Study skills hub

Spreadsheets basics

Tuesday 13 October 2026 1pm - 3pm

Organiser: Digital Skills & Creativity Lab
Location: online
Open to: Everyone

Spreadsheets are tools designed to store, analyse and manipulate data. They are commonly used for working with sets of data containing both text and numbers, and for generating graphs and charts. This online workshop will take you through the first principles of working with data in spreadsheets - whether Google or Excel - including:

• understanding the parts of a spreadsheet;
• entering, editing, and formatting data;
• performing calculations;
• using basic functions.

The workshop will also serve as a primer for our five-week-long Essential Spreadsheets training course.

Come along and really start to get to grips with data.

Essential Spreadsheets: a Practical Guide

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Beginners Guide to Quantitative Data Analysis

Tuesday 13 October 2026 2pm - 3.30pm

Organiser: Academic Skills
Location: online
Open to: Everyone

This beginner-friendly workshop is designed for those who are collecting or working with quantitative data. We'll guide you through the essential steps of planning your data analysis - from clarifying research questions and identifying variable types, to selecting the most appropriate statistical tests. Whether you're just starting your project or preparing to analyse your dataset, this session will help you build confidence, avoid common mistakes, and make informed decisions about your analysis. No prior statistics knowledge is required.

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Note-making for Reading: What It Is and How to Do It

Tuesday 13 October 2026 2pm - 3.30pm

Organiser: Academic Skills
Location: online
Open to: Everyone

It is important that both reading and note-making are done with a clear purpose. This workshop will introduce a number of different note-making systems/methods and show how these can be used effectively as a bridge between academic reading and writing. Please find related online resources here: https://subjectguides.york.ac.uk/skills/reading

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AI and your future career

Wednesday 14 October 2026 1pm - 2pm

Organiser: Digital Skills & Creativity Lab
Location: online
Open to: Everyone

There has been a lot of talk recently about generative AI (artificial intelligence) and how it might transform our lives. In this session we will take a look at how AI might impact your career. We will offer an introductory overview on the effect AI tools are having on workplace recruitment and selection, and we’ll consider the employer perspective on the use of generative AI. This session will be particularly useful for taught students but is open to anyone at the University.

Skills Guide: Generative AI

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Confidence to Speak and Listen (COSAL)

Wednesday 14 October 2026 1.30pm - 3.15pm

Organiser: Academic Skills
Location: LFA/144 Academic Skills workshop room (Harry Fairhurst Building, Campus West)
Open to: Everyone

Confidence to Speak and Listen workshops are open to all. They give you the chance to get to know others from different disciplines and to practise communicating. Each time we meet we engage in interactive activities involving your voice, your body and your ears! We discuss confidence from perspectives of both speaker and listener and identify communication strategies to take away and apply in different contexts. To get maximum benefit and build your confidence incrementally, we recommend coming to more than one workshop. These interactive sessions are not recorded. The content is different each time, as it is built by you on the day. Slides are not available.

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Clay, but digital: Intro to 3D modelling

Wednesday 14 October 2026 2pm - 3.30pm

Organiser: Digital Skills & Creativity Lab
Location: online
Open to: Everyone

Let's explore the world of 3D models. In this introductory online session, we'll quickly share our top tips for getting started with designing and creating a 3D model from scratch. We'll try out out a few tools that let us manipulate a shape, like sculping clay.

Open for everyone, we'll get practical with some easy-to-use free tools to help you get started with modelling your own creations. 3D models are great for 3D printing, using in a virtual environment and sharing ideas. They are also an interesting way to help explain a topic or engage people with your work. Feel free to come along with an idea of your own!

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Creating Google Forms

Thursday 15 October 2026 1pm - 2pm

Organiser: Digital Skills & Creativity Lab
Location: online
Open to: Everyone

Our Bitesize training session on Google Forms will help guide you through the essentials of creating sleek and effective online surveys. Whether you are brand new to Forms or just looking for a refresher, this session will give you the confidence to craft user-friendly forms with ease!

We will explore topics including:

• Google Form basics
• Implementing conditional survey logic
• Sharing and sending your form securely
• Real-time data analysis features
• Navigating advanced form settings

Data: Gathering data

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Academic Reading: What It Is and How to Do It

Friday 16 October 2026 10.30am - 12pm

Organiser: Academic Skills
Location: online
Open to: Everyone

Learning to read academic texts more effectively, by reading actively, critically, and purposefully, is the focus of this session. You will also learn strategies to reduce the time you spend reading. Please find related online resources here: https://subjectguides.york.ac.uk/skills/reading

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Using AI in Statistics

Friday 16 October 2026 11am - 12pm

Organiser: Academic Skills
Location: online
Open to: Everyone

Generative AI is increasingly becoming part of the research landscape, offering new ways to support statistical analysis and working with research data. This session considers how AI tools can be used effectively across different aspects of the research process. We will also discuss the limitations of AI-generated results, including considering accuracy, reliability, and the need to question and verify outputs rather than accepting them at face value.

The session will also cover the university’s expectations and guidance around AI use, ensuring responsible practice when incorporating these tools into research and statistical analysis.

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Slicing models to 3D print with Bambu Studio

Friday 16 October 2026 1pm - 2pm

Organiser: Digital Skills & Creativity Lab
Location: online
Open to: Everyone

Slicing is the process of turning a digital 3D model into instructions for a 3D printer. In this session we'll look at the practicalities of how to slice models using Bambu Studio — the software that's used with our Bambu Labs 3D printers in YorCreate. We'll look at how to slice for those printers, and we'll also offer some tips and tricks for getting the best out of your 3D prints.

This session is open to all members of the University, but if you want to try 3D printing using the printers in YorCreate you'll also need to come along to a separate induction.

Skills Guides: YorCreate

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Using Academic Sentences

Monday 19 October 2026 12pm - 1.30pm

Organiser: Academic Skills
Location: online
Open to: Everyone

Academic writing requires a variety of sentence structures to communicate clearly and engage the reader. This workshop will provide you with a range of useful sentence types that you can start using in your own academic writing. Please find related online resources here:https://subjectguides.york.ac.uk/academic-writing/

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Time Management

Monday 19 October 2026 2pm - 3.30pm

Organiser: Academic Skills
Location: online
Open to: Everyone

In this workshop we share tips and tools for organising yourself to enable you to make the best use of time available.

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Choosing the Right Statistical Software for You

Tuesday 20 October 2026 2pm - 3pm

Organiser: Academic Skills
Location: online
Open to: Everyone

This session is designed for those who are unsure which statistical software best suits their research needs. We'll provide a clear, practical comparison of SPSS, R, and Stata, covering core features, accessibility, and pros and cons of each. Whether you're just getting started or considering switching tools, this workshop will help you make an informed choice based on your skills, project type, and long-term goals. We’ll also share helpful resources for getting started with each platform.

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