PASS – Learn more than you think

with Jack, Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science undergraduate and PASS leader

Staying focused while studying is tough, add pressure to understand a concept, and you have the ingredients for a stress sandwich. And what about the people also studying your subject, are they going through the same struggles?

There is a way to bypass hours of individual study time by joining a PASS group.

PASS stands for Peer Assisted Study Sessions and it’s a way for people to study together in small groups and work together to solve problems and develop understanding about foundational first-year subjects.

Relaxing your way to learning

Each session is supported by a student, known as the PASS leader, who has done well in the subject and is volunteering their time to help others. Therefore, PASS leaders understand what people new to the subject are experiencing and can offer suggestions at the right time.

Creating an environment for casual and shared learning for people at different levels of understanding is an important and unique part of PASS with leaders focused on forming a safe space for people to learn from each other. For this reason, when people feel relaxed about learning, they are more willing to work together on problems and concepts.

Students helping students

The structure of a session is different from lectures and tutorials because it relies on the group to debate topics and share ideas to form understanding. A PASS leader will never tell the answer; instead, they will set up a situation for people to work through problems together. If there is a problem stumping the group, the PASS leader will help by writing-up the question and asking the group to contribute their ideas, helping people to understand the problem and solution from different perspectives.

PASS is for everyone because it brings together people who are doing well in a subject and those who will benefit from improving their knowledge. The group works together to stay engaged in problem solving, and learning by teaching others to articulate their ideas and reinforce knowledge.

Interested? Sign me up!