Towards a Better Transition to University: A Student-Centric Welcome Day for the New Undergraduate Students in a Mathematics Department

Abstract

This case study delves into a Welcome Day event organised by the Department of Mathematical Sciences at a UK university for the incoming first year students in the department. This report reflects some of the practicalities and the evaluation of the event. The event, primarily focused on student engagement activities along with reduced amount of traditional presentations, was aimed at facilitating peer networking and smoothing the transition from school to university, hence nurturing a sense of belonging within the student community. The structure of the event was crafted to align with the department's unique ethos, with an emphasis on activities that resonate with the field of mathematics. Evaluation of the event is done based on the responses from the students during the event via an online questionnaire. The event not only demonstrated high levels of student satisfaction but also served as a good example of department-specific orientation programs. These localized events can complement university-wide initiatives, offering a more tailored setting for new students to acclimate to their specific academic environment. This paper has the prospect to guide others and to reinforce the notion of seeking to tailor welcome days to match the needs of new cohorts.