Preparing for success: a study of how targeted skills-based workshops can effectively aid first year students to bridge the gap between second and third level learning

On the basis of evidence from the past four years of a discernable drop in the academic performance of first year students, as well as decreasing progression rates, the Preparing for Success project (funded by NAIRTL) aimed to build a bridge between second and third level education by offering a range of targeted skills based workshops to first year BSc Government students in University College Cork on a pilot basis for the 2009/2010 academic year. This paper will examine our experience of directing the Preparing for Success programme during this pilot phase. A detailed overview of the programme will be provided, followed by a comprehensive evaluation - using both empirical and qualitative methods - of the programme’s impact on the 2009 BSc Government cohort. Finally, we will offer a general appraisal of the programme and will suggest some possible changes for future implementation.