How to support first-year students: 15 strategies

The transition into a student’s first year at university is, without question, critical. Those early days shape their academic success, emotional well-being, and overall student engagement.

The first year sets the emotional timbre for the remainder of their higher education career and builds the educational foundation for subsequent learning. It is often a test of resilience across a chasm that often entails a geographical move, new people, new living situations, new learning styles, and new educational demands.

In fact, according to 2024 research from the Education Data Initiative, nearly 24% of freshmen do not re-enroll. At public two-year institutions, a whopping 39% of first-year students dropped out in 2020-2021. These percentages represent a painful number of students who come to university filled with expectations and leave with dashed hopes and fractured dreams.

So what can educational institutions do about this? We’ll explore how to support first-year students with 15 powerful strategies that help foster student retention and well-being.

1. How can you reset student expectations before they arrive?

Student enrollment doesn’t begin on the first day of school, but in a time period that precedes the beginning of their first semester at university. Research shows that our expectations influence how we perceive the world around us, and students historically come to college with expectations formed by years of narratives outside of the university’s control.

Unfortunately, this often means that students arrive at university with unrealistic expectations, anticipating that learning and workload will not differ drastically from their secondary education experience.

How can universities help set appropriate expectations? The university-student narrative needs to take place earlier in a student’s education, whether through mentor programs, brochures, or outreach programs like Outward Bound. By doing so, universities take control of their own narrative.

Here are some ways you can manage student expectations before day one:

• Pre-enrollment outreach via mentorship programs, digital content, and interactive onboarding sessions.
• First-year seminars that introduce students to academic standards, campus culture, and study skills.
• Early engagement initiatives such as summer bridge programs to prepare students for the transition.
• Explain college jargon and any terminology that might be unfamiliar to first-year students.

2. Why are peer mentorship programs so effective?

Starting university can be overwhelming for first-year students — and having a mentor can make all the difference.

Peer mentorship programs pair first-year students with experienced upperclassmen who provide guidance, encouragement, and practical advice. This less formal style of mentorship helps create a structured support system outside of faculty members where students can ask more vulnerable questions, learn from someone who has been in their shoes more recently, and start to build a sense of community on campus.

Here are some ways you can promote effective peer mentoring:

• Academic and campus-life guidance to help students develop study skills and understand university expectations.
• Socialization by introducing students to campus life, extracurricular activities, and student-led organizations.
• Emotional support, ensuring that first-years have someone to talk to about their transition and the student-specific challenges they’re facing.

3. How do first-year seminars support student success?

Outside of orientation, there are other ways you can support new students. First-year seminars are designed to help students transition into university life. During these events, students have the freedom to explore academic expectations, discover their own methods for academic success, and engage with the campus culture around them.

Some themes you can focus on in first-year seminars include building essential skills like time management, critical thinking, and academic writing. It’s also an opportunity to introduce them to key campus resources, which can help first-years feel more connected and supported from day one.

Some ways to build strong first-year seminars include:

• Expand on orientation discussions to familiarize students with academic and social expectations.
• Introduce essential study skills such as note-taking, research methods, and exam preparation.
• Create opportunities for mentorship, where faculty and upperclassmen can provide guidance.

4. How can you supplement learning in large lecture courses?

When the vast majority of first-generation college students are educated in large (and oftentimes necessary) lecture halls, the need for supplemental learning increases. While a university’s definition of “authentic learning” is to promote active reflection and original thinking, a lecture hall largely reinforces the banking model of education.

Students may come to university having used memorization as their main form of learning. This makes university, where original thinking is of utmost priority, a rude awakening. How do we impart active learning to students within the context of lecture halls?

One of the ways we can promote active learning is to direct students to ask questions. When students bring questions to lectures, the assignment implicitly requires reading and generating their own thoughts and direction about the readings. Furthermore, modeling a lecture around student questions reinforces active learning.

To nurture active learning within your courses, you can:

• Encourage pre-lecture engagement by assigning preparatory readings or requiring students to submit questions before class.
• Implement small-group discussions within large lectures to facilitate peer learning and engagement.
• Offer supplemental instruction, such as guided study sessions and academic support workshops, to reinforce lecture material.

5. How can office hours support first-year students?

Many students might feel intimidated by the idea of approaching their professors outside of class, or they may not fully understand the purpose of office hours. As a result, office hours are often sorely neglected and their potential as a safe space to generate strong teacher-student relationships and intellectual rapport and dialogue is lost.

But getting to know instructors better isn’t the only advantage. There are many benefits to office hours for students, from clarification on in-class content, help on current assignments, reviews of previous exams, and even learning from the questions other students ask. We can meet with students before class and chat in the lecture hall, but we can also invite students to office hours for open-ended discussion, as opposed to addressing tactical issues about assignments.

Encourage faculty to be approachable--and frame office hours as a time for students to discuss questions and understand lecture content further. It’s boring, too, for instructors to spend office hours by themselves. Why not have company and facilitate students through learning?

