Study Success at Sussex (S3)

Background

The Study Success at Sussex website has been developed as part of the Student Academic Practice Project and funded by the Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund (TQEF) to develop the university's online study skills resources. This project contributes to the University of Sussex Teaching and Learning Strategy (2007) Target C3: to 'develop support for transition into HE and academic practice in a research-intensive university.'

The Student Academic Practice Project has been developed in response to:

Feedback from students

Following the University of Sussex Students' Union (USSU) ‘Sort us out' campaign in 2005 a detailed range of suggestions and concerns regarding academic support were presented by USSU. This included concerns about students finding the transition to university-level study difficult and the suggestion that study skills be made compulsory for first-year students.

Research regarding the first-year experience

There has been extensive research regarding the first-year experience which has found that the first year is the most crucial in determining whether students will continue with their studies and in influencing their attitudes and approaches to learning. In October 2006 a review of literature (The first-year experience: a review of literature for the Higher Education Academy) found that for students in the UK the decision to continue study (i.e., not to withdraw from their course) is strongly connected to their satisfaction at university – which is in turn related to how prepared they are for their new experience.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to all the students and staff who have helped with the development of the S3 website. We'd especially like to thank:

• Clare Hardman, Student Experience Project Co-ordinator
• Tony Lowe, Webducate
   
• John Davies, Development Officer
• Tim Hill, Learning Technologist
• Alison Chisholm and Rachel Cole, Sussex Centre for Language Studies
• Emma Walton, Library Learning & Teaching Support Manager