Let’s talk about student confidence
I attended a student panel the other day where one of the panellists burned with confidence:
He told stories
Answered questions concisely
Wasn’t afraid to poke fun at the audience (big tick)
Confidence fascinates me because it’s perceived as this thing you’re bestowed with, “Wow, you’re so confident! I wish I was more like you!” But that’s not the reality.
You don’t get “confident people,” you get people who are confident in CERTAIN SITUATIONS. It’s the surplus of knowledge/experience in a particular area that gives someone that spark.
Students who are confident are more likely to:
Hit their goals
Commit to a pathway
Be excited about university
But according to UCAS’s Project Next Generation report, only 27% of students are totally confident in how to navigate their choices.
Just 20% are comfortable with their level of knowledge.
The two are connected!
If someone is knowledgeable of what they are getting into, confidence quickly follows. Salesforce recently published research demonstrating that students who feel well prepared for work are 4x more likely to say they belong, leading to:
improved mental health
higher levels of confidence
better employment prospects
This stuff works.
Maybe it’s as simple as sharing the “day in the life” of a programme, or more aspirational like creating subject taster sessions. Springpod can speak to the latter:
94% of those who do a Subject Spotlight then have a “good or excellent” perception of that degree. They’re also more likely to apply.
Regardless of how you approach it, confidence needs to be built. Be the one who gives prospective students the opportunity.
They’ll remember you.