To help motivate students to attend office hours, faculty can:

• Frame office hours as open discussions, rather than just a time to review assignments.
• Offer flexible scheduling to accommodate different student needs, including evening or even virtual office hours.
• Actively invite students to attend, reminding them of the benefits and normalizing participation.

6. Why is early and frequent feedback important?

If students aren’t sure of expectations or come from different learning backgrounds, then early and frequent feedback is paramount. Feedback is an opportunity to build scaffolding for students as they adjust to their first year at university. Educators can shepherd students toward critical thinking and original thought as they propose, draft, and flesh out their ideas.

Without feedback, students are on their own until they receive a grade, which puts students at risk of falling behind and may ultimately result in a demoralizing educational experience. As a result, students may feel lost, only discovering their progress when grades are issued — sometimes too late to make meaningful changes.

To ensure students receive the support they need, instructors should:

• Incorporate low-stakes assessments early in the semester to help students gauge their understanding.
• Provide detailed, constructive feedback that guides students toward improvement.
• Encourage peer review and self-assessment, allowing students to engage actively in their learning process.
• Allow for easy and constructive feedback processes between instructor and student.

7. How can instructors clearly communicate grading expectations?

Being in a new environment is overwhelming--there is a lot of ambiguity when a student moves to a new place, meets a new friend group, and joins a new educational institution. But we can offset the ambiguity of transition by being clear with the ways in which we evaluate first-year students.

Make sure to lay out the methods by which students will be measured in the syllabus, how they will be scored, and, most importantly, why these evaluations exist. In the midst of all the noise of transition, it helps students if instructors are clear on the end goals and how to reach these goals.

Best practices for clear communication and grading transparency include:

• Providing a detailed syllabus outlining course objectives, grading criteria, and expectations.
• Explaining evaluation methods early in the semester and offering examples of high-quality work.
• Using rubrics for assignments gives students a clear roadmap for success.

8. What mental health support should universities offer first-year students?

The stress of starting college can have a major impact on students’ mental health, which can impact their performance, which only leads to more stress, anxiety, and more low grades. In other words? An academic “doom loop”. It’s important for universities to proactively address mental well-being by making support services accessible and promoting on-campus awareness about these programs.

On-campus counseling centers, wellness workshops, and peer support groups can help students cope with pressures — both inside and outside of school. Removing the stigma from mental health conversations and making sure students know where they can find help can make a big difference in the first-year experience.

Here are some ways you can provide mental health support to your students:

• Offer free or low-cost counseling services to ensure accessibility for all students.
• Promote mental health awareness through workshops, events, and student organizations (and post flyers across campus as well).
• Train faculty and staff to recognize signs of distress and guide students toward appropriate resources.
• Provide virtual counseling services to ensure that students always have access to support, whenever they need it.

9. What are the best ways to promote community for new students?

As much as educators would like to believe students come to school just to learn, that’s simply not true. Many students come to university with dreams of new friend groups and deeper social connections. A strong sense of community — outside of orientations and first-year seminars — can make all the difference in a student’s college experience. Social events, group projects, and extracurricular activities help students form connections and develop a sense of belonging.

When students feel connected to each other, they’re not only more likely to stay enrolled — they’re also more likely to stay engaged and persist through academic challenges. When students feel good in their social and personal lives, they tend to perform better academically.

Here are some ways to promote campus community activities:

• Host social gatherings such as welcome events, cultural celebrations, and themed mixers.
• Encourage participation in clubs and organizations that align with student interests.
• Integrate group work into coursework to promote collaboration and peer learning.
• Offer informal sports teams like pickleball, frisbee golf, and more.

10. Why is academic advising important in the first year?

We’ve focused a lot on peer-to-peer support, but let’s not forget that academic advisors and professors play a pivotal role in helping students navigate their first year. Whether it’s guidance on course selection, degree requirements, and potential career pathways, academic support services can help first-years make informed decisions about their education.

In fact, research shows that first-year students were retained at a rate of three to six percentage points higher than expected when they regularly met with an advisor. Regular check-ins can prevent students from feeling lost or overwhelmed, improve retention, and increase overall student happiness.

Here’s how universities can provide support to students:

• Offer one-on-one advising sessions to provide personalized academic planning.
• Create group advising workshops to address common concerns and FAQs.
• Develop online advising resources for easy access to academic planning tools.

11. How can celebrating achievements motivate students?

No matter our age, everyone loves a little positive recognition. Recognizing student accomplishments — both big and small — can help boost confidence and motivation. That’s why it’s important to create systems that acknowledge students' progress, whether through public awards, student recognition programs, or informal praise in one-to-one sessions or assignments.

Studies have shown that recognizing academic achievements among lower-performing students can help them regain motivation, pushing them to pursue course completion and graduation. Not only does it boost their confidence, but celebrating achievements fosters academic resilience and reinforces the idea they are a valued member of the academic community.

Here are some easy ways to celebrate student success:

• Establish academic and leadership awards for outstanding student contributions.
• Highlight student achievements on university websites, newsletters, and social media.
• Encourage peer recognition through student-nominated awards or appreciation initiatives.
• Be specific in feedback on assignments, celebrating small and big wins.

12. What financial support helps first-year students succeed?

There’s no doubt about it: university can be expensive. In fact, the biggest barriers to student re-enrollment are tuition costs and a lack of financial aid. That’s why it’s important for universities to offer financial support resources and promote awareness about financial aid, scholarships, and other programs.

Cost doesn’t just prevent students from attending university — it can also impact their well-being and performance while enrolled. Studies have shown that financial stress impacts students’ ability to meet basic needs (like food or housing), causing a lot of day-to-day stress and having a negative impact on academic success.

Here are some ways to support students financially:

• Offer emergency grants, financial assistance, and scholarships for students facing unexpected financial difficulties.
• Provide financial literacy workshops to help students manage their budgets effectively.
• Ensure transparency in tuition and aid options so students can plan accordingly.

13. Why is modeling critical thinking important for first-years?

Critical thinking is a core value of higher education. However, many students do not arrive on campus having developed these skills. In addition to early and frequent feedback, we must model critical thinking for our students in the classroom.

Open up your own thought process, thereby providing guidance to students, whether it be your own process of proving and supporting an idea through a mind map or outline. Consider throwing out a problem and solving it for your students in real-time. Or show your own editing process on the board. Critical thinking is often a black box--and it’s up to us to show them the process by which we come up with original thoughts.

Here are some quick ways to promote critical thinking in the classroom:

• Demonstrate structured reasoning by working through problems, arguments, or case studies in real-time.
• Use visual tools like mind maps or outlines to break down complex ideas into understandable components.
• Encourage students to question assumptions by presenting multiple perspectives and challenging them to evaluate different viewpoints.
• Showcase the revision process by editing work on the board, highlighting how ideas evolve with refinement and evidence.

14. How can educators teach to different learning styles?

Students come to us with different learning styles. These styles include auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners, all of whom absorb information more readily in different ways. It’s important to provide students with a foundation in their first year and help them not fall behind on work.

Try to capture a variety of learning styles in your lessons. Don’t just describe ideas and concepts through speech, but also provide visuals and diagrams on the board. Have students engage in small group work to bring out the voices of students who are less apt to speak first, or who don’t yet have a sense of belonging in the classroom. Small group work and exercises also help students “practice” their learning before presenting in a larger format.

By doing so, you’re building a cohort and community. And you’re implicitly valuing different learning styles, in a critical year where students may feel isolated from so many other challenges.

Strategies to support diverse learners include:

• Using multiple teaching methods, such as lectures, visual aids, hands-on activities, and interactive discussions.
• Incorporating small group work to encourage collaboration and peer-supported learning.
• Providing recorded lectures and supplementary materials for a students who benefit from reviewing content at their own pace.
• Encouraging students to apply their learning through case studies, role-playing exercises, and problem-solving activities.

15. What does student empowerment look like in year one?

What does this lofty phrase mean without putting it into action? First-year students can feel like a lot is out of their control as they struggle to establish their footing in a new environment. That said, they have a lot to offer the campus and classroom. Make sure to include student-centered-learning pedagogy in your syllabus and also various assignments. They have ideas that are valuable, and they are the authority of their own experience in that first year.

For example, have students write letters. Make sure they establish a dialogue with you as the instructor, and ask them to write about their fears as well as expectations within your classroom. This letter can happen early in the course, if not the first day.

Additionally, they can write letters to the next year’s class at the end of the course with advice, encouragement, and any other personal information. This is a way for educators to gain insight into student needs, but it also empowers them to be their own authority as mentors go forward. You can remove the names from the letters and have next year’s students read these missives; new students take great delight (and receive empathy) by hearing from previous year's students.

To foster student empowerment:

• Encourage student-centered learning through assignments that allow personal reflection and creativity.
• Have students write letters at the beginning of the semester to articulate their expectations, fears, and learning goals.
• Create opportunities for students to mentor future first-year cohorts, strengthening a cycle of peer support.

Support academic success with Turnitin

The transition to university is a big moment in any student's academic journey, and institutions play an even bigger role in ensuring their success. We hope this article will help you develop new ways for how to support first-year students at your institution.

At Turnitin, we’re committed to setting the foundation for lifelong learning. We provide powerful solutions designed for educators and students. Turnitin Feedback Studio helps educators provide meaningful, formative feedback while streamlining the grading process. With robust plagiarism detection and easy-to-use commenting, Feedback Studio ensures students receive constructive feedback while helping educators measure student success at scale.

Want to provide meaningful student feedback in an ecosystem that builds trust?