Skilling up : three bridging courses preparing students for the mathematical demands of tertiary study

![CDATA[Providing effective learning support for students in the mathematical demands of tertiary study is a goal of many universities. This paper reports on three pre-semester bridging courses developed, delivered and evaluated by mathematics skills lecturers at the University of Western Sydney. These courses prepare students for specific mathematics content in nursing, statistics and engineering units. The goal is to develop students’ concepts and skills before they apply them in their mainstream unit, rather than administering ‘band-aid’ solutions after students experience difficulties. Findings suggest that bridging students are highly satisfied with the preparation they receive and that tailoring the content of the courses to student needs contributes to their readiness. More assessment is required into the long-term benefit to students of attending such bridging courses.]]