Student perceptions of student support services for first-year engineering students

Abstract

To help first-year students get accustomed to university, many universities organise intra- and extracurricular support initiatives. During the academic year, student support services at the Faculty of Engineering Technology at KU Leuven offer both course-specific activities as well as initiatives focusing on study career guidance and academic skills. Yet we notice that not all students find their way to these voluntary activities – even if they would benefit from the help. The purpose of this study is (1) to understand how first-year engineering students perceive the student support services, and (2) to understand how we can reach students who need the support, but do not find their way yet. This will further guide us in the development and communication of support activities. A small-scale questionnaire was distributed among first-year engineering students, followed by two focus group discussions. Our findings indicate that support needs are bigger at the start and end of the first semester. Crucial information such as how to study, and communication regarding support activities, should be served more than once, as first-year students still find it hard to filter out the right information. Students prefer course-specific Q&A sessions where they can hear questions of fellow students as well as the answers to those questions. A mentor for study career guidance is well appreciated. Tests and trial exams are important as triggers to start studying. We believe that these findings can inspire colleagues in other institutions.