Section outline

  • What is the PUG?

    The Pre-Undergraduate Short Course, or PUG for short, has been developed for people like you, our incoming undergraduate students. Many of you will have spent a long time outside of formal education. We hope the PUG will:

    • ease any sense of anxiety that you may have
    • help us develop a learning community in advance of the Autumn term
    • enable you to establish a relationship with your personal tutor at the earliest opportunity
    • introduce you to Essex-specific systems and services, such as Moodle (the site you are logged into now)
    • allow you to re-engage with formal learning after a potentially long period of absence
    • encourage and support independent study habits in a flexible way

    Watch this short introductory video to find out more about the University o Essex, and the PUG.

    What topics are covered?

    The content of the PUG will focus on the critical skills required for success in higher education with a focus on academic and personal development skills. We will cover the following topics:

    • Independent learning
    • Oracy skills
    • Process writing
    • Critical thinking
    • Problem-solving
    • Academic integrity

    How will the course work?

    Each week, starting from the July 1 July 2020, a new topic will be released to you. The first topic will help you become an independent learner, and introduce you to the concept of a growth mindset. Each topic will be broken down into sub-activities. For each, there will be a:

    • Pre-lecture readings and activities
    • Pre-recorded mini-lecture
    • Post-lecture interactive tasks
    • A thematic forum, allowing you to engage with peers and Essex academics
    • A feedback survey

    Some topics also include further reading and independent study resources and activities to allow you to deepen your understanding, and further develop your academic skills.

    Who developed the PUG?

    The course has been designed and developed by Essex Pathways, in collaboration with academic staff from all departments at the University, as well as key staff in Professional Services.