Before starting my master’s programme at BU, I used to work in the industry for three years. At the beginning of my journey at BU, I used to worry that the academic gap and difference in teaching methods would make my study in the UK more challenging. Little did I know that with the great support from the Faculty of Marketing and Communication’s (FMC) Learning and Development Team, I could have a study buddy who has accompanied me in all my journey till now. If you are an international student starting your course in January and studying in Faculty of Marketing and Communication, this is a must use resource at BU to help you best perform in your academic work.

FMC Learning Development Team – who are they?

The FMC Learning Development Team are a small community of Bournemouth University academics who specialise in continuing academic development for FMC students. Besides their teaching and academic work, they guide students to develop writing skills and explain some of the complexities of academic work in easy-to-understand ways.

The team runs a series of online drop-in sessions, where FMC students can join and ask any questions related to their academic work. Their advice covers a wide range of necessary skills and knowledge that help students, especially international students, seek support with their assignments or any other academic skills. The sharing topics include advice on BU Harvard Referencing, understanding the assignment brief, writing academically, structuring your argument, writing an introduction/conclusion, critical/reflective writing, dissertation/thesis support, avoiding academic offences, and making the most of feedback.

How to make the most of this support?

Understanding that FMC Learning Development Team provides a great opportunity for FMC students to access this community of academics for support, I have tried to make the most of this resource to best perform in my academic work. Like many other students, procrastination visits me a lot whenever I have assignments. However, to better manage my academic work, I always try to book a 1-1 appointment with the FMC Learning Development team to have a fresh view of my first draft. All you need to do is send an email to FMCLearningDevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk to ask for available appointments and confirm which date works best for you and the staff. I consider this as my soft deadline which I need to complete a draft version of my assignment to seek their advice. After receiving their feedback, I will revise my work and submit it by the deadline on BrightSpace.

If you are better at time management than me, you can start working on your assignments early and book several appointments with the FMC Learning Development team for advice. The team provides an overview and independent discussion on early or actual work in the process. With this incredible support, I have learnt a lot and received good results for my academic work. Many students in my cohort have found this support extremely helpful for their studies. With your first assignment deadline coming, I hope you can make the most of this support to improve your academic work!