Preparing for academic success in your studies
Our Academic Skills team, ASK@Regent, delivers a module called Preparing for Academic Success in your Studies (PASS).
PASS is designed specifically for Level 3 entrant students and provides your foundation for strong study habits and confidence at university. The interactive course covers essential academic, English, and digital skills needed for all modules.
What the PASS course covers
PASS is structured around three key areas to support your academic development:
Academic Skills
Learn the strategies that help you study smarter, from finding reliable sources to reading critically and taking effective notes. PASS guides you through essential topics such as research skills, academic reading, Harvard referencing, paraphrasing, and academic integrity.
Academic English
Strengthen the building blocks of academic writing. You’ll practise essay structure, common academic tenses, sentence types, spelling rules, and skills for giving confident academic presentations.
Digital Skills
Get comfortable with the digital tools you’ll use every day. Explore essential features of Word and PowerPoint, learn to navigate your college email and Teams, and build digital literacy to stay organised and connected.
How PASS supports you
If the course highlights areas where you may need additional support, PASS is designed to help you improve in key areas such as:
- Critical reading and understanding academic texts
- Using Harvard referencing correctly
- Taking clear and effective notes
- Paraphrasing and avoiding plagiarism
- Building confidence with academic English
- Using digital tools for learning and organisation
What you need to do
During your second week of study, you’ll undertake the PASS course, which is organised into short, manageable topics. After you complete the learning materials for each section, you will take a brief quiz to assess your understanding. To pass each section, you need to achieve a score of 70%.
Watch this short video for an overview of the PASS programme and how it supports your academic, English, and digital skills development.
Need help?
Contact the team at academicskills@rcl.ac.uk for advice and support, or book an academic skills appointment.
