This module serves to develop academic study skills with particular emphasis on confidence-building, enabling you to act as an independent learner. A focus on academic writing skills ensures that students make the most of their potential: particularly those returning to education after some years, or studying at a UK university for the first time. It provides practice in academic skills such as referencing and strategies for avoiding plagiarism, report writing, critical thinking, synthesis, constructing persuasive, reasoned arguments and searching for relevant information to use in written submissions. Formal and informal presentation skills are also addressed, plus techniques for getting the most out of lectures, seminars and tutorials.