Skills to Succeed at University
Build practical academic skills for starting university
Designed by the University of Leeds and delivered on FutureLearn, this short online course equips prospective and early-stage undergraduates with practical study skills to make the transition to higher education smoother.
The curriculum focuses on time management, effective note-making, critical thinking, academic writing, and navigating student support and campus opportunities, framed to help learners build measurable competencies for successful undergraduate study.
At a Glance
Skills to Succeed at University is an online short course offered by the University of Leeds through FutureLearn that introduces essential academic skills for prospective and early-stage undergraduates.
The course broadly covers time management, effective note-making, critical thinking, academic writing, and how to access student support and opportunities while studying at university.
| Level | Beginner |
| Rating | 4.6 out of 5 |
| Duration | 2 weeks |
| Languages | English |
| Certificate | Certificate of Achievement (paid upgrade required) |
| Access | Free access to course content for the course duration plus 14 days; upgrade for extended access and certificate |
| Course includes |
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| Price | Free to access; optional paid upgrade available for certificate and extended access |
What This Course Teaches
Learners complete this course with measurable competencies for undergraduate study, framed as practical tasks they can perform.
How the Course Is Structured
The course is organised into ten short modules spread over two weeks, grouped as Week 1 (The fundamentals of university) and Week 2 (Becoming a successful undergraduate).
Curriculum overview
01Welcome▾
Introduces what the course will cover, lets learners meet peers, and invites learners to share their reasons for joining.
02Managing your time: Getting the balance right▾
Explores strategies to manage study time and balance academic commitments with social life.
03Note making▾
Hears from students about adapting note-making techniques and introduces practical methods to take effective notes.
04What support is available?▾
Outlines the types of university support services available and how to use them to access help and resources.
05Summary▾
Revisits the week-one preparedness poll, reviews key terms in the glossary, and checks understanding of the week’s material.
- Poll: preparedness
- Understanding check
06About Week 2▾
Introduces the focus for week two: critical thinking, academic writing, and student perspectives on university life.
07Thinking critically▾
Explores how to question and evaluate information sources to develop academic critical-thinking skills.
08Writing at university▾
Examines the features of academic writing and the stages of drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading.
09What does it mean to be a university student?▾
Shares student and researcher perspectives and offers top tips for making the most of opportunities at university.
10Summary▾
Reviews alumni experiences, provides a final review of course content, and invites learners to re-assess their readiness for university study.
- Understanding check
- Confidence check
Audience & Requirements
This course is designed for learners preparing to start an undergraduate degree or who are in their early year(s) of study and want to build core academic skills.
It explicitly addresses students entering by a range of routes — for example BTEC, A levels, Access to HE, widening-access programmes — as well as mature returners and educators seeking classroom enrichment materials.
- Prospective undergraduates preparing for university study.
- Learners accepted onto an undergraduate course who want a head start.
- Mature students returning to higher education.
- First-year or foundation-year students consolidating transition skills.
- Teachers seeking classroom enrichment resources for university-preparation work.
- No special academic prerequisites — suitable for beginners.
- Sufficient English reading and writing ability to engage with academic texts and activities.
Final Verdict
Overall, Skills to Succeed at University is a practical, low-friction introduction to the academic skills new undergraduates need and is especially well suited to prospective students, mature returners, and those in their first year.
Given its solid learner reception and wide uptake, the course is a worthwhile, low-risk way to build foundations in time management, note-making, critical thinking and academic writing without formal prerequisites.
The free access model makes it easy to try the course, and upgrading for the paid certificate is a reasonable choice if you want formal recognition or extended access.
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