Transitions are significant change processes in people’s lives and the transition from being a student to being a professional involves changes in thinking, behaviour, identity, capability and performance.

The University of Surrey has an international reputation for preparing and enabling students to make this transition into the professional world through a curriculum that involves them in completing a year in business or industry. While it has a wealth of information on the outcomes of the experience and some data on the midpoint of their experience, knowledge about how students experience and manage the transition from university to work is lacking.

The University is using SenseMaker® to gather and make sense of transition narratives. Armed with this knowledge the intention is to develop better guidance to prepare students and refine practices for preparing and supporting them during this important transition.

It is anticipated that one of the benefits will be to feedback the results of the survey quickly to students so that they can compare their own experience with the other students on placement and perhaps stimulate action where experiences are less than satisfactory.

For more information, please contact Prof Norman Jackson at the University of Surrey.