Coco explains how the Pre-sessional course helped to prepare her for the MSc Business Analytics degree.

My view of the Pre-sessional course

What was the most interesting thing about the Pre-sessional course?

I found the group work the most interesting thing. During group work I could communicate with my classmates.

In addition, the group members assigned each time were different, and they were from different parts of the world. This allowed me to quickly understand the personalities of all the students in the class and the cultures of different countries.

How easy was it to make friends and form connections with the other students? 

I don't think it was hard to connect with friends. In class, we had many opportunities to be divided into different discussion and task groups, which gave us more opportunities to interact with each other.

After completing discussions or tasks, we gossiped together. We also had fun together on Moodle forums. At weekends we also had video chats on Teams to practise speaking.

What was the most important thing you learnt from the course?   

The most important thing I learned was critical thinking and teamwork awareness, especially when doing Academic Reading Circles and Academic Listening Circles.

Before giving a speech, we usually had to conduct a brainstorming session to sort out as many questions as possible about the topic, and then draft our answers from the advantages and disadvantages. This exercise made me realise that the answer to everything is not one-sided, the key is how we look at the problem.

What did you do between the end of the Pre-sessional course and the start of your main course?

Except for the days when I was waiting for the results, I was preparing things for school. Waiting for school was very exciting. I looked forward to my new life and learning about new areas.

How did the Pre-sessional prepare you for your main studies?

The Pre-sessional course was very helpful for me. When writing some essays, I have found that many students who did not participate in the Pre-sessional course can’t write academic papers. They even come to me for advice on how to write citations! I felt very confident and happy.

At the same time, when doing group discussions, I can communicate naturally with students from different countries and answer questions in a natural way.

All of these have helped me to change the thinking path of only one answer cultivated by the traditional Chinese education system.

At the end of your time in Bath...

Which employability skills did the Pre-sessional course help you to develop?

I think the most important skill for my career from the Pre-sessional course is communication skills. After two semesters of group course work, I found that the communication skills I learned in the Pre-sessional course allowed me to express my ideas properly and make a great contribution to the group.

What will be your best memory of the Pre-sessional and of your time at the University of Bath?

In the Pre-sessional course, I think the most memorable thing is the encouragement given to me by the teacher. She told me that if you experience something that makes you feel sad, when you look back some day, you will find that it's not a big deal. This gave me the courage to overcome difficulties and also inspired me.

In addition to studying, I also made a lot of precious friends. We travelled to the Sahara together and danced, sang and drank in the desert campfire, and talked a lot about the future, old stories, and philosophy. That night was unforgettable for me.