Beyond expectations: Supporting student confidence through action-based response in the first-year

Students enter university with expectations shaped by media narratives, social networks and institutional marketing about what university life will be like. These representations often form simplified ‘gist-based’ understandings that shape expectations of the university experience (Reyna, 2021). During the transition to university, students’ lived experiences may diverge from these expectations, creating expectation-experience mismatch. Insights from a national study of over 400 first-year, first-time university students indicate mismatches are common and that students often attempt to reconcile these discrepancies through autonomous self-management, either through action or inaction. These coping responses influence students’ confidence, perceived control and overall satisfaction with the university experience. This paper proposes an emerging initiative that highlights the importance of supporting constructive, action-based coping responses when expectation-experience mismatch occurs.