First-year students’ experiences at university , A Samoan case.

Abstract

Student attrition in the first year at university is a global issue. This article reports on a study of 143 first-year students from the Faculty of Education (FoE) at the National University of Samoa. While students appeared to be positive about the technical support available to them, they did not fully utilize other support services such as academic advising, counselling and learning support services. The study findings suggest that many participants were not autonomously motivated to access the services available to them, nor did they fully participate in tutorial classes. “Self-determination theory” is used to explain the relationship between attrition at university and levels of self motivation. We argue that many students are not fully prepared for university life and suggest that a collaborative relationship between colleges and universities is important to prepare students for university life.