Get Ahead Live Events

September 2023

‘Get Ahead’ is an engaging online platform aimed at giving you the best possible start to university life and study.

Before you start your course in September 2023, we are running a number of online webinars which are open to all new starters.

There is no need to book. You can join any of the following sessions by clicking on the 'Enter live event' tab on the left hand side at the session start time (UK timing).

To access our events:

  1. Go to Blackboard via: https://vle.aston.ac.uk/
  2. Login using your Aston username and password
  3. Select ‘Courses’ from the left-hand menu
  4. Search for, and select, ‘Get Ahead at Aston’
  5. In Get Ahead, select 'Enter Live Events' from the left-hand menu
  6. Then, select the event title from the list. (Access to the event opens 15 minutes before start time).
G1: Tips for Writing at University

This session introduces you to the key features and expectations of academic writing at University. You will develop your knowledge of core assessment criteria which will prepare you for your upcoming studies.

  • Monday 4th September, 12:00 - 13:00
  • Tuesday 12th September, 14:00 - 15:00
G2: Writing at Postgraduate Level

For Masters (MA / MBA / MSc / MEng) students, this session introduces you to the key features and expectations of postgraduate level writing. You will develop your core assessment criteria which will prepare you for your upcoming studies.

  • Monday 4th September, 14:00 - 15:00
  • Tuesday 12th September, 12:00 - 13:00
G3: How to Get the Most Out of Your Lectures

This session will introduce you to the main purposes of both live and recorded lectures and some practical strategies for getting the most from them. Main areas covered:

  • Preparing well for lectures
  • Engaging effectively with lecture content
  • Making useful notes to aid your understanding
  • Creating quick and easy resources to support your revision and exam preparation
  1. Tuesday 5th September, 12:00 - 13:00
  2. Thursday 14th September, 14:00 - 15:00
G4: Thinking Critically

This session will unpack what it means to engage more critically with your subject(s) as well as providing you with practical tips and resources to help steer your thinking in more critical directions. Main areas covered:

  • What we mean (and don’t mean!) by ‘critical thinking’
  • The different types of critical thinking you will be expected and encouraged to engage in
  • The relationships between critical thinking and objectivity
  • Practical strategies help you engage more critically with your subject(s)
  1. Tuesday 5th September, 14:00 - 15:00
  2. Thursday 14th September, 12:00 - 13:00
G5: Key Academic Skills for International Students

International students are welcome to join this session on how to improve your Academic English and Study Skills. We will cover:

  • Strategies to improve your Academic Language
  • Academic skills needed for study in the UK
  • Resources the university has to offer to help during your studies
  1. Wednesday 6th September, 11:00 - 12:00
  2. Wednesday 13th September, 12:00 - 13:00
G6: Get Organised for Your Studies

Taking an organised approach to your studies can save you time in the long run. In this session, we will explore:

  • Using a study planner
  • Effective workspaces
  • Creating a filing system
  • Assignment planning tips
  1. Wednesday 6th September, 12:00 - 13:00
  2. Thursday 7th September, 14:00 - 15:00
G7: Reading Efficiently

This session will take you through how to read research articles efficiently. Main areas covered:

  • Expectations for reading at University
  • How to take a selective approach to reading
  • Using an efficient reading strategy for academic journal articles
  • Creating useful notes when reading
  1. Wednesday 6th September, 14:00 - 15:00
  2. Thursday 7th September, 12:00 - 13:00
G8: Demonstrating the Process of Writing an Academic Research Paper

Some time-saving processes for writing a research paper at university will be demonstrated in this session. We will include tips on:

  • How to organise your research
  • How to create a plan for the paper
  • How to construct and edit until you get a quality final text
  1. Thursday 7th September, 11:00 - 12:00
  2. Monday 11th September, 14:00 - 15:00
G9: Communicating with Confidence at University

This session will help you understand the kinds of communication you will need at university. Discussion is encouraged so feel free to bring any questions. We will also cover:

  • How communication at university differs from school
  • How to develop your professional communication
  • Examples of effective emails, presentation techniques, and more.
  1. Monday 11th September, 12:00 - 13:00
  2. Wednesday 13th September, 14:00 - 15:00
G10: Order of operations, percentages, and fractions
  • Monday 11th September, 13:00 - 14:00
G11: Trigonometry
  • Tuesday 12th September, 13:00 - 14:00
G12: Rearranging and solving equations
  • Wednesday 13th September, 13:00 - 14:00
G13: Factorising
  • Thursday 14th September, 13:00 - 14:00
G14: Getting to know the Careers Service

This webinar will introduce you to the Careers and Placements Team at Aston. It will focus on the wide range of support and resources available, how to book appointments and employer events through our online portal, Aston Futures, and how to access software through the Careers website that will help with psychometric tests, interviews and more.

We look forward to meeting you!

  • Tuesday 5th September, 13:00 - 14:00
  • Tuesday 12th September, 10:00 - 11:00