Stories of the First-Year Experience

Paul Mather (Senior Lecturer - Faculty of Business and Economics)

I look up at the sea of anxious faces in front of me at the introductory accounting lecture in Clayton and the same thought goes through my head every time - "They seem to be getting younger every year". I have recently realised that my getting older is a far more plausible explanation! However, over the years the one constant I keep seeing is first year students having difficulties adjusting to the academic side of university life. Based on numerous "post-mortems" with students and feedback from tutors, I believe that such transition problems are a major contributor to students failing or not reaching their potential in first year accounting.

The key problem areas we have identified are as follows:

1. The limited contact time being taken as a signal for the amount of study required at university and/or not having the discipline to study in an unstructured environment.
2. Students not realising that they need to take responsibility for their own learning.
3. The myth perpetuated at secondary schools that "Year 12 is the academically hardest year of a student's life".
4. Students being slow to build social networks at university therefore having very little peer support when things start getting tough. This is partly a function of most students continuing to live at home and socialising away from, rather that at, university.

We, as lecturers and tutors, have to start off by accepting that we need to make a greater effort to help students with some or all of the above. The Faculty of Business and Economics recently introduced tutorials in the week 1 of semester for every 1st year subject. These tutorials are generally devoid of technical content but are used to try and address transition issues. Initial feedback from tutors and students has been positive.

In the introductory accounting subject at Clayton, students are allocated to groups of 4-6 within tutorials and are required to prepare joint solutions to certain tutorial problems, one of which takes the form a group presentation. The group work forms part of the continuous assessment in this subject. Once again the feedback has been generally positive and many of us have found that many students maintain a working relationship with other members of their group. For example you often see these students revising together and attending staff consultations as a group. Whilst helping to address the fourth problem noted above, the group work also helps develop certain generic skills such as working in teams (including dealing with free riders!) and presentation skills.

My tips for students would include:

1. Do not be fooled by the three hours of contact time. In accounting we advise that the average student requires at least 8 hours of private study over and above contact time.
2. You need to take responsibility for your own learning. However, your tutors and lecturers are more approachable than you think. Do see them if you are experiencing any problems.
3. Believe us when we tell you that the myth perpetuated at secondary schools that "year 12 is the academically hardest year of a student's life" is quite incorrect.
4. Make use of the opportunity of being at university to make friends, join a club and/or play sport. Being at university is far more than just an academic experience. Do not miss out!