As the new academic year starts, many incoming students may feel apprehensive, excited and anxious about continuing their educational journey at a new institution. To help ease this transition, the Counselling Service at JC organised a series of nine Transition Groups for students who had declared their interest on the JC application form. Those who chose to attend had the opportunity to be involved in sessions which were interactive, giving students the chance to introduce themselves, get acquainted with each other, and reflect on the new chapter they were about to begin. They shared their hopes, goals, fears and concerns, as well as tools and resources which could help them along their journey. To further help them adjust, these new students were given a campus tour to familiarize themselves with the College. A total of 68 students attended the groups. 

Several key themes emerged from the discussions in these groups, offering insight into the mindset of the incoming students. They expressed their hopes, aspirations, and concerns, discussing how they plan to achieve their academic and personal goals. Common themes across groups included aiming to attain the required grades to attend UM, making new friends, integrating into the College community, staying organised and focused, and adapting to a new academic and institutional system. Students also shared similar anxieties, such as concerns about keeping up with the academic workload, feeling overwhelmed, and the fear of not fitting in, not belonging or not finding meaningful friendships.

We hope these sessions have given students a positive start to their journey with us, and we warmly welcome them into the JC community.