Only 14% of students in the UK report having low anxiety. This is what a study of postgraduate researchers at more than 100 institutions shows. Also, a survey by the Association for University and College Center Directors found that the most frequent mental health concerns in higher education are anxiety (58.9%) and depression (48%). MBA students seem to be particularly affected by these issues. 

As these data show, your students can be under a lot of pressure to succeed and graduate. Make sure you keep them motivated and engaged throughout their studies by offering them an enhanced, personalised and unique experience. 

👉 Find out how to add value for students through technology in our latest infographic 👈

A Google search is enough to understand that students can easily find tips and resources to learn how to manage their stress. But what can YOU do to reduce it? 

Improve your communication strategy

Learning how to better interact with your students can have a huge impact on their success and engagement. The first thing you can do is meet them where they are. 

Whether it is for ordering food or buying clothes, today’s generation of students run their everyday lives on their phones. Offering them a mobile platform where they can find all the information they need, ask questions to the staff and connect with their peers, anywhere, anytime, can help them stay on top of their game.

Furthermore, make sure to be one-step ahead regarding at-risk students. Develop a proactive communication so that you can identify issues beforehand and intervene early in the cycle. This way, you will be able to make a difference in their outcome. 

Keep students engaged

Research shows that engaged students are more likely to graduate. Indeed, 92% of students with close digital connections are likely to stay in school, compared to 81% of students with low closeness centrality.

To increase engagement, help students feel connected to other students and the campus community by:

• Facilitating peer-to-peer connections
• Fostering community
• Creating a sense of belonging among students

For instance, you can encourage students to get involved in campus events, activities and learning opportunities, knowing that the most impactful ones happen beyond the classroom walls. A connected campus will help you achieve this.

Moreover, you know the student experience doesn’t stop at graduation. Alumni have a great deal of experience and resources to share with current students. We recommend you find a way to keep post-grads students connected to their campus community after they leave. 

Last but not least, incentivize student engagement with gamification: earning badges, accumulating points, winning challenges… If they feel rewarded for participating in co-curricular activities, it will be easier for your students to take part in the community. 

Make students’ lives easier

Our third approach to reduce student stress and improve their experience is to make their lives easier. You can achieve this by implementing a centralised system, easy to navigate, where students can access all the information they need in one same place.

As our VP of Student Success and head of research, Dr. Christine Deacons, says: “This past week, I actually spoke with a colleague who told me that his institution used email, texting, a CRM, two apps and two analytics systems to communicate with students”. And this is the case for many higher education institutions. 

By gathering resources in one, mobile-accessible location, you can eliminate stress and confusion caused by trying to keep track of and understand disparate systems.

Want to learn more about how to leverage technology to add value to your students and deliver a high-quality experience?