Personal and Academic Skills for Success

• Credit value: 15 credits at Level 4
• Convenor: Chunjia Han
• Tutors: to be confirmed
• Assessment: a 2000-word individual report/essay (100%)

This module will help you understand the nature of studying at undergraduate level, achieve the appropriate levels of academic writing and numeracy for first-year modules, recognise and develop transferable skills for enhancing graduate employability, and start developing good practice in study, as well as continuing professional development.

Indicative module syllabus

Essay writing, including:

• critical thinking and argumentation
• constructing arguments; research skills; Birkbeck resources for effective studying; basic research skills (i.e. reading and literature research)
• interpreting an essay question; developing an essay plan; researching the topic; academic writing conventions
• Harvard referencing and plagiarism; using research materials to develop an argument.

By the end of this module, you will:

• understand the nature of and processes involved in studying at undergraduate level
• develop good practice in academic study and understand the role and importance of digital literacy in the learning process
• develop the ability to build arguments and defend them persuasively in both written and oral forms
• introduce a range of critical thinking skills that will enable you to critically appraise and challenge existing ideas and theories
• develop effective communication and interpersonal skills, including understanding how to work in small teams.