Helping students transition to university life

Students who are adjusting to university life can be concerned about the drawbacks; a sense of belonging is lost when new undergraduates transition from school, and then there is the loss of friends. The students will be strangers on the new campus and might need to learn new social customs. They might have had to give up extracurricular activities that were significant to them, such as being part of a sports team or a school theatrical programme. Students might find themselves academically ahead of or behind their new classmates when they get to their new institutions.

• Why we start undergraduate transdisciplinary research from day one
• Making undergraduate access to research experience transparent and inclusive
• Creating time and space for reflection in undergraduate research methods

How can university teachers help to make the transition simpler? There are several ways educators can help students to transition to university life more smoothly.

Encourage your students to share their emotions

Be aware that teacher relationships can affect a student’s feelings of self, self-worth and confidence. Shy students might be unsure of themselves in the university environment, vulnerable and sensitive to feedback from teachers. Positive experiences frequently serve as strong motivators – whether that’s praise, good grades or just someone taking time to listen. Encouraging feedback and suggestions can inspire students to try harder.

Openness, empathy, helpfulness, positivity and equality are necessary for effective communication – with your students as well as colleagues. An essential part of the teacher’s job is to be able to build relationships. If students wait after class to talk, teachers can help students to share their feelings or concerns about difficulties such as keeping up with English-only classes.

Point out to students the necessity of developing places for reflection and re-evaluating strategies as a foundation for their future scholarly work. For example, at the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), student support services offer a space for new students to express their emotions; and clubs and societies provide opportunities for students to make friends.

Stress positive aspects of the transition to university

Remind your students that the change to university will offer exciting opportunities for new adventures. Use the example of immigrants or pioneers who overcame difficulties to travel to new places and experience novel and stimulating experiences. Point students towards relevant literature about adjusting to university life.

Getting into college is one of the most important developmental challenges for young adults. University goals are time-specific, offering structure and a useful sense of urgency, which in turn leads to progress. Goal engagement activates positive cognitions, produces flow experiences and encourages goal attainment, and positive emotions act as motivational resources. Well-being might also predict university goal engagement. As goal engagement grows over time, so does overall well-being.

Conversely, teachers should be alert to potential disengagement in the first few weeks of the semester and check regularly that students are participating in class.

Highlight the advantages of being actively involved in student life

Students can benefit from university networks, whether that’s through colleges, groups, clubs and societies or other organisations. Encourage them to investigate local clubs, YMCAs or sports teams. An avid high school football player, for example, might find support and a sense of belonging in being part of a campus team.

The learning processes around campus activities produce informed, involved students with problem-solving abilities, scientific and social literacy, and commitment to undertaking ethical personal and collective actions. These activities will contribute to an economically successful and environmentally sound future. Programmes such as education for sustainable development have the potential to strengthen the connections between the business world and classrooms, as well as between schools and local communities.

Remind students to keep in touch with their old buddies

Teachers can have a role in encouraging students to maintain their existing networks, even as they make friends and connections at university through campus-based activities. For example, use one-on-one conversations to show interest in your students’ lives – ask if they keep old friendships intact, for example, and emphasise the importance of a support network in the transition to university life in the first year.

Don’t make an enemy of social media. Students can use social networks, such as WeChat, to stay in touch with their home-town friends. Keeping up with old friendships and connections from home can help them avoid “friend-sickness” as they relocate to new places.

Encourage your students to write letters and make phone calls, as well as visit old friends from time to time.

Beyond orientation and practicalities such managing scheduling and study skills, teachers can offer support, time and guidance while easing new students through the transition to university.

Cheong Fan is a lecturer at the School of Liberal Arts at the Macau University of Science and Technology.

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