New Delhi: With normal studies being disrupted due to COVID-19, the UK-based University of Essex, a public research university, has announced Essex Preparation Programme (EPP), a special and free online course to help incoming students become university-ready. The online course, which is offered at no cost to students, is specially designed to get students from India and around the world ready for their university studies. Over six weeks, students explore independent learning, critical thinking, academic integrity, and many more areas.
Students can qualify for financial assistance post the course
The course is open to anyone applying for undergraduate study at the University of Essex, and if they complete the course and register to study at Essex for the 2022-23 academic year, they will qualify for a £250 (INR 24,000) financial assistance. Completion of the EPP is optional, but the University of Essex believes it will give students a great start in their studies.
The university launched EPP last year to help incoming students. The course was enthusiastically welcomed by school and college students, as well as had positive feedback from teachers and school advisors, and had a positive impact on student success.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Lorna Fox O’Mahony has said about the initiative, “We were delighted with the level of engagement in this programme last year, the enthusiasm students had for starting university after the disruption to their studies, and their determination to succeed in their new courses. Following hugely positive feedback from students and teachers alike we have built on the success of the EPP platform to give this new cohort of students a helping hand. We are determined to make sure they feel confident and ready for the challenges of university.”
“We recognise that these students had a difficult time during the pandemic, and we want to do everything we can to help them to succeed,” added Professor Fox O’Mahony. “We already have over 500 students enrolled in this year’s programme, so it promises to be even more impactful this year.”
More than 1,700 students have enrolled
Last year more than 1,750 students enrolled in the six-week programme, which involved 12 live Zoom workshop sessions coupled with an online course. This year the University of Essex is expecting more students will take part in the EPP, which has been further developed following student feedback and will be integrated with other student preparation programmes and activities during Welcome Week at Essex.
New for this year, Essex is also offering an MPP (Masters Preparation Programme) for post-graduate students. Essex also offers two other programmes, one for Years 12 and 13 and one for Years 10 and 11, which are designed to be a high-quality source of information, advice, and guidance that students can work through independently or teachers can use in the classroom.
Students can also register with ‘Open Essex’ and check the full program details at Essex Preparation Programme.
