Preparing for University: What do students want to know?

1. An Exploration of Needs of Students entering Health Care Programmes Preparing for University: What do students want to know? Leslie Robinson, Gilly Mehraban, Jackie Taylor, Sue Braid, Helen Matthews

2. Aims and objectives Take evidence-based approach to pre-induction activities to support transition • Literature review: identify key requirements for pre-registration student support for diverse students • Question year one students to determine additional support mechanisms students might have found useful prior to attending University. • Recommendations for development of information and materials in appropriate format

3. Findings from literature Reasons cited • Wrong choice of course • Financial • ‘Personal’ Davies & Elias (2003) • Socialisation • Accommodation (Trotter 2003) • Academic preparednesss (Yorke 1999) Successful strategies • Improving admissions procedure • Providing pre-entry information (Martinez, 1997) “very few problems that leavers face make it impossible for them to stay…. It is the perception of leavers that the problems cannot be resolved” Mackie (1998)

4. Method • Literature review: attrition and retention • Questionnaires to all full-time first year students (~400) in week 0 • Focus groups mixed representation week 0 and week 10 • What were their concerns prior to attending? • Information/communication methods

5. Analysis • Themes from qualitative interviews • Triangulated with questionnaire data for generalisability • Comparison with literature

6. Profile of students in the school and representativeness of respondents * Figures for the actual cohort (2006) were not available at the time of the analysis. Figures presented therefore represent the mean of the previous four years. Trend analysis shows that these figures are fairly steady for all categories except ethnicity which is has gradually increased from 8% in 20002 to 12% in 2005.

7. Areas of investigation • Concerns • Finance • Academic work • Fitting in with home life • Accommodation • Cultural and religious needs • Making friends • Information/communication • How • When • What • Who

8. Empirical data – concerns overall

9. Empirical data specific concerns

10. Findings empirical data • Concerns: Finance • Most commonly cited concern • 28% students rated it as strong concern • NHS Bursary • Complex administration • Lack of guidance • Inconsistent and untimely advice • General, managing personal finance • Suggested solutions • More specific guidance/guidelines • Typical budget statement • Availability of other sources of funding “More bursary information as did not receive forms in post”

11. Findings empirical data • Concerns: Level of academic work • 2nd Highest scoring concern for all age groups and both genders • Of increasing importance with age • Unsure what to expect • Unsure whether they were ‘up to it’ • Pre-course reading suggested as a solution/taster “the workbook …gave me an idea of the work”

12. Findings empirical data • Concerns: Fitting in with home life • 30-39 years of age scored more than ‘3’ • Students wanted to know more about work commitment and timetabling “Semester timetable for booking cheap flights home”

13. Findings empirical data • Concerns: Accommodation • Not a big concern due to student profile • Those in accommodation would prefer to have input into who they would be sharing with • Information on non-university accommodation and surrounding areas would be useful

14. Findings empirical data • Concerns: Cultural and religious needs • Not a big concern due to student profile • Ethnic minority students were slightly more concerned • Concerns scored less than neutral

15. Concerns regarding cultural and religious needs

16. Findings empirical data • Concerns: Making friends • Not a great concern possibly due to student cohort • Mature • Student on ‘people-oriented’ programmes

17. Concerns by age group

18. Concerns by gender

19. Concerns - summary • Generally students report low concerns • Exceptions: • finance and bursaries • level of academic work - disabled students are slightly more concerned regarding academic preparedness. • Little to differentiate students concerns in terms of age group and gender • Concerns re religious and cultural needs come from non-white groups and the strength of score is 3 (neutral) or less (small numbers though) • Low levels of concern re socialisation and accommodation

20. Findings empirical data • Communication: How • Website preferred method but many would appreciate hard copy information • Students reported friendliness of staff as important (central admissions, programme admissions tutors, year tutors, administrative staff) • Picture was one of inconsistency however

21. Findings empirical data • Communication: When • Would have liked earlier information, especially those going UF early in cycle • Some were bombarded with information • Some received little • Again, inconsistency

22. Findings empirical data • Communication: What • Relevance was key • Bank information and nightclubs not appreciated by mature students • School-specific Information • CRB, occupational health, NHS bursaries • Building layout • Programme-specific information • Detailed timetables • Pre-course reading • Clinical placements • Uniforms “Most of it not useful – seemed aimed at younger people”

23. Findings empirical data • Communication: Who • Central resources appreciated but wanted to speak to people who knew about the course • Requested school-specific help desk

24. Summary • Concurrence with literature • Finance • Level of study • Fitting in study with home life • Conflict with literature • Socialisation • Accommodation Cohort profile important in understanding the issues

25. Implementing recommendations Pre-induction package • Available as soon as they become UF • Delivered via Blackboard • User friendly (on-line instructions or face-to-face guidance sessions) • Welcome Pod casts • Frequently asked questions • Specific Programme Information • Pre-course reading material • Location maps • Help line

27. Improving Admissions Procedure (Martinez 1997) • What Admissions Tutors have done to address this • Out reach work started earlier • Taster days/workshops • Conferences for Careers Advisors • More Open days • Students need to have shadowed HCP • Route A6 • Summer study skills workshops

28. Evaluating Success - Targets • Current retention: 88.5% (first year students) • Target 2008: 90%!