How Jiya is giving back to the student community as a PASS Leader

"Everyone has similar questions, so it's a safe space to be able to voice your concerns, questions and doubts."

Published on the 27 October 2026

UNSW students participating in PASS program sessions

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Learning about PASS and joining the sessions

You've probably heard of PASS program in, ahem, passing, but do you know exactly what it is?

PASS stands for 'Peer Assisted Study Sessions' and these are free, weekly group study sessions for key undergraduate courses taken by first-year UNSW students.

Led by senior students - affectionately known as PASS Leaders - who have excelled in these courses, these sessions are designed to help first-year students gain a deeper understanding of what they're learning while connecting with their peers. There are typically two to three sessions per course, per week that take place between 11am and 5pm, plus there are online evening sessions if you can't make it to the in-person sessions.

The best part of this? Aside from it being free, there's no need to go through any sign-up process. Just pick out a session that interests you and rock up.

PASS is also a fantastic opportunity to broaden your horizons as you enter a fresh environment. After all, the first year at university is a time of new experiences, meeting new people and just figuring out who you are as a person.

For Jiya Jindal, a fourth-year Aerospace Engineering student, she already knew she was a proactive student and that meant getting involved with the UNSW community as much as possible.

"Describing myself, I was always a proactive student. So from my first year, I was in a lot of societies," says Jiya. "I made my own cultural society and I was in technical societies like UNSW Rocketry and Sunswift Racing.

"Now in my fourth year, I started doing PASS [as a leader], so now I'm teaching first-year engineering courses like Physics 1A and ENGG1300."

"[PASS] is not just limited to Engineering. There are a lot of first-year Psychology courses, a lot of STEM, Medicine, Law and Business courses.

"Typically, [PASS] sessions have five to 20 students and we run around 20 to 30 sessions weekly [which] include all the different departments."

Jiya's road to becoming a PASS Leader actually began back in her first year when she first saw the program advertised for one of her engineering courses.

Intrigued, she attended a PASS session as a student and found it "pretty engaging." Once she entered her second year, Jiya was all-in on the program, finding it incredibly helpful and something more UNSW students should participate in. Upon entering her fourth year, she wanted to give back to the community by stepping up to the PASS Leader ranks as a way to pass on her knowledge to new students.

Sharing wisdom with first-years and building a safe space

With so many different courses and faculties involved in the PASS program, Jiya guess-timates that there are around 25 to 30 PASS Leaders who are available to lead sessions for first-year students. We can confirm that the number of PASS Leaders is actually closer to 50, which is a testament to the growing popularity of the program.

For Engineering-focused PASS sessions, she says those are quite well attended, with around "20 to 25" students who regularly turn up.

If you're a newcomer to the PASS program, don't expect something akin to a lecture or tutorial. PASS sessions are much more relaxed and have a much more collaborative vibe.

"In tutorials, everyone's there to just listen to the tutor and get the vibe, but PASS sessions work differently. Don't think of it as a regular class. What we do is we start with an icebreaker where everyone gets to know one another," explains Jiya. "Friendships build and we trauma bond together on the course we're doing [laughs].

"Then we step into content where, as a PASS Leader, I throw them a question that triggers their critical thinking and they work together in group to try and understand each other's perspective."

Needless to say, group participation is a big aspect in the program and every PASS Leader is always finding ways to make each session engaging in their own way.

"PASS is about getting students' perspectives on concepts and it encourages peers to help one another," says Jiya. "If there's no group participation, I wouldn't say it's a successful PASS session."

So how does Jiya encourage group participation and discussions among the Engineering students who attend her PASS sessions?

"I love to [ask] a lot of probing questions like, 'Oh, have you guys thought about this and have you guys thought about that?' That triggers [the students] to think in the right path rather than me just spoon-feeding them the answers."

For newcomers into the program who aren't sure what to expect, Jiya says the best way to get the most out of each session is to engage and know that it's a safe space to share your thoughts.

"Just engage with the class, all ideas and opinions are welcome. Even if your answer is wrong, you will eventually get to the correct one. But all ideas [and] what you think about the concept is pretty important [so] feel free to voice what you think. That could eventually lead to a meaningful discussion that clarifies everybody's doubts and concerns.

"You're not alone with that concept clarification. Everyone has similar questions, so it's a safe space to be able to voice your concerns, questions and doubts."

Why PASS works and reflecting on the program

Beyond gaining deeper understanding of what you're studying and building stronger relationships with your peers, the PASS program provides a real-world context where you can apply your learning, as well as a lot of support when needed.

"PASS is a place where you're not just doing it for the sake of learning; you're doing it to actually connect it to your real life and [how to] use that knowledge moving forward," says Jiya. "Some of the support [includes] getting help from your peers to help you understand concepts and getting to know more people in your degree and courses.

"The PASS Leaders give a lot of senior perspective as well, like tips and tricks to help you manage the course better. There's also a lot of general support, like getting help with assessments, but in a more critical-thinking way rather than us just giving the answers."

Part of why PASS also works well is how it goes against misconceptions that it is only a last resort program for those struggling with their grades.

"The more you delve into an idea or concept, the more you know, so it's not just about people who are struggling with the course, but rather the people who want to learn more," says Jiya. "Even the people who think they know everything can come in and get new ideas to solve the problem."

Looking back on her time as both a student and a leader within the PASS program, Jiya recalls one particular moment that stood out as a perfect representation of her experience on both sides of the PASS aisle.

"The whole idea of PASS is that you get to a solution for a problem using various methods. Your peers may know it differently [while] you may know it differently.

"You're comparing methodologies and trying to understand why all the methodologies can lead to the answer that you need for that question."

"As a PASS Leader, there was one topic taught in ENGG1300 where the students didn't know anything and were very confused when they first walked in. I was trying to do a redirection, but nobody just knew the answer. When [I asked] guiding questions, they opened up more. [Soon] they were feeling safe to say 'I don't understand this particular concept. Could we please get help?'

"Creating that safe space for students to walk out with confidence was one of my personal highlights because, as a student, I struggled with the same [thing]. I remember scrambling through YouTube videos trying to understand what was happening and I was able to transmit that knowledge to the students. That felt like a big win for me."

Where PASS can go moving forward

In its current guise, the PASS program is quite effective as a space for students to build on their knowledge in their own time, as well as an environment to meet new people.

"In terms of doing really well, PASS being a flexible programme for anyone to join is the first thing that comes to mind because students are not mandated to come to the program," says Jiya. "Looking at university life and how busy everyone is, I feel like that flexibility just helps."

As for future improvements, Jiya loves how much support there is for first-year students and hopes that the PASS program can expand that support for second-year students and beyond.

"Second-year students can still struggle with some of the same concepts and they get only a limited amount of help [compared to] first-year students. Once you reach second year, there's nobody to get help [from]. You can post things on the Moodle forums. So maybe we can expand the program to second-years and see how that turns out."

At the time of writing, PASS does support a few second-year courses, but that's typically because those were once first-year courses and have since become second-year. Having said that, this is something that PASS is looking at for the future.

As for Jiya herself, she's got an honours thesis to think about, but she also hopes that she leaves a positive impression on the students within the PASS program.

"I just want to make sure that PASS is an open, flexible place where students pour in and can have a very friendly bond with the leader, where they can talk about their qualms and ask for advice for future terms.

"That kind of friendly relationship is what I make with my students and I'm hoping all the PASS leaders do with their students. That's a positive thing that I would want to leave on the program."

All interview quotes have been edited for length and clarity.

Last edited on 27 October 2026