and Kathy Bradley (Skills Centre Coordinator) for contributing this article. For more info on the Skills Centre, you can visit their website as mentioned above.