This session of lunch&LEARN will take a closer look at students’ experiences and delve into the emotional aspects of starting university.

Commonly seen as a period of transition, the first year of university is a time when a large share of students tends to experience problems in adapting to their new environment. 

This is particularly the case in the context of STEM higher education where the first year typically consists of very challenging introductory courses that have been linked to negative emotions.

Alexandra Corina Niculescu, Scientist from the internal mission team at LEARN, will discuss how emotions affect students’ performance and address empirical findings from a recent study conducted at Maastricht University. 

She will examine the factors that impact new students’ emotional experiences, how they are linked to adjusting to the first year of university and what the implications for practice are.