Abstract:

Development of Russian higher education which led to the integration into global learning environment raises the questions of radical changes, directions and conditions of first students’ adjustment to academic studies, according to both international regulations and the Federal Standards of the Russian Federation, based on humanitarian paradigm as well. Whereas traditional system of education was based on student-insufficient techniques and methods, humanitarization of the University environment in adaptation period requires radically new approaches and strategies. The paper is aimed at looking into the peculiarities and problems of first year students’ adaptation to the University academic environment in terms of goal-setting and the organization and structuring of educational process, having been realized through investigating academic papers, official documents, etc.
The study investigates students’ reasons for applying to the University, their attitudes towards chosen majors and main challenges relevant to the learning process (academic load increase, lack of familiar social network, new learning modes, new social environment, and insufficient parental supervision). The authors point out the relevance of recommendations for facilitating the process of first year students’ adjustment to the University learning environment, referring to extracurricular social activities, student self-governance and promotion of humanitarian education strategies based on subject-to-subject relations in academic community.
The results of the study reflect internal and external factors determining successful pedagogical and psychological adjustment of students, in conjunction with a range of objective current education challenges, external conflicts and personal issues. The authors emphasize didactic, social and psychological and professional challenges that students could face while adapting to a new learning environment; as well as the extracurricular activities and folk literature as effective adjustment means in light of humanitarization and globalization of Russian higher education. The findings also reflect the essence of "Humanitarian core" of modern higher education as a structured, interdependent and interrelated set of knowledge on "human phenomenon" related to various thinking ways, social behavior attitudes towards the global and multi-centric and pluralistic patterns of modern societies.

Keywords:

Higher education, humanitarization, globalization, adjustment, Russian Universities.