Support processes for first year local and international students: Implications for practice

Changing university contexts and student demographics highlight the need for university staff to reflect on their own practice. While adjustment and support processes are important for all students, there is a suggestion in the literature that particular groups may experience a magnification of the stressors which are often present in first year university. The present study aimed to examine the relationships between support and adjustment, sources of support, and satisfaction with support, for first year students, along with group-based comparisons between local and international students. Findings indicated that many students would have liked more support overall. In addition, international students, who reported a lower level of adjustment, would also have liked to receive more emotional, practical and informational support, in comparison to the local group. The implications for professional practice, student outcomes, and university strategies are discussed.