co-authored by Dr Jon Fenton, Department of Physics & Dr Sue Sing, Centre for Higher Education Research and Scholarship
As part of the inaugural Learning Well Programme, we hosted a student-panel discussion exploring the question: ‘Why are peers your best support and resource?’ Students shared rich, personal insights into the wide-ranging ways peer support can be advantageous for Imperial students – academically, emotionally and practically. Our six speakers were from a range of departments and faculties and were at different points in their undergraduate and postgraduate journey. Interestingly, their perspectives shared many common threads and, often, these resonated with findings from the Learning Well research. (Note: this blogpost refers to quotes and stories shared in the panel discussion rather than the empirical data from the project.) They spoke passionately about the value of learning from, and with, peers, describing benefits that have helped them to navigate university life at Imperial.
For initial transitions, e.g. from school to university; from undergraduate to postgraduate learning, our panel members shared how peers have played a significant role in demystifying and normalising the process of becoming and being ‘an Imperial student’.
Peers have helped them to understand what learning means at university and that this new level of study requires a mindset shift.
It’s less about focusing on the subject knowledge (what you know) and more about your critical thinking and application skills (what you can do with what you know).
A key example was shared by one panellist: soon after starting at Imperial she found that approaching assessments using the strategies she’d used at school , discussions with peers (from the same year group and older years too) gave her new ideas about ways to approach the new types of questions she faced. In a separate example, an international student talked about the competitive ethos she’d experienced at high school where she felt it had been the norm not to share with others as part of the learning process. She said it was only after beginning university that she started to appreciate the value of participating in open discussions and gaining outside perspectives to develop and widen her thinking.
Connecting with peers (from any year group) who have recently been through similar experiences has offered invaluable reassurance as our students continue to navigate and adapt to the culture and rhythms of university life. Support has often come through practical tips and advice, or discussions that have helped to normalise the challenges and emotional aspects of ‘being a university student’, e.g. experiencing enduring confusion! At times, peers have provided useful steers on the amount of time and effort to commit to tasks, which can be challenging to define in this new learning context. One student summed it up well: ‘peers help you balance your effort, your workload and time management.’
The PASS Scheme, specific to the Department of Life Sciences and set up by Dr Steve Connolly, is a valuable peer mentoring initiative that was highlighted in the discussion. This formalised arrangement involves groups of Year 1 students meeting up regularly with Year 2 and Year 3 mentors, who can facilitate discussions about topics related to academic experiences (as opposed to academic content). Two of our speakers had participated in their first year and explained that this offers new students a ‘ready-made network of friendly faces’, which can help with the ‘initial shock’ sometimes felt when starting out at university and can support you to ‘overcome imposter syndrome and realise you’re all in the same boat’. The knowledge that others experience similar emotions, particularly when these feel challenging or overwhelming, has provided important validation and helped to normalise the experience of being ‘an Imperial student’. Their positive experiences of the scheme subsequently inspired them to become mentors themselves.
On a practical level, students talked about staying on-task more effectively by studying with others and indicated that this strategy has provided them with tangible learning benefits, practical efficiencies and valuable social and emotional connection while studying:
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- Learning benefits: Discussing ideas, seeing different perspectives, and teaching others has provided inspiration and deepened understanding – ‘if you can teach it, you know it really well’. Finding how others make sense of a concept or topic, or their use of a different strategy to approach the same problem, has opened students’ minds to new ideas and helped foster a broader understanding. For example, revising with a friend has enabled one student to iron out difficulties and misunderstandings as well as giving her memorable ways to retain ideas.
- Practical efficiencies: For some tasks, collaborating can save time, e.g. one student recalled an occasion when she and several coursemates were trying to grasp a tricky concept and halved the time needed to work this out by ‘dividing the load’ between them.
- Social and emotional connection: A different student shared that working with ‘people you enjoy spending time with’ makes study time more enjoyable and productive – her desire to not distract them helps her to ‘focus and lock in’ and reduces the temptation to procrastinate.
Peer support has also offered valuable benefits for students’ wellbeing. For example, one of the international speakers said: ‘[peer support is] not just sharing the knowledge…it’s [also] when you feel the sense of belonging. It’s really important’, while others described the feeling of connectedness as a sense of shared endeavour, of being ‘in it together’, of being part of a community. Panellists valued access to a support network especially in times of need – ‘it’s that kind of guardian angel on your shoulder’, and appreciated help to navigate challenges, e.g. peers have helped a student to recognise when taking a break is more beneficial than trying to push through. Another student shared how friends have helped her to ‘keep accountable for self-care’ such as through reminders to cook dinner and taking breaks to allow her mind to rest.
Tips and takeaways:
The discussion ended with tips for building peer support, all firmly centred around the pivotal role of students’ agency, i.e. proactively taking control of opportunities to make things happen and persevering if things don’t work out as you hoped! Even taking small steps can be effective for forming supportive and valuable connections with others. As one student stated:
“it’s important not to get stuck in a rut with the way you work. Don’t be afraid to explore what’s available to you” (Student Panellist)
Figuring out what works for you us key, and part of this is realising that what works for you may not be what works for others.
Some top tips shared:
- Start small: consider your immediate physical environment and try saying hello to someone you’re sat with in a lecture or study space (even if you don’t yet know each other’s names).
- Check out where coursemates congregate: ‘find out where most people go and just go there even if you’re not going with anyone. You can just sit there and you’ll start to build those connections, you’ll hear people talk about your course and you can join in’.
e.g. Did you know…
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- Chemistry students tend to gather in the Chemistry Café [Chemistry Building Level 2].
- Biochemistry students can often be found in the Abdus Salam Library [Level 4].
- For Maths students, the MLC [Huxley 414] comes highly rated: ‘there’s just a nice atmosphere…if you want to work and knuckle down, you absolutely can. But there are [also] collaborative tables where [students] aren’t doing work, they’re playing; there’s this great mix. It’s so much easier to feel less alone and to be inspired and reminded why you love your subject’.
- Or, try new spots such as the study spaces on Sherfield Levels 3 and 4: ‘it’s really refreshing: you can meet people from different countries who are doing completely different things. It’s just a complete eye-opener!’
- Be open to who you can learn from, e.g. students in the same year group, in lower/higher years, on different courses and even at different universities or people you meet through clubs and societies. Connecting to just one person could give you the chance to get to know lots of others rapidly: ‘… you meet friends, and friends of friends, which can be so beneficial for study groups because different people have specialist knowledge of different areas which you can each benefit from by teaching each other’.
- Join or create informal peer groups, e.g. build WhatsApp groups with people you meet and extend open invites to study sessions.
While reaching out might feel daunting at first, our student panellists stressed that this can sow the seeds to grow a meaningful and supportive network – ultimately, the payoffs will make this worthwhile! So, what’s one thing you can try today to experience how peers can be your best support and resource?
Dr Jon Fenton is a Senior Teaching Fellow and Head of Year 1 in the Physics Department. He has interests in students’ development during the transition from school to university, and in the social and emotional aspects of learning.
Dr Sue Sing is a Research Associate in the Centre for Higher Education Research and Scholarship (CHERS) and was part of the Imperial Learning Well project team. She continues to research Imperial students’ learning and wellbeing and is currently co-leading the First Steps to Success Project involving over 200 Year 1 students.
Useful Resources:
Why not check out the resources page on the Imperial Learning Well Project website – here, you can find a range of materials that can support and enhance your study strategies while also maintaining positive wellbeing. These have been co-created with Imperial students for Imperial students, based on empirical data exploring the lived experiences and tried-and-tested practices of your fellow students at this university.