In the latest blog from our Student Perspectives series the Student Advocates provide top tips for preparing for December assessments.
1. Think about how you’re being assessed
Around exam time, it’s very easy to get so caught up in trying to learn the content that you forget to check how the exam is formatted and what exactly is expected. Don’t forget to check mark schemes, timings and past papers. Consider:
How many questions are there?
Is there an opportunity to choose from a list of questions? If so in-depth knowledge of certain areas will be more beneficial than a surface-level understanding of all of them.
How much time do I have in total?
How long is advisable to spend on each section?
What knowledge or skills are they looking for?
Whilst these considerations are easily overlooked, having definite answers to these questions will make you feel much more centred and prepared come the big day.
Rachel Shortall, English and Philosophy, Year 2
2. Create an effective study routine
First, create a revision schedule, which will help you to stay organized and focused. For example, I block out time on my calendar to revise specific topics and include dedicated break times.
Secondly, set up a good study environment. Our external environment can affect our revision efficiency significantly. Here are some important considerations when setting up our study environment:
Have a natural light source.
Remove distractions from the dedicated workspace.
Noise control using ear plugs or white noises or calming music.
Have a comfortable chair.
Finally, buddy up!Joining revision groups or revising with friends can really help to maintain motivation.
Emma Lau, Veterinary Science, BVSc5
3. Be aware of your units’ Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
Focus on the Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) of your units to identify the skills and knowledge that you’re being assessed on. Based on the ILOs set yourself some questions similar to the exam format to test yourself on that particular topic. If you are not familiar with that topic, go over it again and try to recall it after a certain period.
Adrian Tung, Biomedical Sciences, Year 2
4. Give yourself a break
Make sure to schedule regular breaks during study sessions. Stepping away from your work (even for just 10 minutes) can help clear your mind and reduce stress.
Go for a short walk, have a snack, or listen to music to reset before going back to your revision.
Maansi Gupta, Economics Year 3
5. Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Meeting and talking to the right people often helps to solve my problems or, at least, makes me feel less stressful. There are lots of people you can go to:
If you have questions regarding your subject see if you can schedule a meeting with your lecturers. Most of them have weekly office hours where they meet with students who need help. If you have a mentor or supervisor, you can also contact them.
For Study Skills support you can come to our drop-ins at the Study Skills Hub in Senate Houseto talk about anything related to study skills, time management, assessment preparation, etc.
Jiamiao Chen, English Lit, PhD
If you’d like any more support with preparing for assessments then check out our online resources, drop-ins, tutorials and workshops – all available via the Study Skills webpage.
As we settle down into the new academic year our Student Advocates give their top tips for studying at university. For more study skills support from our advocates come and talk to them at our drop-ins at the Study Skills Hub in Senate House.
Upgrade to University
Emma Lau
The most significant difference I noticed between school and university is the increased autonomy in how we study. Unlike in school, we have access to options like Re/Play and Livestream, which allow for more flexible learning. This independence necessitates stronger time management skills, as the responsibility for our learning falls more heavily on us.
– Emma Lau, Veterinary Science, Year 5.
Perhaps the biggest difference in comparing university to A-levels is having much more freedom – both time-wise and content-wise – and this can be both exciting and daunting. In my experience the Arts and Humanities courses give a lot of information on broad topics within your subject, and you can choose to investigate things more or less depending on how interesting you find them. One of my top tips would be to check well in advance when your assessments are and how you are being examined, because at university it is up to you to structure your learning around your own interests and what you think will help you excel in your assessments.
– Rachel Shortall, English and Philosophy, Year 2.
At the start of each unit or topic you’ll be given Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs). These tell you what you’re expected to learn. I found it helpful to revisit them when reviewing for exams or assignments. If you can tick off the ILOs, you’re on the right track. Each unit at university can also have a different approach to learning, as each one will have different learning outcomes. Some may provide asynchronous videos for you to watch before attending lectures, while others might require you to complete problem sheets in advance. Stay flexible, and adjust your study habits accordingly.
– Yifan Qiao, Aerospace Engineering, Year 4
For more help on transitioning to studying at university level see our Upgrade to University online resource.
