Transition Experiences of International
Students Joining Undergraduate Studies in
Second Year
Gayle Pringle and Fred Cartmel
Outline
• Background to project
• The student experience
• Measures implemented to support
transition
Student background
• International students
• Attend 2 or 3 terms at a partner institution
– Subject specialisms
– Academic and language support
– Based in Glasgow
• Join GU in second year:
– Social Sciences
– Science
– Engineering
• Cohorts:
– 25 - 28 students
– Majority in MA Social Sciences
MA Social Sciences: Three Degrees
Second Year
Years 3 and 4
Subject 1
Level 2
40 Credits
Single Honours
Subject 2
Level 2
40 Credits
Joint Honours
Subject 3
Level 1
40 Credits
Social Sciences
Aims of the project
Aims:
• To explore international students’
experiences of joining undergraduate
courses in second year
• To implement appropriate measures to
support the transition of this group
Supported by the University of Glasgow
Learning and Teaching Development
Fund
Research into the student experience
• Semi-structured interviews
• 2008-9
– 9 individual interviews with new 2nd years (7
students)
• 2009-10
– 2 group interviews with new 2nd years in
semester one (3 and 6 students)
– 1 group interview with new 2nd years in
semester two (6 students)
– 1 group interview with 3rd years (2 students)
Transition to GU
• Feelings before starting at GU:
– Positive
– Some nerves
– Some practical problems receiving offers
• Information before arriving
– Gaps in 2008-9 – MA Soc Sci course choices
– Unproblematic in 2009-10
• Registration and enrolment
– Potentially complex process
– Enrolment tiring and confusing
– Possibility of missing first class meeting
Experience of classes
• Lectures
–
–
–
–
Enjoyment of academic level
Language could be a barrier
Good awareness of value of preparation
Strong desire for lecture outlines on slides
• Tutorials
– Language could be a barrier to participation
– Casual references to unfamiliar
British/European context challenging
• Challenges less intense by semester two
Independent study
• Time management
– Major adjustment issue
• Reading
– Time-consuming but no major challenges
• Assessment
– Exams more challenging than essays for some
students
• English language support
– Difficult to prioritise English language
development in busy schedule
Extra-curricular activities
• Social life:
– Very mixed experiences
– Initially difficult in large lectures
– Concerns over English language
• Clubs and societies
– Enjoyable, good way of meeting people
– Volunteering a good option
– Concerns over time
Addressing the pre-arrival “information gap”
Increased contact between LBSS staff and
pre-arrival students
• Enhanced information on course choices
for students and partner institution staff
• Emphasis on updating postal address
• Pre-arrival visit to Faculty
– Chat with earlier cohort and current 1st year
students
– Attending a lecture
– Chance to discuss lecture and impressions
Supporting the transition
Booklet: ‘What’s it really like to study
at the University of Glasgow?’
• Based on views of students who
have made the transition
– Discussion meeting to suggest key
areas
– Student contributions of written
materials
– ‘What I wish I’d known when I started”
Booklet: sample student comments
“please do as much as you can to prepare for the
lectures. You’ll find that you can easily get more from
classes if you do this kind of preparation than just by
coming to class and listening.”
“Lecture notes are not enough to deal with exams
and you can’t avoid reading books.”
“The biggest challenge I have had since starting at
GU is time management and self-organising.”
“I’m now teaching Chinese in Hillhead High School.
It’s a really fantastic experience.”
Overall themes
• Need for ongoing information delivery:
– Pre-arrival
– On arrival
• Support with classes
– Provision of outlines in lectures
– Clarification of culturally-specific references
• Negotiating time constraints:
– Language support
– Extra-curricular activities
Project contacts
Gayle Pringle
• Faculty International Officer, LBSS
• G.Pringle@lbss.gla.ac.uk
Fred Cartmel
• Chief Adviser, MA Social Sciences
• F.Cartmel@lbss.gla.ac.uk