Improve your writing in 2020!

Following up on the successful launch of our WolfWorks programme in Michaelmas 2019, we are delighted to announce the first-ever WolfWorks Intensive Day on 18 January 2020. This special day of workshops devoted to writing and writing-related skills — for essays, dissertations, social media, grant applications, job letters and more — was designed in response to students' requests for more just this type of help.

Senior Tutor, Susan Larsen, commented:

“I'm hugely grateful to our College Librarian, Meg Westbury, and our Academic Skills Librarian and WolfWorks Coordinator, Laura Jeffrey, for designing such a rich and varied programme. It's wonderful that our Fellows are coming to offer specialised workshops for students in a range of subjects and at all academic stages. To my knowledge no other College has offered such an ambitious programme, and I'm thrilled that Wolfson is once again leading the way in the quality of academic support it offers."

WolfWorks supports the academic and personal development of all Wolfson students, new and continuing. Building on the successful experience of our previous Skills for Academic Success, WolfWorks has doubled the number of termly offerings by introducing a series of workshops tailored to the needs of first-year undergraduates partnered with a more specialised series of workshops, WolfWorks Plus, for advanced undergraduates and postgraduates. These hands-on workshops address key research and writing skills, and help students manage stress or prepare for job interviews.

“WolfWorks has been informed by an extensive Academic Skills Survey, conducted in May 2019, which asked students about their skills needs and how they would like to be supported. We therefore hope to have produced a relevant set of workshops tailored to particular stages of study. We look forward to welcoming many students to our programme throughout the academic year.” Laura Jeffrey, Academic Skills Librarian

Several of the most innovative features in WolfWorks were inspired by Murray Edwards College's Gateway Programme, which has been operating successfully for over ten years. Chief among these are the participation incentives: first-year undergraduates who complete at least eight workshops are eligible to apply for WolfWorks Enrichment Grants of up to £400 to fund an experience during summer 2020. This could be a summer trip, an internship, a volunteer opportunity, a language course, an art project or any other 'enriching' experience. We even offer a session on how to prepare a successful Enrichment Grant application to provide students with application skills they will be able to use for years to come. The programme is also flexible: the WolfWorks Intensive Day allows new undergraduates to accumulate several WolfWorks credits in a single day. You can also gain credits from other WolfWorks-equivalent University workshops including departments, faculties, Mindfulness at Cam, the University Counselling Service or the Careers Service. Laura Jeffrey can help you identify such sources.

WolfWorks for new undergraduates take place on Thursday evenings from 19.00-20.00 in the Chancellor's Centre. Attendees have commented on their improved confidence and keenness to try out new approaches to studying, but also the wider benefits of the workshops: “I chose to attend this training session so I could look into different ways of making the most out of my time as a student at the college and university.”

WolfWorks Plus is for for undergraduates in their second, third or fourth years, Master’s and PhD students, and covers advanced topics including literature searching, reference management, public speaking, job interviews and publishing research. It takes place on Wednesdays 19.00-20.00 in the Chancellor's Centre.