What it is like being a university student - Research Paper Example

? What It Is Like Being A Introduction In most of the countries of the world, social needs have been one of the significant factors in the establishment of the higher education institutions. Universities have led to the advancement of the well-being (The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, 2008). The first year of the students in the university is quite interesting because students are generally not acquainted with the environment of the university and finds everything very new and fascinating. Most of the students move out of their home country in order to seek for quality education and thus enroll themselves with universities with a hope that it will shape their future and thus help them in accomplishing their objective (Kuh, 2010). When students register themselves in universities, it becomes quite significant for them to separate themselves with the group with which they were associated previously such as family or high school peers and thus interact with the members of the new group. They are further supposed to incorporate the normative values of the new group which tends to be a daunting task. In universities peer-to-peer interaction and faculty-student interaction takes place where the student attempts to identify if the universities social environment is affable with his or her preferences or not. The students further tend to comply with the explicit norms as well as the normative academic values of the university (Kuh, Kinzie, Buckley, Bridges & Hayek, 2006). The broad sociological interest of the research problem is surrounded by the fact that international students as a group experience greater alterations during the initial transitional period. Most of the students tend to work part time and study as well. Therefore, maintaining a proper balance among the two becomes one of the difficult tasks for the student (The Open University, 2010). Moreover, international students are also supposed to deal with the disparities between their own cultural values, customs and that of their host country. They are faced with the issues of verbal and non-verbal communication and dealing with the interpersonal associations. However, these students are supposed to learn to adjust themselves and thus focus upon their studies. Therefore, the specific research question related to this study is “how does it feel being a university student”. The primary objective of the research project is to understand how the students feel when they are in the university. The study will also endeavor to identify the challenges faced by the students their study period in university. The main motto of the study will be to identify what motivates the student to choose a particular university. This research study will also stab to comprehend if the students enjoy being a part of university. It will try to identify the changes that take place in the overall personality of the students when they are in university. The significance of independence and freedom part of university life for a student will also be dealt with in this paper. It is to be mentioned that the study has not been designed to test any hypothesis. It is exploratory in nature and will explore the student life at universities. It will make attempts at understanding the broader sociological context of students at universities. The study is qualitative in nature and the method of collecting data is by means of interview method. The study is of utmost significance for sociologists as well as students. The students who want to join universities will be able to understand how it feels being a student of the university. It will offer them with theoretical knowledge regarding the life of students at universities. The study is of major significance for sociologists as it tries to comprehend the sociological context of the students at universities. It is quite significant to introduce the participants in the study. Maria is a female and has been an international student at Monash University. The interview took place in Clayton campus of Monash University. The interview was conducted on 1st of April, 2012 at around 12.32 am. She was interviewed for nearly 31 minutes. The other participant in the study with whom the interview was conducted was Millie. She is a female and her age is 26. She is an administrative officer. She used to study in Monash University prior to her job as administrative officer. MJ has been a student who is 21 years old. His country of origin has been South East Asia. He lives alone in shared house. This student has also been studying at Monash University. The other participant is an American male of 26 years old who moved to Melbourne. Presently he is working as a bartender and is living in shared apartment. The student graduated in the year 2007. Literature Review It can be stated that the literatures that have been selected for the purpose of this study are non-empirical by their nature. They also tend to make use of the thematic analysis in order to support the research findings. The literatures chosen also make use of similar methodologies that has been utilized in this paper. First year in university tends to be quite challenging. Students mark the initiation of a developmental period which is featured by numerous life-transforming experiences. It is in universities when the students tend to make new friends and thus create social connections which are quite essential for the success of the student. At the same time, the academic environment also demands a lot. Increasing academic demands in an atmosphere of independence as well as flexibility tends to challenge most of the students belonging to first year (The Higher Education Academy, 2012). Along with confronting academic and social challenges, it is often noted that the college students also face challenge from financial institutions who perceive them as a profitable market. Most of the students are employed when they are at universities. They tend to demonstrate more responsible financial behavior in comparison to non-working students. The students tend to work in order to support their studies. However, they tend to compromise with their academic performance when they are at work (Beswick, 1973). The success of the universities is associated with huge number of student as well as personal development results that confer gains on individuals as well as society. These comprise of becoming efficient in writing, speaking, critical thinking and applying quantitative skills and more extremely developed levels of personal functioning which is demonstrated by self-awareness, self-worth, social competence as well as sense of determination (The University of Nottingham, 2012). Social networks are frameworks of