Do students really tick differently than they used to?

Various scholars and research institutes in the field of youth and socialization research (K. Hurrelmann, U. Bauer, C. Scholz, among others) have found that, due to economic, social, political, and societal changes and influences, certain characteristics and traits of a generation develop approximately every 15 years during the formative years of adolescence. During adolescence (roughly between the ages of 12 and 16), personality development presents young people with the most significant and complex challenges and developmental tasks. According to this generational logic, those born between approximately 1995 and 2010 belong to “Generation Z” (Zee / See)—or “Generation YouTube”—and are currently shaping college life.

As part of the “College Social Work” project, various continuing education courses and events on this topic took place last year. These focused on the question of whether students and young people today think and act differently than they did in the past. In addition to professional development for faculty and staff, lectures and workshops for the entire university community were held last academic year, planned and conducted in collaboration with students at both campuses.

The goal of these initiatives is to foster mutual understanding of various aspects of student life and youth cultures on the one hand—and academic requirements and expectations on the other. To strengthen students’ sense of identity and ease the transition from high school to college, a comprehensive fold-out poster was developed during the summer semester. This poster provides first-semester students with a variety of information tailored to their needs, overviews, and an interactive study plan, enabling them to engage with the demands and topics of academic life. The fold-out poster is distributed to all students during orientation week.

Following the preliminary content development work, the content development process will move into its next phase in the winter semester 2017/18. Based on these findings, there is now an opportunity for concrete, goal-oriented discourse and the transfer of theory to practice in various areas of university life (e.g., teaching/exams, student development/marketing, communication/counseling, academic program organization, etc.). An initial opportunity for professional exchange will take place during the second part of the HDS continuing education program, “Why Are Students Today So Different from Those of the Past?” In addition to refreshing the course content and incorporating current insights, the primary goal of the training is to develop and discuss concrete measures to effectively navigate the processes of change and developments related to the current generation of students, which is undergoing significant transformation.

Registration for remaining spots is still open here.

We would be delighted if representatives from all faculties and central administrative units—across various staff categories—were to participate, thereby facilitating a diverse exchange that spans disciplines and administrative departments.