Managing your time
Eliana Garcia Bustos
During my first year, I used Trello to create a structured weekly schedule that helped me to prioritize tasks by focusing on what was most important and urgent, set reminders for upcoming deadlines, and create detailed to-do lists to track my progress. I color-coded tasks based on their urgency and subject, making it easy to see what needed immediate attention. Aditionally, I applied the Pomodoro Technique, where I studied for a set amount of time followed by a short break.
– Eliana Garcia, Mechanical and electrical Engineering, Year 3
Keep track of deadlines and obligations with a to-do list! Whether you prefer a physical list or an app like Things 3 (my personal favourite), writing things down is key. As soon as you become aware of a deadline or other task coming up, jot it down into your to-do list. Then, once you have a moment, make a plan for when and how you’re going to tackle it. If you make this a habit you will be sure to stay on top of all of your deadlines.
– Josh Perry, Physics, Year 4
Maansi Gupta
Break tasks into smaller goals and set deadlines. I used to procrastinate when faced with long essays because I felt like I had to sit down and write the whole thing in one go, which seemed impossible. So I started breaking it down into daily goals that fit into my routine. On day one, I might spend 30 minutes gathering sources and skimming them for useful quotes. The next day, I’d dedicate an hour to outlining the essay and drafting a plan. By day three, I’d aim to write just 300–500 words at a time. Taking it step by step not only made the process feel less overwhelming but also gave me the satisfaction of ticking off smaller accomplishments throughout the week.
– Maansi Gupta, Economics, Year 3
For more tips on managing your time check out our Time Management online resource.
Taking notes
Dylan Webster-Deakin
Particularly in first year note taking can be very much a ‘trial and error’ process. You may take too many or too few, or note down something you believe to be super important which then turns out to be useless, so my first tip is: don’t worry if you get it wrong. Like with a lot of things at uni, with time you’ll figure out what works for you.
My second tip is to always think ‘how am I being assessed in this module? What will the essay or exam be on?’ and then identify what information is necessary for this assessment.
– Dylan Webster-Deakin, French and Italian, Year 4
I would suggest using first year to try out different methods of note-taking and studying to find a good routine that works for you. As most students like to take notes and study digitally, there are numerous apps and sites that are available to try. Examples that I often hear about or have used include Goodnotes, Notion, Anki and OneNote. The best way to find what works for you is to try them out, and if it isn’t working don’t be afraid to change it up and try another, or use a combination of methods.
– Ana Maria FB, Veterinary Science (BVSc1)
Shraddha Sriraman
OneNote has been amazing to have different tabs for each module – it’s done wonders for my organisation! I’d also say having a Notes section on your phone with a ‘plan of the day’ makes it much easier to structure your time. For those with closed-book exams, active recall is your best friend! Lots of people use flashcard apps, e.g. Quizlet or Anki to continually review high-yield content from previous lectures and keep that information fresh in your mind.
– Shraddha Sriraman, Medicine, Year 4
Personally, I found both OneNote and Notion useful for digital note taking. However, different people may prefer different applications. Therefore, I recommend considering the following factors when picking your note taking tool:
Compatibility: Ensure the tool integrates well with the university’s systems (e.g., syncs with Outlook).
User Interface: Choose a tool with a layout and design that appeals to you and is easy to navigate.
Features: Look for features that match your needs, such as task prioritization, reminders, or progress tracking.
Accessibility: Consider whether you need access across multiple devices (computer, phone, tablet).
Learning Curve: Evaluate how much time you’re willing to invest in learning a new system.
Study with a buddy! Having a study buddy not only makes learning more fun, but it can also be helpful for group assessments, which are more common in uni. Collaborating with others can deepen your understanding and give you new perspectives on the material.
– Yifan Qiao, Aerospace Engineering, Year 4
Create a structured system, such as a mind map, to understand the interconnectedness of your units. Branch out core concepts and methods for each unit and identify the overlaps with other units. Use the map as a study tool – always ask how new concepts relate to others, link the theory and the data, and see the big picture.
– Dana Gutu, Economics, Year 3
Take a good rest when you are tired and don’t feel guilty; I have experiences staying up late until 2am or 3am, and that makes me work less effectively in the long run. When you feel really tired it is important to go to sleep and tell yourself “tomorrow is another day”. It’s easier for you to follow your plan and manage your time effectively when you feel energetic.
