ACCESSING RESOURCES FROM HOME

What else could you be doing right now that boosts your learning and career exploration?
 
Wider reading is a great answer to this question and the start of the summer term is an opportunity to really focus in on what that means for you. For Y13s and AL3s, wider reading can help you get ready for your next steps and further develop your interests. For Y12s, wider reading is a great way to learn more about your subjects, to explore career options, and is a vital part of your personal statement. It’s also a good way to challenge yourself by finding a new way to tackle a topic you find difficult or by learning something completely new to expand your interests and knowledge.
 
And it’s not just about books! Wider reading includes anything that isn’t given to you as a core part of your course. This means you could be listening to podcasts, watching documentaries and TEDtalks, reading journal articles, viewing webinars, etc. and have them all count as great ways to boost your learning.
 
The key thing is to make sure whatever wider reading you’re doing, you are doing it effectively. This means thinking about how you take notes, the quality of what you’re using for wider reading, and how you’re keeping track of what you’ve done/are planning to do. Check out the ‘Research Skills’ presentation on the Library Moodle page which talks you through how to do all of this and more.
 
To get you started, take a look at the Library Moodle page which has subject specific resources including wider reading booklets and information on how to access JSTOR. You can also ask your teachers for suggestions (but make sure to check over your notes in case they’ve already given you recommendations!) as well as friends and family.  Recently, loads of online learning resources have been made free to access so it’s a good idea to explore these. For example, JISC has made a list of all their open-access resources and Newcastle University has a wealth of public lectures you can watch on their Insights website with some subjects creating recommended to-watch lists. I’ll be sharing many of these resources on the Library’s new twitter page @NSFCLibrary.
 
As always, if you need any help finding resources, you want recommendations or if you find something great that you think will help other students, send me an email EnyaMarie.Clay@newcastlesfc.ac.uk to let me know!