Expectations and Challenges of First-Year Biotechnology Students – The Importance of Social Relations

Abstract

This paper explores the experiences of first-year biotechnology students during the first eight months of their studies. We study what the students expected to be challenging when entering the programme, and what they eventually experienced as challenging as they progressed further into the programme. Building on qualitative data (video-diaries, interviews and open-ended survey responses), we analyse the dimensions of challenges, the congruence and the students’ sense of belonging. We find that students were mainly challenged by the organisational dimension (lack of clarity in goals and course organisation). The social relations to peers were pivotal for the students as learning support when managing the challenges and decoding expectations, but also for keeping up the motivation. We argue that in order to support the students’ sense of belonging and their academic achievements, the study programmes should facilitate the formation of social networks and consider the course organisation and management.