My Learning Centre Experience: PASS sessions

I’ve been to a few PASS sessions during my time at Ontario Tech! I chose to try them out for tough classes such as Introduction to Organic Chemistry and Human Anatomy. 

What are PASS sessions?

Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) take place weekly and are a chance to participate in group review sessions for challenging courses. 

What do you do at PASS sessions?

PASS sessions can vary based on the class. Sometimes they can include:

• Review sessions to go over content learned in lecture 
• A time to complete practice problems and take them up 
• Interactive games and activities to consolidate your learning 

Benefits of PASS sessions  

Group environment 

I actually went to my first PASS session with a friend! It was nice to be able to go, sit, and try the practice questions together. It was an informal and relaxed environment that was very welcoming. If you thrive in group settings and collaborating with others, I think you’ll really enjoy these sessions!

Peer-led 

Peers are great role models in every aspect! Who better to get review advice from than a student who has already taken the class that you’re in? PASS leaders always tend to have helpful tips and tricks from when they took the class to help make your studying and review easier!

Topics covered match up with lecture content 

Did you know that PASS leaders attend your lectures with you? This allows them to follow along with you in class and know exactly what topics to focus on in their review sessions. With that being said, this helped me know what the sessions would be covered beforehand. This way, if there was a topic that I was struggling with one week I’d be sure to make it to that week’s PASS session for extra help. 

Practice 

Nothing beats practice which you get lots of during PASS sessions! I’ve never been to the same style of PASS session before. I truly feel like each session is unique which helps accommodate the many different learning styles that students have! The way that practice questions are presented to you is also very different and fun. Maybe one day you’ll get a worksheet, the next you’ll get to play review Jeopardy, or even have the opportunity to test your knowledge in a mock midterm! 

On a drop-in basis 

PASS sessions are available on a drop-in basis! This is great both for students who like to plan ahead and for those who like to be a little more spontaneous. If you have some spare time between classes and happen to be looking for extra help, definitely check the PASS schedule to see when the next session is running! 

View the PASS schedule