If you’ve accepted your offer to UBC Vancouver, you can start sharpening the skills you’ll need to succeed in your first term by taking part in Academic Essentials. These free online courses will help you develop strategies and techniques to successfully transition to university learning – all at your own pace.

Why Academic Essentials?

The Academic Essentials courses are designed to make sure you have a strong grasp of fundamental concepts, and the academic skills and mindset to succeed in a university setting, all so that you can hit the ground running in September.

All of the courses are offered for free and none of them are for credit (so they won’t appear on your transcript), meaning you can engage with them at your own pace and on your own schedule. As part of the curriculum, you’ll be able to access a library of online materials and resources, and you’ll to study on your own time. You’ll also have the opportunity to interact with your course facilitators, who are all current UBC students and who will be happy to share their own tips and academic experiences with you.

All Academic Essentials courses run from July 4 to August 11, 2023.

What you’ll learn

Academic Essentials courses are self-paced and self-directed, with new content released every week. For each course, you’ll enjoy two-to-three hours of engagement with the material each week, and take part in assignments to help you get the most out of the content. You can register for as many courses as you like. Choose from:

Academic Essentials: Reading and Writing at University

• Learn strategies for active listening and critical reading for your UBC classes.
• Become familiar with the UBC library system and the structures of academic articles.
• Begin to develop your own writing voice, and explore different areas of research.
• Interact with course facilitators through discussions and short writing exercises.

Academic Essentials: Readiness for University Mathematics

• Discover the habits and strategies you’ll need to be successful in your math classes at UBC.
• Learn how to approach and solve new problems, and when to ask for help.
• Practice fundamentals like algebra, functions, graphs, and geometry.
• Self-assess the prerequisite skills and concepts needed for UBC calculus classes.

Academic Essentials: Live Well to Learn Well

• Get tips on how to transition from high school to university.
• Develop a personalized action plan to excel in your time at UBC.
• Develop study strategies and self-assessment skills that will ensure success in your studies.
• Find out how to access academic and wellness resources at UBC.

How to register

Click the links below to enrol in the course(s) of your choice. You can choose from one, two, or all three courses, and you’ll need to register for each individually. You’ll need your CWL from your UBC admission package to sign up.

Register for Reading and Writing at University

Register for Readiness for University Mathematics

Register for Live Well to Learn Well

What students are saying

“[Academic Essentials] was a great way to get a taste of university life and explore different aspects of academic work. I was able to see how the same content taught to me can be approached and understood in different ways. The feedback and support from the peers and mentors in the program helped me feel more confident in what I knew, while allowing me to learn and grow.” – Rajalakshmi N., Bachelor of Applied Science