[Bear_in_RoseBear]

isn’t it a prequel to the whole series. Like Kirk and Spock at the academy?

Yup, that's it exactly. Except, in the old canon, Spock attended the academy several years before Kirk did (Spock was on the Enterprise under the captain previous to Kirk), so I don't know how they're going to handle that.

[Corin Stormhands]

Spock attended the academy several years before Kirk did (Spock was on the Enterprise under the captain previous to Kirk), so I don't know how they're going to handle that.

Typical Hollywood revisionist history no doubt.