The impact of the self-empowerment journey in supporting students transition: A psychoeducational solution-focused process to support students in the transition to higher education

Abstract

Foundation courses at Level 3 tend to attract students from non-traditional backgrounds who find transitioning to Higher Education difficult and challenging. Students are encouraged to seek support through the University services which are often generic and unable to offer individual support. The Self-Empowerment Journey (the SEJ) is a novel meditative process of self-enquiry, which offers students the ability to respond positively to perceived difficult situations as they arise. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the SEJ process, in supporting students with their mental health and wellbeing, during their transition into Higher Education. Data was collected as part of a pilot, final year project and subsequent larger study comprising of 350 Foundation year students within the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing. The results from our studies indicate the SEJ has improved the students experience during their transitional year. Interestingly, workload, course success and progression were of the most concern amongst the Foundation year students. Overall, this study has offered an insight into the effectiveness of the SEJ, as a preventative measure empowering the individual to better selfmanage themselves allowing them to thrive rather than survive during their University journey.