associations that tend to connect the agents of the society. The characteristics of these associations and the degree to which they endorse students in their college-based activities or present difficulties to academic progress may alter in numerous ways. It is well known fact that those students are more likely to survive if their values, behaviors and standards are already consistent with the prevailing arrangement in university (The United States Airforce Academy, 2002). It is quite significant for the students to manage their time properly when they are at universities. Proper time management will assist the students in maintaining balance among the social life as well as university life. They must adapt themselves with the new culture so that they don’t feel aloof in the college (Duze, 2010). Research Methodology The main motto of the study has been to comprehend how students feel when they are at universities. In order to attain the objectives, among the numerous research approaches such as qualitative research, quantitative research, deductive research, inductive research, objective research, subjective research and descriptive research among others, the research methodology that has been chosen for the study is qualitative research study (Jones & Bartiett Learning, 2010). Qualitative research is also known as the ethnographic research, which involves the narrative data collection within a natural setup, to obtain insights into the observable facts of the interest. Qualitative research involves the ‘open ended survey responses’, ‘feedback forms’, ‘emails’ and ‘interview transcripts’. These methods are the domain of the qualitative researches. It helps to acquire insights of the human behaviour, attitudes, motivations, values, lifestyles, and culture and value systems among others. Qualitative research also assists in gathering the empirical support for proposed hypotheses of a research. It is generally used to explore issues to understand phenomena and to answer questions based on a particular situation. In order to attain the objective of the study, interview has been conducted with four different students of universities (University of Guelph, 2012). It is to be mentioned that the sample for the study are the student who has been either studying at university or who used to study previously. Interview was conducted with four students, so the sample size for the purpose of this study is four. Non probability sampling method has been chosen for the study because social researches are generally conducted in contexts where it becomes difficult to choose the kinds of probability samples. However, in order to conduct the study, it is significant to obtain group of respondents. Therefore, it is because of this reason non-probability sampling method has been chosen for the study (Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning, 2012). One of the major limitations posed by the sample is that the size of the sample is too small which might lead to greater difficulties in generalizing the findings to the broader community based upon this study alone. Data Collection Method Data collection is one of the most important elements of a research process. It involves the process of collecting various data or information regarding the subject matter of the study. Data collection method can be of two types, i.e. primary data collection method and secondary data collection method. Primary data collection method involves the process of collecting the data through primary source such as; face to face interview, questionnaire, personal investigation and uses of local reports. The secondary data collection method involves the process of collecting data through journals, articles, online sources and books. In this paper primary data collection method as well as secondary data collection method has been applied (Axinn & Pearce, 2006). Interview method has been applied in order to collect the data regarding the view points of the students in relation to life at university. The three participant’s interview was recorded in a tape recorded and the interview of one participant was recorded in iPhone. The interviews were transcribed with the help of the software. The names of few participants has been anonymised at the transcription stage and pseudonyms assigned. Data Analysis Data analysis is also a very significant part of the research methodology which includes the analysis and evaluation of the collected data to obtain a specific and valid conclusion (Dartmouth, 1996). In this paper analysis of the interview or the study is based on facts in hand, through thematic analysis under the qualitative method. Although a grounded approach has been the main method in the study, the analysis was informed by the themes. An iterative process of close reading and re-reading of the data by making use of the existing preliminary themes led to the creation of new structure of themes. Four themes have been taken into consideration. The four themes that the paper will try to concentrate upon are:- Students’ feeling at university Motivating factor behind choice of particular university Challenges faced by students in University Importance of freedom and independence at university for students These four themes have been taken into consideration since they help to present holistic views on student life at university and thus make the study quite comprehensive. This paper aims at dealing with subjectivity, identifying the complexity of lived experience and thus puts focus upon understanding human experiences. Ethical Issues When conducting any research it is quite significant to pay due attention towards ethical issues. It is worthy of mentioning the fact that this paper did not face any adverse consequences of unethical issues. Prior to interviewing the participants, the interviewer obtained consent from the participants. The purpose of the research was clearly articulated to the participants so that they are well aware of the reasons behind conducting the research work. The research has been conducted for the academic purpose and the research guide will be using the results. The research guarantees high level of anonymity and confidentiality among the research participants. The identity of the participants will not be disclosed in order to maintain high degree of confidentiality. The data will be stored properly and the data will be recorded namelessly. At the end of the research the data will be disposed off securely so that there are no chances of the data being misused by others. Verbal consent was obtained from the participants for the study. They were articulated regarding the freedom to withdraw from the interview at any point of time. The subjects chosen for the study are too common and interesting which the students