Abstract:

Accessing higher education represents a significant transition that often coincides with the shift from adolescence to adulthood. The New Student Support Program (Program ANA, Programa de Acompañamiento al Nuevo Alumnado) aims to guide new students through a mentorship process with senior students by implementing a psychoeducational program.

This study aims to disseminate the Program ANA, its objectives, content, methodology, and the results of process and effectiveness achieved. A total of 160 psychology students at Loyola University Andalusia participated in the first edition of Program ANA. This program was assessed in the third and sixth sessions through satisfaction surveys and a process evaluation. Program ANA includes six sessions throughout the first academic year, occurring monthly and lasting two hours each. Each session is led by two senior students through structured activities. The program's objectives are to foster group cohesion and student motivation, ease the use of the higher education institution's formal resources, introduce study techniques, promote emotional well-being post-exams, identify cohabitation issues, acquire coping strategies, and reflect on professional projects. Training in these objectives helps first-year students develop cross-cutting emotional competencies during the higher education, such as conflict resolution strategies, anxiety management, and social skills. The Program employs an active and empowering methodology. Students are engaged in structured activities with an active role to facilitate change processes. A particularly appreciated aspect by students is that the sessions are conducted by senior students, providing mentorship to the first-year students and an opportunity for senior psychology students to enhance their professional skills. These senior students are trained before the program's implementation and receive supervision after each session. Additionally, the first-year students have notably appreciated the Program ANA's role in enhancing class group cohesion, preventing cohabitation issues, and alleviating fears and adjusting expectations for assessments. With the first edition of Program ANA concluded, the conducted evaluation suggests some improvements for the program, which are discussed. This Program aims to be a key to success in psychology studies and is considered for expansion to other disciplines within higher education.

The program promotes group cohesion, diversity, integration, and serves as a preventive mechanism for addressing cohabitation issues in higher education. In conclusion, Program ANA seeks to be a central pillar in the student's journey through higher education in the Psychology degree: first-year students participate in Program ANA, in their second and third years they acquire the competencies to implement the Program, and in their fourth year, they implement the Program they once attended, having gained professional skills to conduct the mentorship process.

Keywords:

Student support, inclusion, mentorship, programme, pedagogical innovation.