The way you organize your lecture or study notes can make the difference between stressing at exam time or actually having a system that makes studying easier. I’ve used the same organization method for my undergrad, my PhD, and now… Read More »How to Organize Study Notes (So They Actually Help at Exam Time)
Every essay introduction needs four parts if you want full marks: a clear topic sentence, a little background, a thesis statement, and signpost sentences. That’s it. The topic sentence introduces your essay, the background gives a little context, the thesis… Read More »4 Key Parts Every Essay Introduction Needs (With Examples)
More than 50% of people struggle to focus or concentrate. So if you’re finding it hard to sit down and actually study, trust me, you’re not alone. Focus doesn’t come easily, it’s a skill that takes practice. You’ve probably already… Read More »6 Proven Strategies to Stay Focused While Studying
You’ll never be accused of plagiarism if you know both when to cite and the few times you don’t have to. Most of us already know it’s important to cite when we use other peoples ideas, words or data. But… Read More »When To Cite (And When Not To)
Academic writing doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, if you want better grades, then your essay, report and review writing needs to be clear and simple. That means cutting out all the fluff words and avoiding the overly complicated… Read More »The Dos and Don’ts of Academic Writing (With Examples)
I tested ChatGPT 3.5 and 4 (edit: and now version 5) more than 20 times, and not once could it get a single reference correct. As a lecturer, I can tell you that references are the number one way we… Read More »How Lecturers Know You Used ChatGPT
After more than 500 hours of taking lecture notes (and now as a lecturer myself), here’s what I’ve learned about taking notes by hand vs on a computer. Including why the method you choose will set you up for easy… Read More »Note Taking By Hand vs Computer
If you’re using HECS‑HELP, FEE‑HELP, SA‑HELP, or OS‑HELP, you’re legally issued a Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) each study period. This looks like a bill, but I promise it’s not. A Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) is your official record of what… Read More »Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) Explained
As a researcher and lecturer, I’ve seen so many students struggle to write good literature reviews because they end up just summarizing articles instead of critically analyzing them. But there’s one simple step that makes writing literature reviews so much… Read More »How To Write An Exceptional Literature Review In One Step
The hardest part about writing a literature review is learning how to synthesize the research instead of just summarizing it. A summary is where you take what you read, and reduce it down in size into your own words, highlighting what… Read More »How To Synthesize (Not Just Summarize) In Your Literature Review