Stella Cottrell

Skills for Study is based on the work of expert Stella Cottrell, international bestselling author of The Study Skills Handbook. She is also the author of Critical Thinking Skills, Skills for Success, The Macmillan Student Planner, Dissertations and Project Reports, The Exam Skills Handbook, Mindfulness for Students and titles in the 50 Ways series. Stella was formerly Director of Lifelong Learning at the University of Leeds, UK, and Pro Vice-Chancellor for Learning and Teaching at the University of East London, UK.

Follow @cottrell_study on Twitter for daily bursts of study inspiration and top tips for managing your studies and student life.

Blogs

A women touching hands on head with a speech bubble with shapes inside. Conveys idea of thinking.

Give your mind a creative workout

Do you make 'creativity' a priority when working?

Try something new, and see where these ideas take your assignments.

Illustration of six students in separate boxes, each connected through earphones.

Talk it through

There's always someone willing to listen when you feel like sharing what's on your mind.

Take a look at some tips to help you get more comfortable with opening up to others, and talk about the matters that are weighing on you.

Illustration of a woman checking social media notifications on her phone

Evaluate your relationship with social media

Do you find yourself falling down the social media rabbit hole time and again? Take the first step towards building a healthy, sustainable relationship with social media using the tips and advice in this blog.

Anticipate potential challenges

If you become more aware of the aspects of university life that could be difficult for you, you will be in a better position to prevent or manage these challenges. In this blog post, Stella Cottrell outlines some potential study challenges and offers pointers for overcoming them.

Character surrounded by cogs and machinery illustration

Nurture your creativity

It's easy to fall into just sitting, waiting and hoping for inspiration, expecting an answer to fall from the sky. The magic element – the ‘creative spark’ – can feel elusive. In this blog, Stella Cottrell shares five strategies for generating ideas.

Bring some self-kindness to your study

Many students would benefit from a little more self-kindness and self-compassion. Discover three strategies to bring more self-kindness to your studies and life.

Setbacks: the seeds of future success

Have you considered how you could turn setbacks to your advantage?

Build your word power

Shape your thoughts, arguments and ideas with clarity and precision.

Articles

Two-minute meditations

Hectic day? Take a moment to pause and reflect with this guided audio exercise.