The transition to higher education is a life-changing experience for students. New students may experience many difficulties that influence their persistence to study and can affect student retention. Tutors play an essential role in helping their tutees to find their place in the university community, build their confidence, succeed in their studies, and overcome the difficulties that might otherwise cause them to withdraw. When faced with these difficulties, many students will assume that their peers are coping well and that any difficulties they experience must mean that they are unsuited to higher education or on the wrong course. As a tutor, you can put these anxieties into perspective, normalise the experience, and guide your students through any initial difficulties. You can help them to establish realistic expectations, encourage effective study patterns, and generally contribute to a more fulfilling student experience.
First impressions count, and the first meeting you have with new tutees is important to the success of the future student-tutor relationship. Good communication in this meeting is particularly important and you should introduce yourself and provide details of how and when you can be contacted. You should structure discussion to help the group/individual explore any questions and anxieties they may have and devote time to asking questions that show you have a genuine interest in your tutees. Before you first meet a student individually, you may find it useful to familiarise yourself with some background information about them by reading their UCAS application. In a group tutorial setting, you could ask the students to talk in pairs about their expectations of the course, and together make a list of any specific questions about the course or general questions about the university and university life. The group then share ideas on how to resolve any common issues or concerns identified. It can also be helpful to explicitly raise the topic of homesickness as this helps students to see it as a normal part of the transition process. This activity can show students that they are not alone in their concerns and can help them to connect and build relationships with fellow students. The first group meeting is an ideal opportunity to introduce students, in a supportive environment, to some of the challenges and experiences that lie ahead.
For many students, studying at university is unnervingly different to their prior educational experience. New students are often unfamiliar with many of the behaviours and attributes that academics take for granted, such as taking notes and finding information. A key function of Academic Tuition at Level 3 and Level 4 is to provide practical information and assistance to students which will help them understand how the university operates and what they need to do to study successfully within it. Tutorials in these stages should provide students with general information such as how to access their student emails, understanding their timetable, finding their way around campus, finding information about their course, etc. Many new students may need to improve academic skills such as referencing, note taking, academic writing, researching, etc and these are best addressed through group tutorial sessions and/or by making use of the resources provided by the ILS team and the Study Skills team.