Interventions to enhance the student experience of a first year law degree : what they really wanted

This paper reports on a comprehensive 'transition' program for new first year law students which aimed to enhance students' social connections with peers and teachers. Students reported that whilst helpful, these interventions were not what they really wanted or needed to assist their transition to first year law. They would have preferred more assistance from their teachers about how to be a law student. This outcome confirms the centrality of the academic experience and the role of teachers in facilitating a successful transition to first year university. It also highlights the need for a framework to assist students to become independent learners in their own disciplinary context by scaffolding the scholarly processes, communication practices and orientations to knowledge valued by the discipline.