Academic support

As a student at Massey University, you have access to a wide range of study support services and resources that are designed to help you enhance your academic skills at all levels of study.

These can be sourced from:

• Our Academic Advice Service - for advice in selecting and planning programmes and courses.
• One-to-one support - an appointment with a Learning Consultant.
• The Assignment Pre-reading Service - free service for distance and first-year internal students which offers them an opportunity to submit their draft assignments to consultants for review and advice.
• Writing Consultants in the library - ask a question or get feedback on an assignment.
• Workshops and seminars – sessions to help you develop your academic skills. Available to internal and distance students.
• Electronic resources - learning resources you can view online.
• Stream – located on Massey’s virtual learning environment, you can ask short questions or access the Assignment Pre-reading Service.
• Printed resources – information that you can download for free, or alternatively, visit a campus to pick up resources.

Academic Advice

Academic Advice is a service for prospective and current Massey students seeking assistance in selecting and planning programmes and courses.

Our staff are committed to providing you with expert programme information and advice that will assist you to make informed decisions to enable you to enrol in the programme of study where you are most likely to succeed.

One-to-one support

In order to help you study more effectively and develop key academic skills that enable you to write well written assignments, you can book an appointment to talk with a Learning Consultant. This is an opportunity for you to explore your approach to your assignment and discover ways of meeting your writing goals.

Do any of the following apply to you?

• Wondering if you have provided a logically developed argument in your assignment.
• You want to know how to interpret an assignment question.
• Feeling a little confused as to why you get marked down for the analysis of your assignments.
• Feeling overwhelmed with study, work, family and social commitments.
• Rushing to get assignments done.
• Wanting to know how you can study more efficiently for examinations.
• Struggling to integrate ideas in to your literature review.
• Wanting to express ‘your voice’ more clearly in your assignment.

If you answered yes to any of the above, please book an appointment with a consultant. 

Assignment Pre-reading Service

The Assignment Pre-reading Service is a service for all distance students and first year internal students. Students can submit a draft assignment and a Learning Consultant will look over the work to ensure that the appropriate academic guidelines have been followed by providing feedback on structure and focus, style and presentation, sources and referencing. 

Writing Consultants in the Library

Writing Consultants are available during semesters one and two to answer your questions about academic writing and study skills. They can also give you feedback on your assignment's structure, focus, paragraph structure, flow, presentation, use of sources, and referencing.

You can book an appointment with a Writing Consultant, or visit them at the library on one of the following campuses:

Auckland campus

You can drop in and see a Writing Consultant (no appointment needed). You will find them on Level 1 of the library at the service desk.

Palmerston North campus

You can drop in and see a Writing Consultant (no appointment needed). You will find them on Level 1 of the Manawatū library (turn right as you go in the main entrance).

Workshops and seminars

There are a variety of workshops and seminars to help you develop your academic writing and study skills. 

Electronic resources

We have a wealth of academic support resources available online which all Massey University students are welcome to utilise. Materials have been developed by experts and are designed to enhance your academic skills. You can also learn of useful strategies to help you with your time management, note taking and memory skills.

OWLL (Online Writing and Learning Link)

OWLL contains detailed information, interactive content, and online workshops on essay and report writing, referencing, study techniques, computer skills, and more. Some key features include APA Interactive, which makes APA referencing easy, and the Assignment Planning Calculator which creates a custom timeline for planning, researching and writing an assignment.

Maths First

The Maths First website is designed to promote individual learning in mathematics and is committed to helping you achieve success in your studies. You’ll find resources, exercises and quizzes on several topics including arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry and calculus. If you’re studying maths, you’ll also find a number of other resources to assist you in making course choices.

Video resources

A range of video resources are available to you in the Resources for Students playlist of Massey University’s YouTube channel (http://www.tinyurl.com/ctlvideos2014).

Stream

Simply log in to Stream and locate the course "Academic Writing and Learning Support". You will be able to access the Academic Q and A Service, where you can ask questions about academic issues relating to study and assignment writing skills, and the Assignment Pre-reading Service.

Printed resources

A range of information sheets are available from the Centre for Teaching and Learning. You will find most of this information, as well as the Academic Writing Guideline Book, in the Online Writing and Learning Link web pages and can be downloaded for free.

Page authorised by Student Services Directorate
Last updated on Monday 20 April 2020