
Academic Success Workshops
Synchronous Sessions
These live, 75-minute, free sessions provide students with strategies and tools, hands-on activities, and opportunities to ask questions.
In-person delivery
In-person workshops are in classroom EL 1451B (in the Riddell Library and Learning Centre).
If you have a laptop or tablet, please bring it to the workshop. You can also request a free laptop rental from the Library.
Online delivery
Webinars use Google Meet. You will receive an email with the link to the meeting room on the morning of the webinar. You must register before 8 am on the day of the workshop to receive the link.
Please note: online offerings are not recorded.
Registration
Workshops can fill up quickly, so register early to avoid disappointment.
To register for a workshop, follow the same procedure you would use to register for a credit course at MRU:
- Log in to MyMRU and click on the "Register & Pay" tab
- Scroll down to Register, and click on "Registration Landing Page"
- Click on "Add/Drop/Withdraw Classes"
- Under "Term Selection," select "Fall 2023 CREDIT," and click "Continue"
- In the "Subject" field, select Student Learning Services, and click "Search"
- Select the session you want, and click "Add"
For more detailed instructions, see this handout on registering for courses.
Proof of Participation
Do you need to provide proof of participation to an instructor for a particular course? Fill out the Reflection & Participation Form after each workshop you attend. The link is provided during the workshop — you must attend the entire workshop to receive the link. Once you complete and submit the form, you will receive a copy of your responses via email. You can forward the email, with your answers, to your instructor.
Studying
Determined to stay on track when life gets busy? We'll introduce you to helpful concepts, strategies, and tools to maintain your motivation and strive for better work-life balance.
Date | Time | Location | CRN |
Monday, September 18 | 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. | Online | 45572 |
Tuesday, September 26 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | EL1451B | 45573 |
Friday, October 6 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | Online | 45574 |
Thursday, November 2 | 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. | Online | 45575 |
Monday, November 6 | 4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. | EL1451B | 45576 |
Tuesday, November 14 | 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. | Online | 45577 |
Maximize your study potential! In this 75-minute workshop, we’ll discuss how the key strategies of retrieval practice, spaced repetition, and interleaving will help make your learning stick.
Date | Time | Location | CRN |
Thursday, September 21 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | Online | 45548 |
Monday, October 2 | 4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. | EL1451B | 45549 |
Friday, October 27 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | Online | 45550 |
Tuesday, October 31 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | EL1451B | 45551 |
Wednesday, November 15 | 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. | Online | 45552 |
Boost your test-taking confidence by optimizing your preparation, increasing your focus and efficiency during the test, and reflecting on your test experience and results to propel you forward the next time.
Date | Time | Location | CRN |
Monday, September 25 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | Online | 45568 |
Thursday, October 5 | 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. | EL1451B | 45569 |
Tuesday, November 14 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | EL1451B | 45570 |
Friday, December 1 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | Online | 45571 |
Writing
University courses feature a much larger array of writing goals than high school classes. Join our 75-minute workshop to enhance your writing skills and learn how to approach assignments in new ways. Gain insights on understanding different assignment types and crafting effective thesis statements. Explore audience considerations and the mechanics of university writing genres. Elevate your skills today!
Date | Time | Location | CRN |
Monday, September 18 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | Online | 45578 |
Thursday, September 28 | 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. | EL1451B | 45579 |
Friday, October 20 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | Online | 45580 |
Are you feeling overwhelmed with a research assignment or wondering about the best way to get started on it? In this 75-minute workshop, learn how to launch each project and stay on track. We’ll explore how to use brainstorming to direct your research, leverage outlining to shape your ideas, and give yourself time to grow your draft one helpful piece at a time.
Date | Time | Location | CRN |
Tuesday, September 19 | 4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. | EL1451B | 45562 |
Wednesday, September 27 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | Online | 45563 |
Wednesday, October 18 | 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. | Online | 45564 |
Thursday, October 26 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | EL1451B | 45565 |
Friday, November 3 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | Online | 45566 |
Friday, November 17 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | Online | 45567 |
Want to ensure your writing is focused and powerful? In this 75-minute workshop, we’ll consider some “dos and don’ts” of thesis statements, identify the components of strong body paragraphs, and discuss how to effectively integrate information from sources to support your ideas.
Note: We recommend completing the "Planning Research Papers" workshop first.
Date | Time | Location | CRN |
Friday, October 6 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | Online | 45553 |
Wednesday, October 25 | 4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. | EL1451B | 45554 |
Tuesday, November 7 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | Online | 45555 |
Friday, November 17 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | Online | 45556 |
Monday, November 20 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | EL1451B | 45557 |
All academic writers strive to create texts that flow smoothly. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to use reverse outlining to improve the logical flow of your ideas, and you’ll discover how different types of connectors contribute to smooth writing.
Not offered in Fall 2023.
Paraphrasing is an essential skill for any academic writer. We will discuss when to quote and when to paraphrase, highlight the importance of fairly representing the work of others, differentiate between paraphrasing and patchwriting, and learn how to assess an effective paraphrase.
Date | Time | Location | CRN |
Tuesday, September 19 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | EL1451B | 45540 |
Friday, September 22 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | Online | 45541 |
Monday, September 25 | 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. | EL1451B | 45542 |
Thursday, September 28 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | Online | 45543 |
Wednesday, October 4 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | Online | 45544 |
Friday, October 27 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | Online | 45545 |
Wednesday, November 8 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | EL1451B | 45546 |
Tuesday, November 21 | 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. | Online | 45547 |
In this 75-minute workshop, learn to spot and fix common grammatical errors (i.e., comma splices, fragments, and run-on sentences), and review different sentence types that can help you inject variety into your writing. Plus, discover strategies to become a more confident editor of your own work.
Date | Time | Location | CRN |
Wednesday, September 27 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | Online | 45535 |
Friday, October 20 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | Online | 45536 |
Thursday, November 2 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | EL1451B | 45537 |
Thursday, November 9 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | EL1451B | 45538 |
Friday, November 24 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | Online | 45539 |
Referencing
APA style for referencing is used by many disciplines as a way to credit others’ work. In this workshop, we’ll help you grasp the basics of the rules outlined in APA’s 7th edition. We will practice citing sources in text and building accurate reference list entries.
Check out MRU’s comprehensive APA Referencing Guide anytime.
Prefer to learn at your own pace? Complete the APA Referencing Tutorial, which covers the same content as the live workshop.
To enroll in the tutorial, click this link to D2L, log in using your @mtroyal.ca credentials, and then select the “Enroll in Course” button. (If you’re already enrolled, you’ll see “Open Course.”) We recommend you use Google Chrome as your web browser.
Date | Time | Location | CRN |
Wednesday, September 20 | 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. | EL1451B | 45582 |
Friday, September 22 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | Online | 45583 |
Tuesday, September 26 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | Online | 45529 |
Wednesday, September 27 | 4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. | EL1451B | 45530 |
Monday, October 16 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | Online | 45531 |
Tuesday, October 31 | 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. | EL1451B | 45532 |
Wednesday, November 15 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | Online | 45533 |
Friday, December 1 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | Online | 45534 |
Dive into MLA citation style—the most commonly used format in the Humanities. Join our 75-minute workshop to master the basics of MLA's 9th edition. From creating in-text citations to developing accurate Works Cited pages, boost your academic writing by leveling up your citation game!
Date | Time | Location | CRN |
Wednesday, September 20 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | Online | 45558 |
Tuesday, October 3 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | EL1451B | 45559 |
Monday, October 23 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | EL1451B | 45560 |
Friday, November 24 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | Online | 45561 |