– What I noticed most was the exam. As a student, you have much more freedom. It’s quite lovely, but it’s a lot more self-study where you have to sit down and figure something out yourself. Nobody forces you to do that task or practice for that test, says Natalie Sveberg. She is a first-year student on a bachelor’s degree in customs, goods handling and border control at the University of Stavanger (UiS). She and her classmate Matilde Sjøli both moved to Stavanger to study. A completely new city and completely new people. This was also their first encounter with moving on their own. – You have to become much more independent. When you become a student, many people have to move on their own. You can’t lean on others as much, and in addition, things feel much more serious when you start at a university, says Sjøli. The two know that the transition from a student at a secondary school to a student at UiS has gone smoothly. At the same time, they can understand that many think it can be a difficult adjustment. From pupil to student UiS will do something about that. From the academic year 2023/24, they are kicking off a new, research-based pilot project called Frå elev til student. The goal is to make it easier to cope with the transition from just being a student. Kari-Anne Svensen Malmo and Fredrik Normann Skår are among those working on the project. – There are probably many people who do not think and reflect on the fact that there is a transition and a division between being a pupil and a student. It’s about independence, that you are not followed up as closely as before and that academia is new for many, says Malmo. Project manager Kari-Anne Svensen Malmo and project member Fredrik Norman Skår think this is a good offer for new students. Photo: Morten Auestad Svendsen / news The project will be tested on five different study programs at UiS. On the four bachelor’s programs Nordic, religion, history and English, but also on the first-year students in the lecturer’s program from 8.-13. stage at the Department of Cultural and Linguistics. These programs have experienced a decline in the number of applicants and the number of students who complete. Malmo says this applies especially to bachelor’s programmes. – The Bachelor’s program has no compulsory lectures and therefore places greater demands on self-discipline. In addition, they do not hire for a specific professional qualification, such as teacher or lecturer, says Malmo. Berit Lødding at the Nordic Institute for Studies of Innovation, Research and Education (Nifu) wrote a report together with Per Olaf Aamodt in 2015. There they looked at the transition between secondary school and higher education through conversations with pupils and students. Lødding thinks the new offer at UiS is good. According to her, it can be challenging to get the students to persevere. – The question is whether they manage to train the endurance of the students. There are many distractions in the digital society we live in, and there are many things that derail the whole time, she says. Scores at UiS point to one thing in particular as extra challenging. – Many of the new students have never had an exam due to the pandemic. At the same time, we have an examination system which may not be old-fashioned, but which is well established and does not always adapt to the fact that today’s 19-year-olds have little experience with examinations. Father’s Day is not for everyone Natalie Sveberg felt vulnerable when she stood on her own two feet in an unfamiliar place for the first time. – I didn’t know anyone when I moved here. Everyone is in a way equally desperate to find someone to hang out with. Fadderveka helped a lot. If it hadn’t been for that, I don’t quite know where I would have been, she says. At the same time, she points out that Father’s Day is traditionally characterized by a lot of partying and alcohol, and is not necessarily for everyone. Therefore, the new offer can help more people get a foothold in a new, unfamiliar everyday life, she believes. Matilde Sjøli agrees. – Not everyone finds their place straight away, she says. The University of Stavanger wants the project to contribute to more people completing their studies. Photo: Morten Auestad Svendsen / news Malmo says the project will try to give the students a smoother transition from sponsor week. – As it is now, many people go straight from the godfather’s week to the lecture. From parties and fun to the demands and duties of a new course. It could be an abrupt transition, says Malmo. Research-based project According to Malmo, the Knowledge Center for Education at UiS works with systematic knowledge overviews. They collect and compare research to get the best offer for the students. – Completing an education requires some so-called non-cognitive skills such as showing up on time, tackling new challenges and being organised. A broad research base shows that such skills are just as important as, for example, intelligence, age, gender and grades from secondary school, says Malmo. – Although the students have to do a lot of this development process themselves, both we and the research are of the opinion that it is important that students know that there is help to be had. That is precisely what we want to demonstrate through this project. Skår believes that this is largely a learning environment measure to help new students. – We bring the new students together so that they will get to know each other better, and that we will gradually connect them to the purely academic business, concludes Skår.
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The University of Stavanger will prevent dropouts with a project on the transition from pupil to student – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
