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Understanding First-Year University Student Expectations vs. Reality

The "Student and Staff Expectations and Experiences Project" investigates the gap between first-year university students' expectations and their actual experiences. Key findings reveal that many students overestimate the time commitment required for study, with recommendations of 6-10 hours per week per subject. Additionally, over half of surveyed students felt inadequately prepared for the shift to university-level work, which demands greater independence and self-sourced learning materials. This research highlights the necessity for better preparation and adjustment for new students entering university life.

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Understanding First-Year University Student Expectations vs. Reality

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  1. Making the most of your time at university The Student and Staff Expectations and Experiences Project investigated the gap between student expectations of university and their actual experiences in their first year.

  2. Time for study Most of the first year students surveyed had unrealistic expectations about how much time university to would require. The project found: “…the recommended amount of study for university subjects is 6-10 hours per week per subject (outside of class time). This is double what is expected of students at school and is equivalent to a full time job.”

  3. Preparation According to over half of the survey respondents school did not adequately prepared them for university study – they needed to be prepared to learn range of new skills and to study independently. The project found: “71% of continuing students report that the standard of university work is different or extremely different to school work.”

  4. Becoming independent learners University is very different from school – the standard of work is different, students are required to do more for themselves and you have more freedom. The project found: “Over 2/3 of new university students still believe that their university teachers will provide all the materials needed for their learning, but in reality you will need to learn to source information yourself.”

  5. Acknowledgements This work was funded by a grant from the Office of Learning and Teaching (based on the previous grant number CG9-1158) with the assistance of Flinders University, the University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide.

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