– Jiamiao Chen, Department of English, Year 4
Ryan Lam
Think about your lifestyle. What are you eating? When do you exercise? How much do you sleep? While this might not be related to studying at first glance, I often find a day not as productive as usual only because I stayed up too late the day before.
Being mindful of your lifestyle could be helpful when you feel like you are struggling with studying. Hitting the gym might tire you out immediately after, but you might find yourself more energetic to start work the next day! So in general, I would encourage others to keep up with your life as well as your studies.
– Ryan Lam, Mathematics, PhD
For more study skills support visit our website to access online resources, drop-in sessions, one-to-one tutorials and workshops.
In this post Student Advocate Shraddha Sriraman (Medicine) reflects on her experience of clinical years, and offers 10 top tips for making the most of the opportunities available.
1. Know what’s expected of you
Check your portfolio requirements and try and plan exactly how you’re going to achieve these goals, e.g. getting 2 histories a week to keep you on track to meet your targets. Planning this out in my first week helped me figure out exactly what needed to be done.
2. You’re not expected to know everything
Coming to placement can feel a little daunting, especially after a couple of years of lectures. It can be tricky to put the content from Year 1 and 2 into real-life, but you’ll definitely get used to it in time! Everyone’s first couple of histories can be a bit rusty (I look back on mine and laugh at the quality). The goal is to show progress in your clinical skills throughout the year and in time you’ll gradually become more confident in your aptitude.
3. Use Online Resources
Online resources can be incredibly valuable when there’s no more structured lectures to support your learning. For medics Passmedicine and Quesmed are valuable resources to emulate the exam situation, with tens of thousands of multiple-choice questions and mock tests.
4. Practice OSCEs
Practice, practice, practice! I was incredibly nervous with my OSCE skills at first, but roleplaying uncomfortable scenarios with you friends or family is honestly the best way to practice your skills. I worked in a group of 3, with one as the examiner, patient and student, and found this worked pretty well. Make sure that the examiner is as strict as possible, as that’s the best way to learn what the mark schemes are looking for. For the medics: Geeky Medics have several free OSCE checklists for a range of stations which were quite helpful!
There’s no better experience than talking to patients on real wards, so definitely make the use of it when you can.
5. The majority of patients enjoy talking to you
When I started, I was quite nervous about chatting to patients. After I got into the groove of it, a lot of the patients really enjoyed having a chance to talk to someone. You often have more time to spend with patients than other staff have, so it’s also really useful to the doctors when you present – you might’ve found something they’d missed!
6. Always have a pen on you
Or even 2 pens. You may find that some get (inadvertantly) taken by doctors if left lying about!
7. Practice the entire examination as often as you can on wards
Getting used to rehearsing it makes it stick much better in time for OSCEs. Patients are great to practice on so you can get used to giving them instructions and explaining what you’re doing as you go.
8. Get feedback on your histories and exams
I found this really constructive. Practicing at bedside is helpful to get feedback from clinicians on your technique.
9. Share your goals with the doctor
Let the doctor you’re with know what you want to get out of the day at the beginning – they’re more likely to be helpful! For instance, if you need to get 2 clerkings done, a drug chart and a mini-CEX, letting a doctor know makes them much more likely to give you patients to clerk and help you get the most out of your time on placement.
10. If you’re not sure what to do… ask the doctor ‘How can I help?’
In these situations be proactive and show your willingness to assist rather than waiting around with nothing to do.
Do you have any more tips for clinical years, or have questions to ask about the experience? Share them in the comments below.
Welcome to the new academic year at the University of Bristol! We extend our warmest wishes to all students, both new and returning. In this update you can learn about the Study Skills service and how to access our support. If you have any questions, please email study-skills@bristol.ac.uk
What is Study Skills?
The Study Skills team are here to support you with the core skills that underpin studying at university. We can help you with time management and learning independently, with academic writing and essay planning, research projects and dissertations, and a whole lot more. Visit our website or watch the short video below to learn more.
Talk to a Study Skills tutor or Student Advocate
Drop in to see us at the Study Skills Hub on Floor 2 in Senate House – no booking required! We’re open 11am-3pm on weekdays from Welcome Week onwards. Visit our drop-ins information page for the latest timetable. Drop-ins are run by our team of Student Advocates.
For more in-depth support you can book an online or in-person tutorial with a Study Skills tutor. Book a tutorial.
