Although optimistic expectations often enhance students' academic performance, they may also lead to academic failure if they are associated with unrealistic convictions of success. The present longitudinal study examined the moderating effects of personality factor conscientiousness and gender on the relationship between dispositional optimism…

Although mentoring has become increasingly popular within UK higher education, there is little evaluative research. The current longitudinal study aimed to evaluate the usage of a peer mentoring scheme during a first semester at university amongst 124 students. Results indicate that during the first week at university the majority accessed the…

The funding of students in UK higher education (HE) has undergone radical reform over the past two decades. Using a unique dataset, this paper investigates student expectations of debt. We find that a student's gender, ethnicity, and year of study play an important role in determining their expected debt. Students in receipt of financial support…