Across the UK, universities continue to invest heavily in first-year experience (FYE) initiatives, yet outcomes vary widely. What separates programmes that genuinely improve continuation and retention from those that struggle to gain traction is rarely what they offer, but how they are designed, delivered, and refined over time.
Looking across several years of engagement and outcome data from Vygo-hosted programmes, clear patterns are emerging. While no two institutions are the same, the strongest FYE strategies consistently share a set of common principles.
First-year student-to-student programmes run by two of Vygo’s partners in the UK have consistently recorded the highest engagement levels and strongest outcomes on the platform over the past two to three years, comprising a mix of international students along with students from within the UK. A defining feature of these programmes is how early students are connected.
Rather than waiting for academic pressure or disengagement to surface, these initiatives prioritise early, proactive peer connection, often within the first week of joining. This timing matters. Early engagement reduces uncertainty, builds familiarity, and creates a sense of belonging before isolation has a chance to set in.
At Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), for example, over 80% of first-year students were connected with a mentor within their first week of joining the buddy scheme. Feedback collected during Term 1 indicated that this early connection had a positive impact on students’ initial university experience, particularly during the transition period.
Belonging is built through confidence, not just contact
Connection alone is not enough. What distinguishes high-impact programmes is their focus on student confidence during the first weeks of university.
Data from earlier iterations of these programmes has been used year on year to refine delivery, especially within buddy and social schemes. Improvements have consistently focused on:
These factors are well established in the sector as direct contributors to improved continuation and retention. When students feel reassured, informed, and supported early on, they are far more likely to persist through academic and personal challenges later in the year.
A recurring driver of success across high performing programmes is the presence of highly engaged mentors, many of whom go on to act as super mentors.
Their impact is amplified by several factors:
This is particularly evident in student-to-student models, where relatability plays a crucial role. First year students often find it easier to open up to peers who have recently navigated the same transition themselves.
At Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), around 80% of mentors actively engage and connect with first-year students. This level of mentor participation mirrors the outcomes seen at QMUL, namely increased student confidence that supports stronger continuation and retention.
Another shared characteristic of strong FYE strategies is that early peer connections tend to evolve into ongoing mentoring relationships, rather than remaining short term or transactional.
These sustained relationships allow support to adapt as students’ needs change over time from early social adjustment to academic pressure and broader wellbeing concerns. The result is a model of support that feels continuous, personal, and responsive, rather than episodic.
Perhaps most importantly, the strongest programmes treat data as a tool for improvement, not just reporting.
Programme engagement and outcome data is continuously reviewed and brought into stakeholder meetings alongside clear, actionable recommendations for best practice. These recommendations are then:
This iterative approach ensures programmes remain responsive to real student behaviour, rather than static assumptions about what support should look like.
Across UK institutions, the evidence is clear: first year experience strategies are most effective when they prioritise early engagement, peer-led support, and continuous improvement.
When students are connected early, supported by confident and engaged mentors, and held within programmes that evolve based on real engagement data, the impact extends well beyond the first few weeks. It translates into stronger confidence, deeper belonging, and ultimately, improved continuation and retention.