Whether you're getting ready for university or thinking about brushing up on your academic study skills, this episode will help you to consider if Stella Cottrell's The Study Skills Handbook is for you. The book itself is a classic - students have been using it for over 20 years now and here we're reviewing the 5th edition (2019). Our verdict is positive. We believe that the book's offer is versatile enough to satisfy most students' needs and preferences. We'd love to hear what you thought about it! Whether you find the book helpful or not, you might be quite surprised at Matthew's choice of object to represent it...

In this episode we are reflecting on the past year and its challenges. It has been a difficult, often painful and demoralising, time for many of us. And yet, we seem to have come out stronger. We adapted. We experimented. We made mistakes and failed, over and over. But every time we took a deep breath and tried again. And as a result we all learnt so much on the way. How will we build on this experience and what will we keep and want to develop further, to make ourselves and our learning even better?

Creating a study space that you love and feel positive about may change how you feel about studying in general. In this episode we discuss and share some of the tips to be considered when reviewing what works for you. Distractions, noise, comfort - these words mean different things to different people and they also change over time, so personalising your space and making it your own is a constant work in progress. But, make sure that you not only enjoy it but also ;eave it behind sometimes!

A special episode with a History graduate Josh Manning! After explaining what peer learning means to him and how it impacted on his university experience, Josh shares with us his journey from being a student to becoming a graduate intern. Then we begin bombarding him with the different nuggets of wisdom shared online and play the game of 'True/Untrue: Elaborate!' Finally, Josh presents his special object, which is not only beautiful but also very symbolic. Tune in to find out why he thinks the university experience can be likened to playing chess!

We started this episode by emphasising the important distinction between two associated words: 'criticism' vs. 'critique' and how they feature in critical thinking. But then, our special object - a light bulb - reminded us of the dark underbelly of critical thinking: conspiracy theories. Why is it more attractive to believe that thousands of people conspired to fabricate moon landings than that they actually happened, and what does it have to do with critical thinking? Tune in to find out.

Who would have thought that a Mesolithic ax could be an apt metaphor for peer learning? Our Peer Learning Specialist, Dianne Evans, who is also a secret archaeologist, shows us that we can think about collaborating in very creative ways. We talk about the Writing Cafe and how it helps students develop as writers, and we reflect on the amazing adaptability and resilience demonstrated by writing mentors, PALS leaders and all the students who have had to work in this time of profound change. Hats off to you, troopers!

Imposter syndrome is a feeling well known not only to both of us, but also to many students and colleagues we talk to. It is a phenomenon that has been defined and re-defined in multiple ways. While originally described as experienced by women who despite their high accomplishments and successes 'persist in believing that they are really not bright and have fooled anyone who thinks otherwise' (Clance and Imes, 1978), it now seems to refer to anything from the feeling of inadequacy that is a result of systemic oppression to the simple disbelief and doubt in one's own ability, or even to the experience of being an outsider entering or inhabiting a new social/cultural environment. We decided we can't really solve it for anyone but recognising its existence and facing it may be a good start.

Thinking about anxiety made Matthew and me a bit anxious at first but then talking about it was like slaying the dragon. For is there a better way of looking at intrusive thoughts than as ‘normal brain farts’ (Jonathan Abramovitz)? Or blowing anxiety like bubbles and watching them gently pop and fly away? Our special guest, Alex Way, shares her insights into how to ‘embrace the suck’ (Brené Brown) and learn to live with and tolerate anxiety in our daily life and studies.

Feedback may be considered ‘the breakfast of champions’ but it’s seldom either offered or received with enthusiasm. Some dread it, Matthew loves it, some see it as criticism and others as a form of ‘course correct’. However we engage with it, feedback serves as a mirror, revealing as much about the person who’s given feedback as about the one giving it. But since it’s all about giving… let’s indeed look at feedback as a gift.

Academic posters are a very specific form of communication, which attempts to balance text and visuals to convey an idea or research as effectively and attractively as possible. In this conversation, we pick the brains of our colleague, Dr Jason Truscott, who has a lot to say about why we use posters in academia and what best practices in this genre are. But what do they have to do with lighthouses? Tune in to find out.