If you have a quick question about study skills you can also post it anonymously to our ‘Ask a question’ Padlet and our team will be very happy to answer it for you.
Discover your Study Skills Mascot
Take our quiz on your study habits to reveal which animal is your personal Study Skills mascot. Will you be the critically-minded owl, the team-working lion, or perhaps the ever-communicative cuttlefish? Once you’ve completed the quiz visit the Study Skills Hub in Senate House to pick up a free bookmark featuring your new Study Skills mascot.
Online resources
Our Study Skills page has a huge range of useful interactive resources covering many different topics. These ones may be particularly helpful to help you make the best possible start to the new academic year:
Our small-group workshops cover a huge range of topics, from managing your time to critical writing and using AI during your studies. Our program for workshops for September and October will be finalized and available to book into soon. Keep an eye on our workshops page to view the latest plans.
Student Advocate Emma Lau (Veterinary Sciences) shares some tips and techniques for preparing for upcoming assessments.
With summer exams approaching, we inevitably start gearing up in preparation for our intense revision in the upcoming revision week! Here I want to share the top 5 tips I have from studying for university exams in the past four years.
A bit about myself: I am a fourth-year student studying veterinary science. As many of you may know, it is quite a content-heavy subject. The following tips may not be as applicable to some of you doing a more applicable subject, such as Mathematics and computer science, or those doing essay subjects, such as History and Psychology. However, I believe there are some transferable skills for revising for exams.
1. Stay flexible to prevent procrastination
This is one of the transferable revision skills regardless of the subject you do. It may sound simple, but if a topic is tedious or not your interest or focus, we may want to procrastinate.
Question: How can I prevent procrastination?
Some people plan their revision schedule a few weeks prior to revision week or even a month before their exam date. I have tried that in previous years. Unfortunately, this method did not work as well for me. My tip will be to stay flexible on the topics to revise. Setting a goal to go through a set number of topics instead of a defined topic works better for me. Mixing around different topics will keep our motivation, maximising our revision efficiency.
2. Use modified Cornell note-taking method
As you may have heard, the Cornell note taking method is known to be an effective way of note taking. I modified this method when I revisited my initial notes to create a summary revision table.
First, I put the relevant Intended Learning Outcome (ILO) on the top of the page. I then organise my notes into two columns – one with questions/ hints and another column with answers. For content that can be organised into a table, I also put a table underneath the ILO.
Here’s an example of my own adapted Cornell-style notes
3. Mind mapping
Mind maps are a great way to perform active recall of taught materials! There are several different applications that I have tried and found useful. Click on each one to view an example of how I use them in practice:
They all have different pros and cons, so have a look at some of my examples to see which app you prefer. If you are looking for collaboration with your friends, only Miro and Padlet will have the function.
4. Use AI for summarisation and incorporate the “Read Aloud” function
Seeing the long list of ILOs can be daunting, making it difficult to find a starting point to condense your notes. I recommend inputting the ILOs into a large language model (LLM), such as Claude or ChatGPT, followed by your notes and ask it to summarize your notes for you. This will provide you with a quick overview of the specific topic.
In addition to that, I would recommend using the “Read Aloud” function to listen to the summarised content. The multisensory learning approach has proven to be a powerful tool to enhance information comprehension and retention. I must admit that I remember way more content in a shorter time frame than I would have otherwise been able to. Therefore, it is definitely worth considering during your last couple of weeks for revision.
Here I use Claude to generate summaries of specific topics based entirely on my own written notes.
However, it is worth noting that the university has a strict copyright policy regarding teaching materials, and you musn’t upload lecture slides or materials created by your lecturer or other people. Therefore, when putting notes onto AI tools, it must be from our own paraphrased notes. In addition, if we do not want the chat to be remembered or used as further AI training data, logging into Microsoft Copilot would be a better alternative than ChatGPT and Claude. The only limitation with Microsoft Copilot is that you are limited to pasting 4000 characters per message.
For more guidance and support on using AI tools for your studies check out the Study Skills team’s Using AI at Universityonline resource.
5. Practice, practice, practice
Lastly, I must emphasise the importance of practice. For subjects with past papers access I recommend doing as many of those as you can. For health science subjects that do not have access to past papers, Peerwise and your own flashcards will be good alternatives. Spaced repetition (regularly returning and reviewing) is key to remembering factual content, while understanding past papers will help set more realistic expectations on the exam format. These allow you to be more confident and calmer on exam dates.
