Trent U Academic Skills

Curious what academic culture looks like at Trent University? Depending on your experiences, learning at university can come with many changes. Learn more about what independent and collaborative study as well as our services and supports on the Academic Culture & Expectations page on the Academic Skills website.

Academic Advising appointments will be unavailable on Tuesday, August 18th. Appointments will resume the following day. For information, guides and resources, please see the Academic Advising website.

Are you a new student about to take your next steps here at Trent? Transitioning to university life and academics can feel daunting. Fortunately, Academic Skills is here to support you. Check out our Transition to University page on the Academic Skills website, as well as our What To Expect YouTube playlist. Link in bio.

We’re looking for two motivated, creative, and organized students to join us as Academic Supports Outreach & Engagement Assistants this year to support Academic Advising and Academic Skills in the Colleges!

Applications are now open and close August 7, 2026.

Learn more and apply through the Student Job Board at www.trentu.ca/sep!

From Wednesday, August 5th to Friday, August 7th there will be no Academic Skills appointments available on the Peterborough Campus.

For Academic Skills information, guides and resources, check out the Academic Skills website.

The S12 and S62 exam seasons are approaching (Jul 29th-Aug 1st). Academic Skills is here to help you feel prepared with some Exam Study Tips.

For more helpful resources, check out the Academic Skills website. It's full of how-to guides and study resources. To book an appointment with an Academic Skills Instructor go to the Student Experience Portal under the Academic Skills appointment booking section.

The S62 and S12 exam season is almost here. Fortunately, Academic Skills is here to help you feel prepared with some awesome tips for multiple choice exams.

1) Exam basics
Review the instructions carefully before answering questions. Be sure to make a plan so you have adequate time to answer each question.

2) Be Systematic
Analyze each question and all possible answers. Highlight key words and consider the answer requirements for evidence, precision and detail.

3) Consider the Qualifiers
Relative terms like often, seldom, perhaps, sometimes, generally, may and tend; the statement involved doesn't have to be unconditionally true. Absolute terms like always, never, only, necessary, must; the statement must meet all conditions. For questions in the negative form or questions that contain double negatives, it can be helpful to flip the question to make it positive.

4) Strategic Elimination
Eliminate answers that do not match the question's sentence structure or ones that seem out of synch with the other answers (i.e. the answer is in list format when it should not be).

Exam season for S62 courses is just around the corner (July 29th-August 1st), and many of us will be doing plenty of writing. Here are a quick Top 5 writing tips you may not have tried, brought to you by Academic Skills.

S62 exam season is just around the corner. Here are some useful prompts for writing essay conclusions, brought to you by Academic Skills.

For more resources on academic writing, visit the Academic Skills website or book an appointment through the Student Experienc Portal.