Memory
Most people only use a tiny fraction of their brain power. Learn techniques to help you transfer all that course work information into your long term memory, along with the strategies you’ll need to retrieve the information when you most need it.
The Learning Commons and its partners offer a variety of workshops to help students with their academic work and career planning. Check out the calendar for an up-to-date schedule of offerings. Below are examples of popular workshops.
Some Popular Workshops
Library Workshops
Finding Data & Statistics in the Social Sciences
How to find data and statistics for your research, both from Statistics Canada and other sources. Both aggregate statistics and microdata, especially the confidential microdata available to you via the Research Data Centre (RDC) here on campus, will be discussed.
Getting Started at York U Libraries
Attend this short orientation to York University Libraries to learn how the library can help you with your academic studies. We will provide an overview of the libraries, how to navigate the library website to find books & articles, where to get research help, book group study rooms and more! Invest some time with us now to be more efficient during the school year.
Finding Scholarly Sources
Learn how to find scholarly books and articles more efficiently than Google! We will be navigating the library catalogue and article databases in this hands-on workshop.
Cite it Right!
Frustrated with citations? Take this workshop to learn how to cite properly. We will explore tools and offer tips to make citations less of a chore!
Avoiding Plagiarism and Maintaining Academic Integrity
The purpose of this workshop is to help students:
- Understand what Academic Integrity is
- Avoid plagiarism when writing and completing assignments
- Work with integrity by properly citing your sources and finish your work unaided
- Understand differences between collaboration (group work) and collusion
- Understand how working with integrity helps you beyond your academic work
- Understand differences between plagiarism and copyright infringement
We will also review York University’s Policy on Academic Honesty. There will be in-class quizzes and discussions based on case studies, with a focus on the Academic Integrity Module in SPARK.
Zotero 101
Learn how to quickly and painlessly organize your research in this introductory hands-on workshop.
Writing Workshops
How to Develop a Thesis
This session will help you get a good start on your essays. Learn how to develop an effective thesis statement that tells the reader where you are headed.
Essay Writing: A Review of the Basics
What is the purpose of an introduction? What should you put in your conclusion? How can you use evidence to effectively support your arguments? What does your TA mean when she says your thesis is “unclear”? What does a “clear” thesis look like? This workshop will cover common questions such as these to help demystify the academic writing process.
Effective Editing
Do you lose precious essay marks due to grammatical and stylistic errors? Learn to analyze your work logically and systematically to improve the quality of all your academic assignments. You will learn to assess content, correct common errors and proofread for accuracy. This is a hands-on workshop, so if you have a writing sample, bring it to the session and be ready to use what you learn right away.
Learning Skills Workshops
Time Management
Where does the time go? Are you having trouble balancing school, work and life? How much study time is enough? Learn practical, personalized approaches to managing your time that work for you.
Exam Prep
Multiple choice, short answer, calculations or essay style – which exam format is your personal nemesis? Whatever the format, and whether it’s midterms or finals, if you could use some help in preparing for exams then this workshop is for you.
Reading & Note-taking
Many students find keeping up with the readings and lecture notes at university to be a real challenge. Learn more effective reading and note-taking techniques to help you stay on top of your course work.
Career Centre Workshops
Getting Started: What Can I Do With My Degree?
Are you wondering how your degree may relate to your career direction? This introductory workshop provides an overview of career exploration and is an important starting point for Career Exploration workshops. Learn how the skills you are developing in your degree and the experiences you are gaining help build a foundation for your future. Identify resources for exploring possible career options.
Selecting a Post-Grad Program
Choosing where to continue your education is a critical element in ensuring it is a positive step forward. Learn about resources and strategies for selecting a post graduate program that fits best with your expectations, interests and resources.
Organizing Your Post-Grad Application
Learn about common elements required in many application packages and get tips on how to make sure yours is as competitive as possible.