For a lot of students, the move into higher education can be overwhelming. This is especially true of students from underrepresented groups. A strong sense of belonging and identity can play a huge part in developing student well-being and ultimately academic success. It’s therefore vital that programme teams use this critical period to help students feel integrated into academic life.
As essential as it is to offer information sessions during Freshers’ Week, we must consider how we deliver these sessions and make a lasting impact. While the more traditional information overload approach might be what we have come to expect – and perhaps might be easier to plan and deliver, could we adopt more fun and creative ways to share this information and start to build relationships?
As an undergraduate programme leader, I wanted to shake things up and foster connections between tutors and students in the hopes of creating a common ground from which to grow a three-year relationship. One way of doing this was through a songwriting session.
Working with a local musician and after some warm-up games to allay any apprehension, the student and tutor group shared their ideas and hopes for the future and discussed expectations of their programme. I collated these and we used them to write the verses to our song.
I was lucky to work with a talented musician who set the lyrics to music and then led the group in rehearsing the song before we recorded it. Admittedly, not every student wanted to sing but they were able to contribute in some way – either through lyric suggestions or by writing ideas on the board, which created an engaging shared experience.
Last year I worked with a group of creatives across two other departments to deliver sessions specifically designed to foster belonging both within the university and the area local to it. This was a week-long project which involved students and staff sharing stories of what had inspired them to come to university as well as collecting articles such as flyers and leaflets during the various Freshers’ Week activities to create 3D collages. The sounds from the workshops and mini interviews were recorded and presented as a soundscape to accompany the collage.
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As this was a funded project, the budget stretched to allow for a videographer to capture moments, statements and thoughts from students and tutors. However, similar activities could be made possible without funding through interdepartmental collaboration. Not only would this open up opportunities to leverage skills across the university, but it would build relationships, and therefore a sense of community and social cohesion.
This year, I set up an activity to enhance student mobility. This involved working with a local social media influencer and event organiser to create a treasure hunt around the city, documenting it by taking photos and videos and sharing them on social media. As part of the hunt, the students had to find clues, some of which were in restaurants, cafes and bars.
Not only did this encourage students to become familiar with the city and develop teamwork and communication skills, but it also connected them with local businesses keen to promote themselves to students. Many of the venues offered discounts or freebies which added to the experience.
This is a cost-effective activity that works particularly well students not familiar with the area to build belonging beyond campus.
When looking for creative ways to build belonging, tap into activities that student groups might enjoy and include these in their timetables to encourage attendance. I chose songwriting because most people enjoy music, and I thought it would make the session accessible and inclusive. Other suggestions include cupcake or biscuit decorating or bracelet-making.
Social media is a powerful brainstorming tool – see what’s currently trending and how this could be adapted to a creative session. Perhaps you could even task students to create a TikTok or YouTube video from their perspective during Freshers’ Week. These kinds of ideas cost very little, ensuring greater parity.
Creative Freshers’ Week activities offer inclusive, engaging ways to help students connect. By encouraging them to explore the local area and build relationships before teaching begins, you lay the foundations for community, collaboration and an enthusiasm for learning in the months and years ahead.
Helen Eadon-Sinkinson is a senior lecturer/programme leader at the University of Chester.
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