Centre for Academic Success - student support
Workshops and tutorials
Within the Centre, our tutors can run workshops and tutorials on a variety of topics, including:
- Academic essay and report writing
- English
- Referencing
- Dissertations
- Presentation skills
- Maths and statistics
- Computing and programming
- Project management
- Study skills
See everything our tutors support
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Tutorials need to be booked online.
Tutorials are held on most week days at the City Centre campus but are also available some days at the City South campus.
Tutorials can be booked up to two weeks in advance - don't wait until the last minute before trying to book a tutorial.
Don't forget: it is possible that the information you are seeking is already in one of our study guides and/or referencing guides; or it may be included in our workshops or general resources.
Tutorial guidelines
One non-technical (Academic Writing or Personal and Professional Development) and one technical (Computing, ICT, Maths, Programming, Project Management or Statistics Advisory) tutorial can be booked each week (if times are available).
Tutorials slots normally last for 30 minutes. For some technical subjects you are allowed to book a double appointment.
If you cannot attend your tutorial: please log in again to the tutorial system, click on your booked tutorial and complete the cancellation form that will appear. Failing this, please email us at success@bcu.ac.uk.
If you do not let us know and miss an appointment, a record will be kept. Repeated failure to attend may affect your ability to book future appointments.
If you want to discuss a written assignment, please print out your work before you come for the tutorial. We recommend that you bring anything from your first draft/ideas to your final copy. Just remember - you need to know which parts of your work you want to focus on and ask questions about in the tutorial. For technical tutorials, please bring your question or data set.
If you book a technical tutorial, please also email details of what you need advice on to the tutor beforehand, if possible.
Bookings are normally one to one but you can bring a maximum of two friends (or classmates) with you to your tutorial.
Please check the location of your tutorial so you don't go to the wrong campus. The exact location of your tutorial will be displayed when you make a booking.
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Curzon: Blue |
City South: Purple |
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Millennium Point: Brown |
Parkside: Green |
What we can cover in the tutorials:
Look at part of your work and make suggestions on, for example, how to improve your academic writing style.
Advise you how to structure your work, use sources and reference correctly.
Give advice on reading techniques, research methods, critical analysis, statistical analysis, etc.
Look at your data and make suggestions about how you could analyse it, and show you a trial analysis so that you learn how to do it for yourself.
What we can't do with you in a tutorial:
Proof-read or edit your work for you.
Comment on the subject matter or explain your topic to you.
Make decisions for you about your data analysis or do your data analysis for you.
Using the online booking system
Make sure you are on the Tutorials booking page (you will need to click the Tutorials tab if you are on the room booking page).
Choose the subject you want help with, e.g. Academic Writing or Maths.
Click on the picture of the calendar to choose your day.
Click "Show Tutorials" to see what's available on that day.
If you can't see a tutor "free" at a suitable time and location, try selecting another date.
After you click on a "free" time - choose the topic you need help with. The exact location of the tutorial will also be displayed. Make a note of this.
It is possible that the specific topic you wanted is not available with that tutor. In this case you should click cancel and try to book with another tutor offering that subject.
Click "confirm" at the bottom of the box. You have now booked your tutorial.
Double check by viewing the Calendar again on that date - it should say "booked for you".
To cancel an appointment: just click on the "booked for you" link and select "cancel my appointment", select your reason for cancelling and click "Confirm". You have now cancelled your appointment. Double check that your slot is cancelled on the Calendar view.
Please let the receptionist know when you have arrived for your appointment.
Email tutorials
We can provide support via email. However, the following restrictions apply:
You must first book a slot with a tutor using email tutorial as the topic, then email your work to the tutor you have booked with. You should receive an email confirming your booking with their email address included.
Your tutor will reply to your email by the end of the day that you booked
Send no more than 1000 words
Remember - the tutor will need time to read, review and type
You need to prepare questions and identify which parts of your work you are concerned about.
Your tutor will only provide 30 minutes of effort on reviewing your work.
Email tutorials should be booked only if you cannot attend in person as they are not as effective as face to face tutorials.
When booking a tutorial slot, once you have selected a subject and a date, and chosen a tutor who is available, have a look in their list of Topics to see whether they offer an Email Tutorial.
If they do: select this topic; further instructions will be provided.
If they don't: look for another slot.
The tutor will allocate the time of this tutorial slot to look at your work and will email you back when they have finished at the address you have provided.
If you have any problems please call the Centre for Academic Success on 0121 331 7685 or email success@bcu.ac.uk.