That’s my five top tips for when revising during the revision week. If you want to try out any of the mentioned tools above and learning about details on how to access it, you can find more information on this page. Hope you have found this blog useful, and best of luck with your exams!
Do you have any revision tips of your own? Share them in comments below!
In this blog post Student Advocate Helen March (History) explores study spaces in the city outside of the University.
The university libraries are a great place to study during term time, but they can get super busy. This can make it a real challenge to get your work done, especially during exam time. Here’s a few suggestions of places you can go when the libraries are full up and you’re struggling to find a place to knuckle down.
1. Bristol Central Library Reading Room
A great place to start with is the central library just off college green. Tucked out the way of the University, the library is really quiet during weekdays and has a beautiful reading room.
Sign up for a free library card and you can have access to their wifi and stay there all day. The staff are really lovely and there’s even a coffee shop on the ground floor!
This Photo by Steve Cadman is licensed under CC BY. https://flic.kr/p/5Jgo4F
2. Clifton Library
Did you know there’s a library in Clifton Village? Neither did I until this year! Tucked between cafes and pubs, the library is small, but generally really quiet. Plus, there’s loads of pubs nearby to grab a quick pint at the end of a long study day.
3. The Cloakroom Cafe
This quirky cafe was once an Edwardian public loo! Located just down the hill from the university, it’s a great place to get your reading done away from the bustle of students trying to find their lectures. Top Tip – The hot chocolate here is amazing!
4. The Botanical Gardens
This Photo by Nick is licensed under CC BY. https://flic.kr/p/fho2Z8
If you live in Stoke Bishop, you might want somewhere a bit closer to you! When I lived up there, I often found it hard to find space in the Hiatt Baker study centre. Instead, why not head over to the Botanical Gardens, (Don’t worry I’m not telling you to try and work in a flower bed!).
They’ve got a lovely cafe hidden round the back of the building, where you can get your work done in a peaceful environment!
5. The Arnolfini
The Arnolfini is primarily an art gallery, but it’s also got a cafe which is great for studying in. Located on the docks, it’s a scenic place to watch boats go by whilst you struggle to work out that problem you just can’t get your head round. Plus, you can take a break to look round some of their amazing exhibits!
Do you have any other suggestions for study spaces beyond the University? Let us know in the comments!
Be part of a dynamic team promoting and delivering Study Skills support and Bristol Futures in the 2024/25 academic year.
As a Bristol Futures Student Advocate you’ll be an ambassador for Study Skills and the other elements of Bristol Futures, promoting them to members of the University and public alike. You’ll also support fellow students by running Study Skills drop-ins and workshops, staffing pop-up stands, attending events and having input into online learning resources and more. You’ll develop skills in organisation, teaching, support, public speaking and team working, all of which will be valuable for your future career development.
We’re looking for applications from any student at the University of Bristol to join our Advocate team for the 2024/25 academic year, whether you’re undergraduate or postgraduate, home or international, as long as you’ll be a registered student in 2024/25. We’ll train you in all the skills you need and work with you throughout the year to ensure you develop and gain the best experience possible from working with us. We are also seeking students with skills in coding to assist at our weekly Coding Clubs.
Bristol Futures is a university-wide initiative which enhances and enriches education at the University of Bristol, ensuring that students have the skills, knowledge and attributes to succeed in their lives at university and beyond. These skills, knowledge and attributes lie within three themes: Innovation and Enterprise, Global Citizenship and Sustainable Futures. For more information visit https://www.bristol.ac.uk/bristol-futures/
Core duties of the Advocate Role:
Act as an ambassador within your faculty to promote Study Skills and Bristol Futures.
Deliver one-to-one peer support sessions to students for Study Skills. These may take the form of drop-in sessions at the Study Skills Hub in Senate House, or peer support in regular study groups.
Facilitate workshops on Study Skills. Workshops may run face-to-face or online.
Advocates with skills in coding may assist with our weekly Coding Clubs.
Attend and assist in organizing promotional activities (such as pop up stands and lecture ‘shout-outs’).
Assist in utilizing social media to promote Bristol Futures’ activities and events.
