Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions of a First-Year Experience Course and Their Transition to University: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Students' experiences transitioning from high school to university during their first year are fundamental to their integration and academic progress in higher education; it can determine their success, including completing their degree. This study examined university students' perceptions regarding their experience in a first-year experience (FYE) course to gain an insight into how FYE courses impact first year students’ transition to higher education. Three research questions guided this study. First, how do university students who participated in an FYE course perceive their experience in the course? Secondly, how do university students who participated in an FYE course believe it impacted their transition and integration into university? Finally, which component(s) of the FYE course do university students believe had the highest impact on transition and integration? Schlossberg's transition theory provided a theoretical framework that informed the structure for the study.

This study was conducted as a phenomenological qualitative study of nine second-year university students who took a first-year experience course in their first year at the university. Participants were selected through purposive sampling and data were collected through focus groups and semi-structured interviews. The collected data were coded and analyzed to reveal themes and sub-themes and six main themes were revealed, including social connections and friendships, sense of belonging, transition to university, mixed emotions/positive feelings, course components, and peer mentoring and instructor support. The findings revealed that first-year experience courses play a crucial role in first-year students’ transition to university, in fostering a welcoming experience, connections and a sense of belonging, understanding the dynamics of higher education and university expectations, and navigating university resources and policies. In addition, the findings also revealed that components of the course, such as peer mentoring, structured study approaches, and engaging activities, benefit first-year students' transition experiences.