Edinburgh Napier University

  Previous studies have shown that students who transfer into university from college (direct entrants) face several challenges when they enter university. In response, the Associate Student Project supports students who enter university directly into the third year of a four-year honours degree, after completing a Higher National Diploma at further education college. Associate students matriculate as university students from their first year in college and are provided with confidence-building interventions from this point. The focus of the current study is to assess the academic confidence of associate students and compare their confidence with other direct entrants and continuing students. Undergraduate students (n=158) were surveyed on their confidence in facing various university tasks and situations. Results revealed that, while direct entry students were less confident about their studies than students who had studied at university since first year, there was a closer parity of confidence between the latter and associate students.