SSL - Communication Skills for University Success

What is academic culture?

• Clothes and other paraphernalia with the university’s logo printed on them

• The types of food available on campus.

• The beliefs, principles and approaches to study, work and life that a university upholds.

How long does it take to master communication skills?

• 5 years

• 1 year

• Your whole life.

• 2-3 years

What are two ways to stay motivated?

• Always study by yourself to avoid distraction.

• Vary where you study every day to maintain interest.

• Have long-term and short-term goals, and reflect back on them.

• Create a study timetable based on the best time of day for you to study.

How are critical thinking and communication linked? Check two options.

• Communication is necessary to engage in questioning, which is central to critical thinking and academic culture in general.

• Communication is needed to form an argument, and thus display critical thinking.

• Communication is critical to thinking.

• You need to be able to communicate in order to criticise others.

Why are communication skills important at university?

Check two options.

• So that you can communicate effectively with administrative staff if you have any problems.

• Because communication forms a relationship between people and also with bodies of knowledge.

• Because communication skills are necessary for online communication in the 21st century.

• Because good ideas are not much use unless you can communicate it.

"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence." - David Hume

What quality of academic culture does this relate to? Check one option.

• The importance of independent learning.

• The use of research to produce knowledge.

• The need for proof to support opinions.

• The contingent nature of academic knowledge.

What advice do the students give for communicating effectively at university? Check two options.

• a. Refer to your work experience when communicating at university.

• b. Attend orientation week.

• c. Follow up emails with spoken conversations.

• d. Attend talks.

What are two things you can do to participate actively in tutorials?

Check two options.

• a. Bring questions from the lectures.

• b. Speak as much as possible.

• c. Keep up with the other parts of your course.

• d. Talk about what you’re doing on the weekend.

What suggestions do the students make about how to find out what is expected of you from an assignment?

Check two options.

• Email administrative staff with the faculty.

• Make an appointment to meet with a lecturer or tutor.

• Asking your friends from high school.

• Check the unit of study outline.