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Module Convenor: Tom Simpson & Rebecca Stone

This non-credit bearing compulsory module introduces first year students based in the Department of History to a range of core skills relevant to their undergraduate degree. Throughout this module students will be instructed in research, writing and communication skills alongside indirect skills relevant to success such as safeguarding wellbeing and career planning.

The module aims to ensure that students are fully prepared to achieve success throughout the course of the degree. It introduces the core principles of research, writing and assessment, ensuring understanding both of basic tenets and transitional expertise. This module will also support success indirectly by encouraging students to take a holistic view of their university experience and consider their skills beyond the classroom. By the end of the module students will be well-prepared to tackle the requirements of the remainder of the degree, and will have been given the tools to monitor and enhance their own learning process as the programme progresses.

 

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Identify credible sources for research and utilise library resources
• Structure academic writing, develop an individual voice, and write for alternative audiences
• Enhance seminar contribution through effective reading, note-taking and confidence
• Understand and demonstrate confidence in written and oral communication
• Succeed in various forms of assessments beyond traditional exams and essays
• Understand and maintain academic integrity in all work
• Maintain strategies to safeguard mental and physical wellbeing at university
• Develop skills to manage the learner journey effectively, including setting goals and reflecting on progress
• Successfully connect academic learning with future planning

 

Syllabus 2026-27

	1. Overview and essentials
Block 1: Reading, talking, and citing	2. Seminars: how to read and discuss academic texts
	3. Referencing part 1: taking notes
	4. Referencing part 2: footnotes and bibliography
Block 2: Sources	5. Using the library: finding sources
	6. Reading week
	7. What to do with secondary sources
	8. What to do with primary sources
Block 3: Writing	9. Interpreting essay questions
	10. Structuring an essay
	11. Writing an introduction
	12. Writing the main body
Block 4: Expanding your range	13. Non-traditional assessments
	14. Communicating to diverse audiences
	15. Historians’ skills and employability
	16: Reading week
Block 5: Wellbeing	17. Handling difficult material
	18. Responding to setbacks
Block 6: Responding to feedback	19. Interpreting feedback
	20. Making changes to your work
Block 7: Looking ahead	21. What to expect in Second Year
	22. Being proactive about your career

Assignments

• 300 word reflective piece (20%)
• Curriculum Vitae (30%)
• 750 word reflective piece (50%)