I’m Kate – an Academic Skills Adviser in the Library's Skills Centre at Sheffield Hallam University. In my role, I support students to develop their study skills, boost their confidence and find individualised ways to tackle their assignments that actually work for them.
I know from experience that sometimes studying at university doesn’t go as planned. Stuff happens, life gets in the way, or you find that you weren’t prepared for the demands of your course for any one of a number of reasons. But you’ve decided to keep going and give it another go. Well done! This is a brave step and was likely not an easy decision, and you might be wondering what can help things be different this year.
Over the years, I have successfully worked with many students who, like you, needed to repeat a module or a whole year of study. I want you to know that we can support you to turn things around and be successful this year, like this second-year apprentice dietitian student who gave this feedback:
“Kate’s guidance has helped my writing style develop immensely, and she has taught me invaluable strategies for finding information, working things out, and using tools effectively for assignments. Without her support, I genuinely don't think I would still be on the course today.”
How we can help:
- You can book an appointment with a specialist adviser like me. We can work on a specific assignment or plan how to approach your studies differently, giving you immediate, practical strategies to improve your skills and confidence.
- You can attend or watch a webinar on planning and productivity, academic writing, referencing, reflective writing, and critical thinking. After sessions, we share links to other helpful resources.
- You can use our self-help materials, which include practical examples, exercises, and tips for developing your academic skills.
Where to start?
If you’re unsure where to start, take our Skills Check. It’s quick, helps you identify your priorities, and gives you a personal action plan for developing your study skills.
My three top tips for being successful in your academic journey:
- When you find ways of studying and writing that work for you, it’s much easier to be successful.
- Treat setbacks as learning opportunities. It can take time to understand what’s expected at university.
- Use the services and support early. Students often tell us they wish they’d accessed the Skills Centre sooner!
Get in touch:
I’m glad you’ve decided to persevere with your studies, and I genuinely believe you can succeed. Sometimes it’s less important to know the answers than to know who can help you find them — that’s what the Library’s Skills Centre is here for.
Our team look forward to supporting you. Use the links in this blog or browse our website. You can also email us at skillscentre@shu.ac.uk.
Best wishes for the year ahead!
Kate Salinsky
Academic Skills Adviser
Introduction
Libraries Week is an annual showcase and celebration of the best that libraries have to offer and each year a theme is chosen to explore the innovative and surprising things that libraries are doing to support their communities.
This year's Libraries Week is focusing on Green Libraries which celebrates the ongoing work in libraries across the UK focusing on sustainability and climate change.
You can find out more about Libraries Week here.
The Green Libraries Partnership
The Green Libraries Partnership was developed by Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals [CILIP] in response to COP26 and the long-term climate commitments made by libraries and local authorities across England. We have signed up to the Green Libraries Manifesto.
Libraries week at Sheffield University Library
We’ve gathered together resources across our entire collection including books, articles and recordings to create our Climate Emergency Collection and we’re inviting you to jump in and explore, read and discover what’s inside.
The collection is divided into five themes reflecting the myriad aspects of the climate emergency.
Climate science - climatology, extreme weather and natural disasters, greenhouse gases and control of, habitat loss and ecological damage.
Sustainability - includes areas such as architecture and urban planning, transport and logistics, farming and food, manufacturing, renewable energy and energy efficiency, retail and business.
Sustainable living - resources on ways to reduce personal and societal environmental impact.
Climate change - artistic responses - contains literature, visual arts and film, and television responses to climate change.
Climate change - political responses - includes government and international policy, activism and climate change disinformation.
Our picks
We've chosen a small selection to get you started, these books are a good starting point in anyone's journey to understand the climate emergency and take action to make meaningful changes.
Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World by Katharine Hayhoe
Hayhoe argues that when it comes to changing hearts and minds, facts are only one part of the equation. We need to find shared values in order to connect our unique identities to collective action. This is not another doomsday narrative about a planet on fire. It is a multi-layered look at science, faith, and human psychology, from an icon in her field—recently named chief scientist at The Nature Conservancy.
How the World Really Works: A Scientist's Guide to Our Past, Present and Future by Vaclav Smil
This book explains seven of the most fundamental realities governing our survival and prosperity. From energy and food production, through our material world and its globalization, to risks, our environment and its future, How the World Really Works offers a much-needed reality check - because before we can tackle problems effectively, we must understand the facts.
What Climate Justice Means and Why We Should Care by Elizabeth Cripps
Philosopher Elizabeth Cripps approaches climate justice not just as an abstract idea but as something that should motivate us all. Using clear reasoning and poignant examples, starting from irrefutable science and uncontroversial moral rules, she explores our obligations to each other and to the non-human world, unravels the legacy of colonialism and entrenched racism, and makes the case for immediate action.
How to Save Our Planet: The Facts by Professor Mark Maslin
An important book for anyone who wants to learn more about the climate emergency and what action we can take. Professor Mark Maslin has the key facts that we need to protect our future. Global awareness of climate change is growing rapidly and science has proven that our planet and species are facing a massive environmental crisis. How to Save Our Planet is a call to action, guaranteed to equip everyone with the knowledge needed to make change.
Read, watch, learn and be informed
We encourage you to explore the collection and learn for yourself about the climate emergency the world is facing. You can also recommend to us a resource which you think should be part of the Climate Emergency Collection, you can do so by filling in this form.
And finally, as Professor Mark Maslin said to us when he visited: