Reflections on welcome and induction: exploring the sources of students’ expectations and anticipations about university

This paper discusses different sources of students’ expectations of university, beginning with a thematic analysis of 21 semi-structured interviews with a diverse set of students at a UK University. We find that students draw on several different sources to develop their ideas of what university will be like; some of these sources are trusted more than others, and some present a more realistic view. The broader challenge of independence emerges as a contributory factor in students’ sense of successful transition to university, mediated by different types of socio-cultural capital. We draw upon Ulriksen’s distinction between ‘expectations’ and ‘anticipations’, as one that illuminates how much influence universities can realistically have in shaping prospective students’ ideas about university life. We show that universities must be open and realistic in the information and support they offer to incoming students, in order to help students form expectations of university life that are accurate and more likely to be met. Universities are also likely to benefit from understanding individual students’ expectations better, via personalised support.