Assist in gathering feedback from students and academics in your faculty to help develop and shape Study Skills and Bristol Futures.
Meet regularly with your Study Skills faculty tutor.
Work collaboratively with Bristol Futures staff to help develop Bristol Futures events and resources.
Co-create marketing materials and help publicize Bristol Futures.
Additional activities will be required as the role continues to develop.
Benefits of the role:
This is a paid role (see wage details below).
You will be provided with comprehensive training that will equip you with the knowledge and skills to carry out this role. Ongoing training will be provided throughout the duration of your contract as the role develops.
Work experience to enhance your CV i.e. marketing, group-work delivery, time management, leading and influencing.
An opportunity to shape the development of an ambitious, innovative university-wide project.
The source of a reference for future employment / LinkedIn recommendations.
This role can provide evidence that will contribute to the Bristol PLUS Award / Bristol PLUS Outstanding Award. (All team members are encouraged to participate in this award).
Wage:
Advocates are paid a wage of £10.90 per hour. This role attracts a holiday increment of 12.07% per hour (so total paid per hour is £12.21). Workshop delivery (expected to start in the autumn after training) is paid at £17.76ph, (£19.90ph with holiday pay). Wages are paid monthly in arrears via the Temporary Staffing Service (TSS).
Hours / Contract:
Working hours will be discussed at interview, but will range from 0 – 6 hours per week (you will not be expected to work during University holidays or assessment periods)
Training will begin in September 2024 and continue throughout the year. Contracts will begin in September 2024.
Please note that to be eligible for this role you must be a registered student at the University of Bristol in the 2024/25 academic year.
How do you feel about the huge developments in Artificial Intelligence we’ve seen over the past year? Depending on your point of view you may feel excited, overwhelmed, anxious, or all 3 of these things (and perhaps many more) all at once.
Many of us in the study skills team felt precisely these things. We’re particularly aware of the opportunities and challenges that generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Bard and Claude present to students. When used appropriately they have the potential to massively enhance your learning and take your skills in any number of areas to the next level.
But these AI tools can also be used unethically: to write essays or generate code for assessments which students should be creating themselves. We also know that lots of students want to use these tools but don’t know how, or are worried they may inadvertently break the University’s rules. That’s why we’ve put together a guide to help you.
The online resource
Our online resource Using AI at Universityexplores how generative AI works, so you can understand what it’s capable of and what it can’t do. We also set out some of the university rules about using AI for assessments, and explain why these rules will vary from unit to unit. The key principle behind these rules is to consider your own learning – are you using AI in a manner which develops and enhances your skills? Or are you using it in a way which is actually stopping you from gaining some really important skills for your subject?
We hope that the online resource will help you to understand generative AI and how to use it within the university guidelines. However, we also believe that the best way to develop your AI skills is through practice. That’s why we’re running AI playgrounds in November. These are practical sessions where you can experiment with tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Google Bard and more.
In the playgrounds we’ll show you how to how to access these tools and discuss some strategies for using them effectively before giving you some space to play around with them. Our Study Skills tutors and student advocates will be close at hand to assist.
You can view times and dates of our upcoming AI playgrounds and book into them here.
by Helen March, English and History student and Bristol Futures Advocate
Deadline season is looming and along with it comes a myriad of assessments, exams and sometimes even presentations. Delivering presentations at university can often be pretty overwhelming. Most degree programmes will ask you to give at least one during your time at university, and this might be the first time you’ve ever had to speak in public before. This can be quite scary, especially when you are presenting to a large audience or panel. Personally, I found the prospect of communicating my academic ideas incredibly daunting, as it was something I’d never done before.
But it doesn’t have to be daunting! Presentations are a great way to express a level of creativity in an assessment and can often result in really good marks. Below are some helpful tips about public speaking which can help tackle those nerves for your next presentation assessment.
Make a Script or Prompt Cards
It can often help to have some prompts to read from when giving a presentation; nobody is expecting you to remember everything word for word! Whether it’s some flash cards or a word document with your entire script, having something in front of you with the relevant information on will make sure you know what you need to say next. It can prevent you from having a mind blank if you’re worried you’ll panic when you get up in front of everyone.
