Social Integration in First-Year Undergraduates: The Role of Peer Learning

This study investigated the social integration (in relation to academic integration) of first-year students during the first semester at university. Sixteen focus group sessions with 93 students and 37 individual face-to-face follow-up interviews were conducted with first-year psychology and educational science students from a Dutch-speaking university in Belgium. Through the lens of appreciative inquiry, student-facilitated strategies such as welcome activities, campus tours, workshops, and extracurricular and cocurricular activities seemed important in enhancing both social and academic integration. Contact with older students was highly valued, but this did not involve all students and may have had negative effects for some. Participants emphasized the need for inclusivity of activities. Information technology, such as Facebook, could provide an important informal bridge. Participants also valued opportunities to develop age-peer friendships, which sustained their well-being and academic motivation throughout the first year. However, the peer interaction and learning provided did not fully address the social developmental needs among all newcomers. The consequences of these findings for future research, peer learning practices, and institutional policy are discussed.