Studying English? We could help you out if you’re stuck for resources.
In the wonderful alternate world of My Gateway there are some impressive literature databases that should make essay writing, like, really easy (provided you keep refering to the question, make sure your conclusion covers the points mentioned in your introduction etc etc).
1) Books and Authors (you’ll need to put in your library card number and surname for authentication). This here database lets you browse in any number of ways, from basic searches like genre (including inspirational!), author and title, through to the Who/What/Where/When search, which is a fantastic illustration of Venn diagrams. You type in your parameters and where the circles intersect should provide a list of books relevant to your needs. Books and Authors also has comprehensive lists of award winners and bestsellers (US) and recommendations.
But enough of that, on to the good stuff: the database has a thing called “My Reading Room” that allows you to create lists, and write and store reviews. Excellent.
2) Literature Resource Centre (again, library card number and surname required). Very useful for literary research. You can select, for example, an author or book title, and you’ll find a comprehensive list of reviews, critical essays and overviews. There’s also a literary timeline which will tell you who else was writing and what was going on historically which will help you put the book/author in context. The author browse also contains a comprehensive bibliography (including articles and short stories). The database works equally well for classic authors like Laurence Sterne and contemporary writers like Stephenie Meyer.
Also: last year we did a spotlight on Fiction Connection, which is useful if you’re wondering what to read next, and also also Melissa pointed out Literature Map, which is quite a cool tool for working out who writes like who.
Next time we’ll focus on something like History or Classics.
p.s. if you want some advice on an essay you’re writing then visit the Studyit message boards, where actual teachers give you teacherly advice before you have to hand anything in. Very useful.
The good people at the Ministry of Education have put an awesome website together for NCEA students of English, Maths and Sciences, called StudyIt. Bookmark it!
As well as online help and past exam papers, the site includes:
* online forums
* achievement standards written in student friendly language
* study tips
* other subjects – ie forums where other things are being discussed, for example “how to be dux”, “career paths” and other subject areas.
While you’re in the zone, make sure you view our very own study advice webpage Study Stop, which is laden with links to resources both in the library and outside the library.
As readers of this blog know, I really like parkour/free-running. (Previous posts.) And you should too. After the ‘more’ there’s an incredible Youtube clip of someone riding a bike up, down, and over all things urban. (It’s really called freestyle BMX.) Enjoy, and don’t try any stunts yourself
Shmoop has been developed by students and teachers in some of the U.S’s top universities, and is laden with resources - summaries, multimedia content, and links - for students and teachers. It’s still in beta but it looks very good! Try it out. Try eeet.
There are a number of online databases that members of the Wellington Library can use for free. All of them can be accessed via this page here. The Gale PowerSearch database has several useful ‘products’ that students at a high school level will find useful; the Student Resource Centre has loads of info about all kinds of stuff, including video, audio, articles, statistics, news, viewpoints, and creative works. Which is pretty sweet. Another product is the Opposing Viewpoints Centre, which offers similar information about today’s hottest social issues.
Other useful databases include Oxford Art Online, Press Display (up-to-date online scans of hundreds of newspapers from around the world), and Break Out (a database of scholarships, awards, and grants available in New Zealand).
A wealth of resources! And all free so long as you have a valid Wellington library card.
says Victoria University…
VU are referring to their Information Evening being held on the 8th of May. Prospective students, this is your chance to find out about the university’s full range of courses, degrees and student services.
VU’s Information Evening is on Thursday 8 May 2008 from 6pm at the Maclaurin Foyer (Kelburn Campus, Gate 5, Kelburn Parade, Wellington).
RSVP to 0800 VIC UNI or email course-advice@vuw.ac.nz. Visit their site to find out more.
It has been said that if William Shakespeare were alive today he would be a screenwriter, not a playwright. I don’t know how true that is, but it’s certainly true that his plays translate well to the big screen. If you’re studying Shakespeare at school, often the best place to start with his work is to watch the film adaption; reading them is great but can take some time, and watching them performed isn’t always an option.
We have loads of Shakespeare-related DVDs for young adults in the library – here is a full list. Some are very close adaptions (Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet, for instance), others are films loosely based on Shakespeare’s plays (10 Things I Hate About You, She’s The Man), and others are documentaries about Shakespeare (The In Search of Shakespeare series). You can study Shakespeare and watch a movie at the same time! Though beware: So wise so young, they say do never live long.
The Times Digital Archive (scroll to the bottom of the page) has all news articles printed between 1785 and 1985 scanned and is fully searchable. Obviously it’s going to be useful as a study resource – if you’re looking at early New Zealand history, for example – but it’s also worth seeing what else you can find. ’Jack the Ripper’, ‘ Titanic sunk’, ‘Neil Armstrong’, ‘New Zealand earthquake’, ’Oscar Wilde libel’ …
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