In 2000 The Faculty of Science at the University of Melbourne introduced a voluntary program called Science 101 to assist first year students with their transition to University. Students enrolled in both Biology and Chemistry were invited to participate. The aims of the program were: to provide students who were new to the university with a set of basic skills with which to tackle first year science subjects; reduce the number of students who make unsatisfactory progress in first year; and create early links for first year students to fellow students and members of the science faculty. The program consisted of three structured one-hour sessions in which students were provided with survival skills for University. The second component of the program was the establishment of small study groups. This paper will report on the development of the program and the progress so far.