Hundreds of new students sign-up for new course getting them ready for success

We’re seeing exceptional commitment and enthusiasm from school and college students who are getting ready to study at the University with more than 700 new entrants already signed-up to complete a special online course over the summer to get them ready for success in their studies at Essex.

The University of Essex developed the innovative programme to help final year school and college students in the UK and around the world bounce back from all the disruptions they’ve faced due to COVID. The new Essex Preparation Programme offers the extra support that this year’s applicants need to get off to a flying start at university.

Hundreds have signed up for the programme and are engaging with the online sessions and resources. As the first cohort of students completes the six-week programme, a second cohort will start later in August to allow even more applicants to benefit.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Lorna Fox O’Mahony said: “We’re are really pleased to see the level of engagement in this programme and the enthusiasm students have for taking their next steps at university, after coming through so much.

“We’re getting very positive feedback from students completing the online sessions and lots of engagement in our forums, where students can discuss the issues covered in the preparatory programme with our expert staff and with each other. One student taking part in the programme said the lectures are ‘awesome’, which is great to hear!

“It is important for us at Essex to offer this extra support, for a generation of school and college students who have had to overcome so many challenges. We wanted to give them a helping hand and the skills to succeed in their courses and to take their next steps with confidence, at university and beyond. The response has been incredible, and we are encouraged by positive feedback from students who really appreciate the extra help we are offering.”

The six-week Essex Preparation Programme was specially designed to support new Essex students from the UK and around the world to prepare for their university studies.

The course is open to anyone applying for undergraduate study at the University of Essex. If they complete the course and register to study at Essex for the 2021-22 academic year-they will qualify for a £250 bursary to recognise their commitment to their studies.

Over the six-week programme students will explore independent learning, critical thinking, academic integrity, and many more areas. If they miss a session or want to catch up they can watch recordings of the online sessions and all the supporting materials are online.

Completion of the Essex Preparation Programme is optional, but the University believes it will give students a great start to their studies.

The materials are also perfect for students who are planning to start a university course after taking a break from formal education.

The Essex Preparation Programme builds on the work the University undertook last year to help students overcome the disruption caused by lockdown.

Essex will offer a range of additional support programmes to help this generation of students as they progress through their studies, including unique extra-curricular programmes offering ‘data science for all’ and ‘languages for all’.

These free additional programmes are designed to give all students, whatever course they are studying, the opportunity to develop additional skills that will help them in their future careers.

The University is also developing an early arrival programme for September to give new students extra practical and pastoral support as they prepare to start their university experience.