A new program offered by the Faculty of Life and Physical Sciences is helping first year students adapt to the demands of life as a science student.

The Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) program provides students enrolled in large core units an opportunity to work together in groups under the guidance of study group leaders who have already completed the unit.

PAL provides a nurturing environment for students making the transition from the smaller high school environment to university, where classmates can number in the hundreds. The study groups also give them the chance to meet and interact with fellow students.

A survey of students who attended study groups in the first semester shows that the pilot program has been a great success. Even though attendance wasn’t compulsory, more than 90 per cent said they would attend PAL sessions in the future, and would recommend PAL to their friends.

The majority of participants also thought PAL had helped them to improve their performance in the unit. One student commented that PAL was “a great interactive way to review subject material. It helped me consolidate what I had learnt”.

PAL participants were also grateful for the experience and advice the PAL leaders offered.

“The best thing about PAL was being able to talk with a student who has been through the unit and is able to give us their perspective on it,” is how one participant put it.

Another commented: “The enthusiasm and intelligence of the leader was inspirational … and reminds you learning is fun and not really a chore”.

PAL leaders too enjoyed contributing to student learning and creating an environment where students help each another - and the spin off is that at the same time they are developing their own all important communication, teamwork and management skills.