The ‘secondary education-university’ transition

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1, 2, 3, … Sciences !

and the ‘secondary education-university’ transition

A few words to encourage future students to fully commit themselves with motivation to the path of their first year of university science studies.

There they will be supported and guided by a closely knit team, a team attentive to the difficulties encountered and keen to put into practice various actions/methodologies to ensure that this transition and adaptation takes place as quickly, constructively and fruitfully as possible.

But...it is important to stress that, just as any ‘community life’ necessarily commits each of the parties, it is only through a reciprocal contract, a witness to reciprocal engagement and collaboration, that the various means put into practice will bear fruit and support students throughout their personal journey.

A short description and the support structures

The reform of the first year of the Bachelors degree in sciences (the beginning of the 2008-09 academic year), called the ‘1,2,3...Sciences’ project-programme, drew up and developed various actions to counter the problem of the ‘secondary education-university’ transition.

This reform (thoroughgoing both at the level of ‘content’ and that of ‘form’) notably includes within the time-table revision/standard raising sessions and ‘working method’ sessions, specifically adapted to the science courses and organised in tight co-ordination with the ULg’s ‘guidance service.’ Multiple tools and support structures are also made available to students in the first year of their Bachelors degree, via the ULg’s web pages. Several are clearly aimed at future students who are keen on getting informed and becoming aware of the demands of the university education in the first year of the sciences Bachelors degrees.

Thus several documents and tools are available through the ULg website, and more particularly that of the Faculty of Sciences. Let us for example cite :

• The « Journal de bord » (logbook), a brochure distributed to each student in the first year of the Bachelors in sciences at the beginning of the academic year. In it can be found a general science file, a description of the programmes, the objectives, a short memorandum to know ‘how to get organised’ when you arrive in the first year of the Bachelors, a map of the Sart Tilman campus, the teaching schedule for the first semester, useful links to find information on a day to day basis, etc.)

• Examples of multiple choice questionnaires (the 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011 academic years) related to the basic first semester courses (biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics); they form part of the ‘1, 2, 3 Sciences Evaluations’ (short questions) in the first semester, on Monday morning (see the schedule)

• Multiple and ‘corrected’ questionnaires and questions found in biology, chemistry, maths and physics exams, available through the "1,2,3, … Sciences!" web pages and/or the teachers concerned.

• A booklet called « Bases for mathematics » which includes the basic fundamental concepts used in the first year of the Bachelors in sciences and on which the mathematics courses lean on.

• Examples of  the « mathématics tests » which have been organised for a number of years at the beginning of the academic year, and which aim to make students aware of any gaps they may have concerning the basics, so they can turn to specific revision/standard raising sessions.

• The website of the « groupe transition » chemists

• Information related to Physics courses, accessible via the Départmnt of Physics website et le forum
« Physics on line »

• Table of contents of basic courses 

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