Boosting the resilience factor during the transition to university; unravelling the fear of failure

At this time every year, students across the UK are preparing to transition into the next stage of their academic journey. The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that students beginning university in 2022-23 have experienced a more disrupted pre-university experience than most cohorts before them. This disruption and unpredictability contributes to a widely reported mental health crisis amongst young people in the UK. To ensure that we respond to the record-low levels of mental health and corresponding disengagement with their studies, we need to reflect and adapt our approach to student support, particularly for students in their transition into Higher Education. What has worked and was needed by previous cohorts is not necessarily what is needed now. Young people in the UK describe themselves as lacking hope, ambition and a desire to succeed. Self-confidence, resilience and learner agency are at an all-time low. Helping our students to develop skills which boost their resilience factor is arguably more important in the transition into university than academic or study skills.

In this presentation I will describe some of the approaches that my colleagues and I are taking to support students in building their resilience factor, growing their confidence and overcoming the fear of failure. By helping students to develop these skills during their transition into university, we begin to remove barriers to learning and ensure that our students are equipped with skills needed to thrive in their studies and beyond.