Charlotte Kirkham

by Charlotte Kirkham What I will be discussing: Why friends are important at university.The impact coronavirus is having on making friends at university as a ‘fresher’. Why friends are important at university: As we know, university is not only a chance to broaden our academic horizons, but also an opportunity to meet new people and make long-lasting friendships. It’s safe to say, whilst being academically focused university also offers a large and vibrant social scene. A journal article written by Tanya Kantanis (2000), named “The role of social transition in students’ adjustment to the first-year of university”, states that: Social transition underpins a successful academic transition to university. This research highlighted that the development of a friendship network was a major contributory element in this process. The sample indicated clearly that not having friends made the whole process of transition to university more difficult, whilst having friends helped students to settle in quickly and make progress with their studies Kantanis continues to reference a 1996 pilot study, which reviews the common expectations of a first-year student and the realisation of those expectations. The findings are written below. Common expectations: Meeting new and different peopleHaving funEnjoying the freedom of a learning environment that is not regimented in the same way as schoolBeing mentally stimulated by all the new experiences, andHaving the...