Introduction to Academic Skills I

Full course description

The transition from secondary to tertiary education is often experienced as challenging for students, especially considering the expectations at university regarding students’ academic skills, such as essay writing, argumentation, or critical and analytical thinking. It is therefore imperative to support and train students right from the start to take on a professional ethos with regard to their university studies and their personal and academic development.

The skills course Introduction to Academic Skills consists of a semester-long program spanning three periods. In this skills course, students are encouraged to take their academic development into their own hands. Tutorials, practical sessions, workshops, and (written) assignments will focus on acquainting students with the core academic skills needed to be successful at university. The sessions are set up in such a way that students will be able to put their newly acquired skills and insights into practice in the content that run parallel to this skills course.

Through continuous reflection on their personal learning process, in combination with periodic assessment of this process, students should conclude this course with a clear overview of their competencies with regards to general academic skills as well as specific skills, including study skills, information literacy skills, analytical and critical thinking skills, writing skills, time management, and organisational skills.