Academic Success of First-Year University Students - Essay Example

First Year and Academic Success Affiliation: First year university students often claim that good academic skills will lead them to academic success. However, research suggests that social skills and personal attributes have a significant influence on how well students cope with the challenges of transition to university. Discuss. Students’ lives are subject to the influence of many different factors. In particular, the first year of university is perhaps the most challenging in the life of a student. When students join institutions of higher learning, they are expected to undergo some form of transition in bid to adapt to the new environment. This process, however, is not easy but challenging at varying levels depending on how well a student copes with his/her new university life. Even though students adapt to university settings at varying levels, there is no doubt that social skills and personal attributes come in handy in that regard. The primary objective of any given student is to achieve academic success. This success requires students to demonstrate the ability to learn, gain knowledge, and subsequently portray academic skills. Before students think about academic success, they should make sure that the environment around them is favorable and conducive for learning. In other words, transition to university life is critical to the academic success realized by students. Contrary to the belief of many first year students, social skills and personal traits influence the extent to which a student copes with the challenges of transition as far as university is concerned (Goto & Martin, 2009). It is important to remember that institutions of higher learning promote both curricular and extracurricular programs. In light of these observations, university students cannot base their ultimate success solely on academic skills. Other diverse and dynamic factors also come into play in that respect. Notably, the ability to socialize, interact, and engage with other people in different curricular and extracurricular activities come in handy in the transition process. Academic success is not a one-direction goal or objective. In other words, academic skills are reinforced by other factors as far as academic success is concerned. First year university students, therefore, should be ready to embrace the importance of social skills and personal attributes in the university setting. What this means is that successful transition to university is not only an academic pursuit, but also an opportunity for students to demonstrate their people skills. People skills go a long way in enhancing how well students cope with their first year in university. University life revolves around an individual student and all other students around the university community. The first important thing to do for an individual student is to get oriented to how universities function and operate. This means learning to know and to understand the system. Without learning, knowing, and understanding the university system, it is highly likely that the transition process will be problematic for the student (Bewick, Koutsopoulou, Miles, Slaa, & Barkham, 2010). The idea is to focus on one-self, the independence that comes with university life, and establishing another home away from home. Once students join university, three important things come into perspective. These things include studies, working, and family. Richardson, King, Garrett, and Wrench (2012) contend that first year university students find it extremely difficult to balance studies, work, and family. Coming to a new environment away from home, family, and friends is a challenging experience. According to Richardson, King, Garrett, and Wrench (2012), first year university students undergo significant mental health changes during the transition to university process. This does not happen because they have poor academic skills, but because they often feel withdrawn, isolated, or helpless before they get used to the new university environment. In light of the above paragraph, it is evident that social skills and personal attributes influence the extent to which first year university students cope with the transition process. For sociable students, the orientation period provides an opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. The opposite is true for students who find socialization difficult to undertake. Getting to know people around the university increases a student’s personal network, thus making it easy for the involved students to get around the campus. Social skills do not end with meeting new people and making new friends. Social skills encompass diverse practices that enhance the personality and welfare of the student in the university. A student who is ready to know the system will learn how to make the system work in his/her favor. Such a student will learn about the available resources, especially those designed to assist students get through the transition process. For example, most universities host social activities that meet diverse student needs, interests, and preferences. In addition, almost all universities have student welfare programs that provide guidance, counseling, and mentorship to students. All these resources are critical when it comes to adapting to university life. In essence, it is important for first year university students to learn how to control, manage, and direct their independent lives once they join institutions of higher learning (Bitsika, Sharpley, & Rubenstein, 2010). The first year of university is undoubtedly stressful. While academic skills are just as useful, social skills and personal attributes go a long way in managing stress. Stress-tolerant students are highly likely to do better when it comes to coping with and managing stress. Some students break easily under pressure, while others show resilience and resistance to pressure. While overwhelming situations have a given level of effect on students, students with the ability to calm themselves down easily will ultimately do better than those who lack that ability. This is more so when it comes to coping with the balance between studies, work, and family. It is difficult to strike the right balance, but it is all the same possible. The ability, or lack of it thereof, to strike a functional balance between studies, work, and family show that personal differences among students affect how they cope with their first year of university (Glogowska, Young, & Lockyer, 2007). While some do find this balance, others struggle with the three aspects for a significant period. The decision to pursue higher educate is personal, and so are the choices that follow thereafter. Personal traits of every student influence the way they deal with emerging challenges in the university. For some students, being organized and focused helps get rid of distractions, thereby enhancing personal welfare during the first year of university. For the disorganized lot, coping with the transition process could prove disorganized or disoriented. They hop from one coping strategy to another, thereby raising their stress levels from time to time. Ideally, positive personal attributes come in handy during the first year of university. Drawing from the above discussion, there is no doubt that social skills and personal attributes are critical to the academic success of a student. Academic skills require the back up of social skills and personal traits in the process of seeing first year students through their transition to university. Creating and maintaining meaningful relationships in the university depend on how best a student practices social skills. Meaningful relationships support diverse and intercultural interactions within universities, an aspect that further reflects the importance of positive personal attributes. Personal attributes come in handy as far as studying, working, keeping in touch with family, and most importantly coping with stress are concerned. References Bewick, B., Koutsopoulou, G., Miles, J., Slaa, E., & Barkham, M. (2010). Changes in undergraduate students’ psychological well-being as they progress through university. Studies in Higher Education, 35(6), 633-645. Bitsika, V., Sharpley, C., & Rubenstein, V. (2010). What stresses university students: An interview investigation of the demands of tertiary studies. Australian Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 20(1), 41-54. Glogowska, M., Young, P., & Lockyer, L. (2007). Should I go or should I stay? Active Learning in Higher Education, 8(1), 63-77. Goto, S., & Martin, C. (2009). Psychology of success: Overcoming barriers to pursuing further education. Journal of Continuing Higher Education, 57(1), 10-21. Richardson, A., King, S., Garrett, R., & Wrench, A. (2012). Thriving or just surviving? Exploring student strategies for a smoother transition to university. A Practice Report. The International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education, 3(2), 87-93. Read More