Part of the SLC Writing Workout Wednesdays Series. Attend any workshop or the whole series. 

This 50-minute session reviews the top 5 things most useful to know about academic writing. The rest of the session is dedicated to answering your burning questions (no matter how basic or complex) about academic writing and writing in the disciplines. You’ll take away some answers, including where to find more help when you need it!

Have you been asked to write a critical analysis but aren't sure how to approach it? Each discipline has its own requirements, but some common strategies can help. This workshop begins with suggestions for effective reading and summarizing, then covers a range of analytical questions and general techniques to help you transition from summary to critical analysis.

Effective argumentation is a core requirement of many writing assignments across the disciplines. Yet students are often unsure how to write a clear and compelling academic argument. It isn’t the same as arguing with your partner or your parents! In this 50-minute session, learn the particular rules governing academic argument as well as tips for developing and defending a solid argument in your written assignments.

You know you are supposed to avoid plagiarism. And you also know that you need to use evidence in your paper to support your arguments. You just aren't entirely sure how to accomplish both things. This is the workshop for you! 

Come learn how to ethically summarize, quote, and paraphrase from your sources. Sure, this workshop will help you to avoid plagiarism, but more importantly, it will also help you to deepen your understanding of your source materials, and demonstrate that understanding in your own writing. 

This workshop is being offered as part of Academic Integrity Week.

"Too wordy. Redundant. Be concise." If you've ever received these kinds of comments on your papers--or if you just want to take your style to the next level--this workshop is for you! Learn techniques you can use right away to help you pare your prose and write with greater clarity, succinctness, and power. 

Congratulations--you've drafted your paper! What's next? This workshop overviews a technique of revising higher-order concerns, then looking at the finer details of your piece. You'll also learn more about common errors that can trip up even strong writers. 

Do you put off doing schoolwork because it stresses you out, only to find that putting it off has made it even more stressful? Or do you just have trouble tearing yourself away from activities you enjoy more than schoolwork? Either way, come learn some strategies to help you get down to work.

Do you drift off while reading and don’t retain much? Or do you get distracted easily in lectures? You are spending valuable time on these activities so you might as well increase your effectiveness by adopting strategies described in this workshop. 

Professors and TAs often talk about the need to think critically, but few actually explain what critical thinking is or how to do it. We will go through what critical thinking is, and what questions to ask to promote critical thinking, right from the first time you read a piece.  Through activities and resources, you will gain insights that will help you build this crucial skill.

Do you know that public speaking is many people's number one fear? If you, too, feel anxiety having to do presentations, this workshop is for you. In this workshop, participants will experience practical exercises to promote relaxation and confidence in presentations. Participants will also be provided with some directed feedback on a mini-presentation (text provided). Finally, we will consider how we can "use" the nervous energy that can attend public speaking.

Whether your midterms are still coming up, or if you want to recover from disappointing midterm results, this workshop will teach you which study strategies are shown by research to be the most effective, as well as how to manage your time when writing exams and deal with common types of questions:  multiple choice, problem solving, essay and short answer.

To prepare for a paper, presentation or class discussion, you need to strike a good balance between using your sources with academic integrity, and expressing your own perspective based on those sources. Reading strategies, therefore, need to be very different that when you are reading to prepare for a test.  Come to this workshop to learn how to read effectively with this purpose in mind.

This workshop is being offered as part of Academic Integrity Week.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by having to prepare for multiple exams? Have you ever been tempted to look at another student’s work or take a "short cut"? This workshop focuses on helping you manage your study load with integrity. Come learn tips on how to prepare for exams so that you feel confident and ready. 

This workshop is being offered as part of Academic Integrity Week.

Focusing on the period immediately before and during exams, this workshop will touch on preparation and then discuss time management during exams, as well as common types of questions:  multiple choice, problem solving, essay and short answer.

Panicky about deadlines and upcoming exams? Or are you in avoidance mode now and the stress will hit you later? Either way, come learn how to deal with exams ... and with your own worst "crunch time" habits!

Academic Grammar and Writing for Multilingual Learners is a co-curricular course offered by the Student Learning Commons (SLC) and has been carefully designed to help you succeed as a writer and user of English. 

The course combines grammar for meaning-making in academic contexts, critical thinking, and academic writing for university. The syllabus focuses on developing an appropriate academic voice to help you express yourself appropriately in academic writing as a member of the SFU academic community.  The course is not formally graded, but students will complete several reading, writing, and grammar tasks, which will used to provide personalized feedback.

 Open to undergraduate students only.

The required workbook is Grammar for Academic Purposes by Steve Marshall. Students have the option of purchasing the online version ($23.95) or the book ($36.00 at the bookstore).

The Plurilingual Cafe is a weekly workshop facilitated by volunteer peer educators. The goals are to recognize and celebrate the rich plurality of EAL students everyday language practices and interactions. Tasks are designed to support student learning by fostering intercultural awareness among the participants, offering opportunities to learn more about each other’s languages and cultures, and by creating spaces for the use of languages other than English as tools for learning.

Let's Talk! is a weekly workshop that gives students for whom English is an additional language an opportunity outside of class to improve their English conversation skills, learn strategies for academic success, and have fun meeting people.

Participants will develop their conversation and listening skills through a variety of topics, such as stereotypes, slang and idioms, social media, Canadian and global culture, presentation skills, pronunciation, and story-telling.