Student Resources

• Succeeding In Composition
• Using Computers and Internet Resources
• On The Net

Succeeding in Composition

The guidelines and checklists in this section are designed to help you improve your study skills. Why work on study skills? Study skills help us organize our time and give us strategies for approaching new and difficult tasks, thereby reducing our anxiety, improving our work, and making studying and writing more enjoyable.

Take a look at the study tips offered here and choose a couple to try. Don't try to make too many changes at once. If one strategy doesn't work for you, don't be discouraged. Not every study tip works for every student. Test out the ones that appeal to or might work for you. And remember that these suggestions are not set in stone. You can adapt them to fit your needs.

Strategies for Managing Your Time
Juggling courses and extracurricular activities takes a great deal of time and energy. These guidelines for time management can help you keep up with due dates and schedule time for studying and social activities.

Note-taking Strategies
Clear and complete notes are important not only when preparing for an exam but also when researching a topic for an essay. Here you will find a few simple guidelines for choosing information to record, short cuts for quick note-taking, and tips for using your class and research notes.

Strategies for Reading and Analyzing
Reading and analyzing assigned readings can take extra time if you're easily distracted, tired, or unsure of the main points of the reading. The study tips in "Strategies for Reading and Analyzing" can help you minimize your reading time and maximize your retention and reading comprehension.

Interpreting Writing Assignments
To effectively address a writing assignment you must first understand what response is expected. These strategies will help you interpret the language of writing assignments.

Preparing for & Taking Essay Exams
Essay exams aren't reserved for composition courses; they appear on tests in many disciplines. Here you will find strategies for approaching the preparation for and composition of these essays.

Using Computers and Internet Resources

Before computers, writers typed (and retyped) their essays on manual typewriters; copies of their essays were made by typing with graph paper between blank pages, and research consisted of following cross-references in large card catalogues. Now much of our research can be done on the Internet or through electronic databases, and writing and revising with a word processing program allows us to make changes quickly and without the labour of retyping what we have already written.

The following sections are designed to help you master word processing programs and the Internet. Try out our tips for writing on the computer, or explore the many resources for communicating and researching on the Internet. And if you're ready to become a contributing Netizen, you can learn how to create and launch your own Web page.

Canadian Sources for Online Help
Looking for some online writing tips? This section will link you to numerous Canadian sites that feature writing guides for academic writing, research papers, essays, and much more.

Internet Basics
Looking for definitions of Internet resources, such as MOOs and mailing lists? Want tips on how to access or use available Internet services? You'll find these features and links to Internet software programs and Web resources for learning all about the Net.

Internet Search Services
Researching on the Internet can be both fascinating and fun. Learn how to find the information you need, evaluate what you've found, and document your sources in your essays.