Eye contact
Having said that, don’t stare at your script too much! It’s important to engage your audience. Although everyone is always encouraged to look people in the eyes when giving presentations this can often be quite difficult to do. It’s also pretty intimidating! Instead, try looking just above people’s heads. It will look like you’re speaking directly at them, but avoid the awkwardness of staring at anyone too much.
Project!
Make sure you are speaking at a good volume. It’s okay to be a bit too loud but make sure you’re not too quiet. As long as everyone can hear you then you should be okay. If you have the opportunity to, it can often help to visit the room you will be presenting in first so you know the size of it, check whether there is a microphone, and can test out how loudly you need to speak.
Practice!
Whether it’s in front of a flat mate, family member or just recording yourself on your phone, practising your presentation before you actually give it can really help. Not only will it make sure you’re familiar with your entire script, but it will improve the communication of your argument and allow you to work out how to pace yourself more easily. It can also help to pick up on anything which you might have missed from your presentation or script when you were putting it together. Practising your script will hopefully mean you’re less reliant on it when it comes to the actual presentation, and your argument will flow more easily.
If you’re still struggling, you can also attend one of our presentation skills workshops, which will give you the opportunity to discuss these skills and try out your public speaking skills.
Have you got any tips for public speaking? Share them below!
Please note: this article was been updated in February 2024 to include details for our latest round of advocate recruitment for the 2024/25 academic year.
We’re recruiting! See this blog post for information about becoming a Bristol Futures Student Advocate for 2024/25. Then read on to find out what we’re looking for in a cover letter, a key part of your job application.
We know job applications and cover letters can be difficult to write. Sometimes the pressure and stress leads people to look for shortcuts. In recent months we’ve seen an increase in people using Artificial Intelligence programmes such as ChatGPT to help them write their University assignments. Some may also be tempted to use these programmes to write their applications and cover letters for jobs like the Bristol Futures Advocate roles.
Let’s take a look at some of the potential weaknesses of cover letters written by AI, and think about what you can do to write a successful application yourself instead.
Cover letters written by AI programs can often be:
Generic: they use similar phrases and sentences, which we then see repeated across multiple cover letters. This results in cover letters which are…
Impersonal: they do not tell us much about you as a candidate and as a person. Why do you really want to apply for this role? What is it about the job that interests you?
Unevidenced: they make claims for possessing skills, abilities and experience but don’t give us real examples or show how you gained them.
Plagiarised: in some instances AI programs copy sentences word for word from the job advert. This leaves an impression of an uncreative and potentially dishonest candidate.
What we look for in successful cover letters:
Good cover letters are personal. They introduce us to you as a candidate and as a person, telling us about what attracted you to this job, and how it aligns with your skills, interests and experience.
They are also evidenced, giving us specific examples of where you have gained experience, and actual evidence for the skills that you possess.
Finally, they are informed: they engage with the themes and elements of Study Skills and Bristol Futures beyond just the summaries given in the job advert. This shows us that you have researched the role: you’ve looked into what we do as a service and what the role entails. Your decision to apply then demonstrates your confidence that you are well suited for the Advocate position.
You can find more guidance on writing good cover letters on this page from the University Careers Service.
What to do if you have submitted an application written by an AI
If you have used an AI program such as ChatGPT to write your cover letter for the Bristol Futures Student Advocate position we strongly urge you to reconsider and potentially resubmit your application. Even if you haven’t used ChatGPT you may find the following steps useful:
First of all review your cover letter and CV and think about the points we’ve listed above. Are you demonstrating to us who you are as a unique individual candidate? Have you provided specific evidence for your skills and experience?
You may then want to revise or rewrite your cover letter to make improvements.
Finally, you are welcome to resubmit your application to us. Please be assured that we will not take this as an admission or indication that you have used AI to write your original application. You will be considered as a candidate on the merit of your latest application alone. We will be accepting applications until 11.59pm on Friday 22 March 2024.
If you have any questions about the Student Advocate role or the application process you can contact us at study-skills@bristol.ac.uk. If you want to further improve your job application skills remember too that the University Careers Service will be very happy to meet with you and provide support.
First, create a revision schedule, which will help you to stay organized and focused. For example, I block out time on my calendar to revise specific topics and include dedicated break times.
Meeting and talking to the right people often helps to solve my problems or, at least, makes me feel less stressful. There are lots of people you can go to:
