Guidance is given on how to make the most of these sessions. Fellow students are a good source of advice and support, and some units require you to work in a group. An essential element of any degree, however, is independent learning. With support from your personal tutor, you devise a personal strategy to organise your studies, ensure you keep up with unit reading, and complete assessments on time. Assessment is through a mixture of coursework and examination.
Coursework can be a written essay, small project, computer exercise, poster or oral presentation.
Examinations typically last just over two hours during which you answer questions based upon the content of the unit. Previous examination papers and advice on revision are provided. Many techniques and ways of thinking you develop during your studies will be of great value beyond university. Transferable skills stay with you into future career and life situations. Each unit entails acquiring some transferable skills, including computer proficiency - you are trained to use word processing, spreadsheet, statistical and specialised demographic software.