Abstract

The term, ‘the student experience’ is commonly used by the sector but students’ understanding of the
concept is rarely explored. This paper presents findings from research at a campus university to
understand ‘the student experience’ as perceived by students themselves. It considers the
problematic nature of defining the concept and explores some of the meanings ascribed to it from a
review of the literature. The research’s method of inquiry was qualitative and the findings of
exploratory focus groups with students are discussed. Students’ patterns of engagement with the
campus and their understanding of the term ‘the student experience’ are examined. The findings
suggest that ‘the student experience’ of younger students with fewer responsibilities can be a more
immersed educational encounter associated with ‘growing up’. However for more mature students the
discourse was more focused on how study could fit around the rest of their lives rather than identity
formation.