Building Up to Bristol: Explore

This free course will take place online on 3 consecutive afternoons. It will offer you the best possible preparation for your degree. Working together with peers, you will develop your understanding of academic language and culture.

Course content

This course will cover:

• Discovering differences – getting to know yourself, each other and the University’s values.
• Becoming a University of Bristol student – understanding academic expectations and building your academic community.
• Listening to a lecture – applying note-taking and active listening skills in a live setting.
• Thinking about how you learn – reflecting on and improving your academic skills, ready for university.
• Writing with confidence – strengthening your writing.
• Feedback and criteria – learning how to offer and receive feedback, and what criteria the University uses.

You will also build resilience, motivation and community, all of which are essential for thriving at university.

The course is not assessed or accredited.

Class size and teaching staff

You will be in a group of up to 40 students. There will be opportunities for small-group work built into the course.

You will be taught by staff from our centre. We specialise in helping students to develop their communication in academic contexts.

Course dates, timetable and workload

This online course will take place on 9, 10 and 11 September 2025 from 1.30 pm to 4 pm. Each session will have a 30-minute break in the middle.

If you would like to speak to a staff member before the session starts, there will be an optional drop-in from 1 pm to 1.30 pm each day.

You will not be expected to do any work outside of class.

Location

All sessions will take place online only and will be delivered via Blackboard, the teaching platform used by undergraduate students. This course will help you understand how Blackboard works, ready for the start of term.

Cost

This course is free for participating students. You will need access to a laptop or tablet, and a good internet connection, in order to join.

Eligibility

This course has been developed specifically for students who self-identify as being from a lower socio-economic group and who are beginning a degree programme at the University of Bristol in September 2025. Please make it clear on the sign-up form how you meet these criteria.

When allocating places, we will initially prioritise students who live in an ‘Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) quintile 1’ area. You can use the IMD postcode checker on the contextual offer page to check your own home postcode for eligibility.

We will then prioritise students who live in an ‘Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) quintile 2’ area, have been eligible for free school meals, are receiving the Bristol Bursary, or are the first in their family to go to university.

How to apply

To apply, please complete the Building Up to Bristol: Explore application form.

Please note this course will need a minimum of 20 students in order to run. We aim to offer a conditional place within a week of receiving your application. We will then contact you by 3 September 2025 to confirm if the course is running. If we reach our maximum number of students (40), we reserve the right to close applications early.

If you have any questions, please email explore-uob@bristol.ac.uk.

Additional sessions

The initial course will be complemented by optional in-person sessions later in the year. These will be tailored to your academic needs at the time, and will include:

• Preparing for assignments – developing your critical reading and writing in response to your assignment questions (2pm to 4pm, 15 October 2025).
• Responding to feedback – reflecting on any feedback you’ve received so far and planning for your future assignments (2pm to 4pm, 28 January 2026).

If you take part in Building Up to Bristol: Explore, we will contact you directly about these sessions.