prefers to share with the participants. They did not pose any kind of discomfort or embarrassment with regards to the questions that was asked to them during the interview. In order to minimise the discomforts and embarrassment in relation to the question, due attention has been paid while asking questions to the interviewee. Only those questions have been included which is capable of assisting in the attainment of the research problem. Findings In the previous chapter it was mentioned that the research will be based on a qualitative research approach. The data for findings and analysis of the research have been obtained by interviewing 4 students. The main objective of the study has been to identify the feelings and perception of the students when they are at university. It is worthy of stating the fact that the analysis has been conducted based on thematic approach. The four themes will be discussed in different sub-sections. Feelings Of Students At Universities From the interview, it was identified that most of the students felt quite good being at the university. All the four participants stated the fact that they enjoyed being at university. Nathan stated ‘Oh wow, it was probably some of the best times of my life’ (Nathan); The participants demonstrated the fact that university offers them with the scope to interact with various people who belong to different culture and country. MJ stated the fact that being a university student permits him to become an independent learner (MJ); Millie was excited with the fact that the students are capable of working part time and can study as well. She mentioned that being capable of working during studying which is better option for the university student, the students understand the fact that they have to earn money in order to bear the expenses while they are at university (Millie); It has been found that being at university the students learn to become quite independent and they tend to do things of their own. They stated the fact that they get lots of support from their tutors when they face any kind of problems in the university. They revealed the fact that they get the scope to interact with the students and the teachers a lot which ultimately improves their communication skills. Maria stated the fact that she feels quite comfortable in the university because she gets the scope to interact a lot and can also talk openly (Maria); It can be thus stated that students enjoy being at university. They get the company of their friends and get to interact with the people belonging to numerous cultures. It is a well known fact that most of the learners prefer going to universities in order to improve personal happiness as well as satisfaction, gaining more money and meeting the requirements of the job. Students tend to achieve self-confidence while they are at universities. When students move to universities major alterations takes place in them such as from being a source for information to becoming a self-directed human being. The success of the student at the university is impacted by economic realities as well as personnel development requirements. Students at the universities are supposed to negotiate with the foreign environment and are also supposed to interact with the aliens. This might bring anxiousness at the beginning. However, such challenges tend to offer the students with a learning experience (Liamputtong, 2011). Motivating Factor Behind The Choice Of Particular University Students were interviewed regarding the motivating factor behind the choice of a particular university. In this context, Maria revealed the fact that the main reason behind the choice of Monash University has been her specialisation and the university tends to offer a perfect course for her specialisation. The ambience of the university has also been one of the main factors behind the choice of Monash University by Maria. She also identified that the university offers many facilities to the students (Maria); On the other hand, Millie revealed the fact that the main reason behind the choice of Monash University has been that it is closer to her home. She also stated that since her sister used to study in Monash University, she recommended Millie to join the university as it was quite good. Reputation of the university has also been noted to be one of the most significant factors for the student in making choices among the numerous universities. Most of the students stated the fact that reputation and ranking of the university is considered to be one of the motivating factors behind the choice of any particular university. Nathan on the other hand stated that in the first year of the university, the students are faced with bland courses that do not motivate the students to attend the classes of the university (Nathan); It can be identified that there are numerous factors which are responsible for motivating the students to join a particular university. There are six motivational factors such as amenableness, individual goal setting and sense of belonging, lifestyle of particular university, career and interest. The other factors that tends to motivate the students at choosing a particular university are parents, program availability, location of the institutions, advice of others as well as availability of financial assistance along with reputation of academic program (Kember, Ho & Hong, 2010). It can be analysed that the universities are supposed to make their courses quite interesting so that the students feel interested to attend their classes. Challenges Faced By Students When the students were asked regarding the challenges that they face when they are students, most of them gave similar replies to it. Maria stated the fact that multi-culturism in university presents challenge for her because people belonging to various cultures study in her university and thus she needs to interact with them. It has also been noted that foreign students face the problems related to accommodation when they come to study abroad. She also stated that initially she faced the problem in writing assignments which was quite easier in her home country. Maria said that one of the problems that she faced in Australia is with the racist people. The opinions of Millie has been little different from that of Maria with regards to the challenge faced by her in university. Millie stated that the main challenge according to her has been the alteration from high school to university (Millie); She also stated the fact that since universities tends to be quite big, meeting with new people, choosing the appropriate course among hundreds of them offers the students with challenge. Balancing between university life as well as work also presents challenge for the university students according to Millie (Millie); It has also been found from the findings that a proper balance between university life as well as social life can be quite challenging for the students. In simple words adaptation to the environment of the university becomes complex in the initial days of university life for the students. It was noted that Nathan stated that he confronted numerous challenges in the university. He revealed the fact that in universities, ‘the students are free to make their own decisions which could be quite difficult’ (Nathan); He also argued that one of the biggest challenge for the student of the university is to pressure oneself to be a responsible adult (Nathan); The findings from the interview identified the fact that students may confront financial challenges. According to most of the participants in the interview, time management has been recognised to be one of the most complex tasks at universities. From the above findings it can be analysed that the biggest challenge faced by the students face in university is proper management of time and maintaining a balance between university life and social life. It can be analysed that the academic challenge confronted by the new students at university can be quite demanding. The students are supposed to take accountability for their own learning, administer their workload and thus accomplish their assignments in strict deadlines. For this the students require tremendous self-motivation as well as commitment. The students are supposed to adapt themselves with the methods related to teaching and method of learning at the university. They must also learn the method to study independently and thus deal with the volume and pace of the workload (Kitzrow, 2003). Importance Of Independence And Freedom For Students Independence and freedom tends to be one of the significant factors for most of the students. From the interview it has been noted that when students are at schools they tend not to be as independent as they are when they are at universities. University life teaches the student to be quite independent and the students learn to do their things by their own (Millie); It can be mentioned that at university students are supposed to focus upon independent learning. It can be viewed as a context where students try to interpret and gain new knowledge as well as skills independently from the surrounding. Universities are also found to play a vital role in endorsing academic autonomy along with freedom of communication. Universities are considered to be the place where discussions on numerous matters can take place. It tends to motivate the students to think independently for themselves and thus generate their own opinions. It can be analysed that the factor of independence and freedom has a noteworthy role to play in enhancing the knowledge and skills of the students at the universities. It acts as motivating factor in making the students think independently. The research findings indicate the fact that first year at university tends to be quite cumbersome for the students, since they are supposed maintain a proper balance between the work life and university life. However, the students enjoy being at university mostly because of the fact that the ambience of most of the universities tends to be quite pleasant for the students. The facilities that universities offer to the students along with the reputation of the university are the main factors that help the students in making optimal selection of the university. Discussion and Conclusion Education has always been one of the main priorities for the people around the world. Students enrol themselves in the universities in order to gain higher education. The main objective of the paper was to identify how students feel when they enrol themselves at universities. In order to attain these objective interview was conducted with the students. The findings reveal the fact that students enjoy being at universities because the students get an opportunity to become an independent learner (Ekundayo & Adedokun, 2009). It offers them with the scope to interact with people from numerous cultures which enhances the student’s capability to socialise. However, the students are faced with certain challenges in the university in the first year because they are new to the university and thus adjusting with the environment become a cumbersome task. It is quite significant for the university to design their courses in a way that can help in attracting greater number of students (Sodexo, 2012). Furthermore, the culture of the university needs to be such that the new students do not feel alienated during first few days in the college. The facilities offered by the universities, career options, financial assistance and advice from others are some of the factors that motivate the students to join a particular university. Therefore, it can be concluded that being at university is completely different than being at high school. Attending university is a prodigious experience for most of the students. The students get much freedom at universities. They get to study subjects that interest them the most. Meeting with different people and involving themselves in different activities offers the students different experiences. Since universities offer the students a chance to interact with people of different cultures, caste and creed therefore they get the opportunity to broaden their skills and work by implementing skills from numerous people (University of Arizona, 2009). The main limitation for this project is that it took into account interview with 4 students only which limited the scope of the study. It has paid emphasis upon four main themes merely which might hamper the attainment of the objective of the study. The research design could have been improved if the sample size was greater in number and more than five themes were selected for the study. However, as per the demand of the project, the research study has focused upon four themes. In the near future, it would be quite advantageous if more numbers of respondents are interviewed. This will help in attaining generalised conclusions. References Axinn, W. G. & Pearce, L. D. (2006). Mixed Method Data Collection Strategies. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. Beswick, R. L. K. (1973). A study of factors associated with student choice in the university selection process. Retrieved from https://www.uleth.ca/dspace/bitstream/handle/10133/17/ML53045.pdf?sequence=3 Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning. (2012). Samples and sampling. Retrieved from http://ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/qmss/samples_and_sampling/types_of_sampling.html Dartmouth. (1996). What Is data analysis. 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