Cheryl McGahey, Director of Solutions Consulting at Ellucian, asked three students what they think.
Tens of millions of students across the globe will graduate from higher education this summer. But does the experience of going to university meet students' expectations, or could institutions be doing more?
Students took the opportunity to share their views at ‘Insights on Student Life in 2025’, a panel discussion hosted by Ellucian.
Our student speakers included:
- Hashim Khan, a Medical Genetics student from Queen Mary University of London
- Isabelle Kimberley who studied Marketing at University of Southampton
- Tommy Mangan, studying History at Nottingham Trent University
The event provided a fascinating glimpse into the realities of higher education today and raised important issues – from how well institutions prepare students for the world of work, to how they use AI and what services they value most.
The importance of career development
Our panel agreed a good balance between academic study and career development was essential to ensure they leave university with the skills and network to succeed in the workplace.
Individual support for career planning was a high priority. As Hashim explained, "I had one careers adviser right from the start, who really got to know me and understood the direction I wanted to go with my career goals. This made it easier for me to ask questions and understand what I could do to develop my medical writing skills and gain more experience working in a team."
There's a growing expectation for universities to support students to develop their professional profiles online too.
"I had an interview for a placement on an NHS graduate scheme and I knew there were people online with knowledge I could tap into to help me prepare," Hashim continued.
"I contacted about ten people on LinkedIn who had already gone through my graduate scheme and got some useful tips. You can't really Google stuff like that so I'm fortunate my course included a module on how to use LinkedIn effectively."
Kick-start networking
The panel acknowledged the ongoing financial pressures many students face amid cost-of-living uncertainty and emphasised how important it is for students to graduate with a clear, positive pathway to career success.
The ability for students to build a strong network within their chosen industry was noted as a particular barrier to achieving this.
Isabelle described how she was attempting to overcome the networking challenge by attending as many online and face to face networking opportunities as she could.
"We have a lot of webinars and lectures specifically about networking. The career advice I've had from people in the industry at networking events has been really valuable too. I've started to build a list of contacts I can keep in touch with which makes me feel I'm not on my own."
The role of AI in student life
Many universities are concerned about the growing use of AI in higher education, but the panel stressed the need for institutions to help their students learn how to use it well.
"I save me so much time using AI when I'm studying," said Tommy. "Instead of trawling through a hundred articles trying to identify which one is the best to read, it gives me a list and helps me refine that to what I need."
AI was helping to inspire students in coursework, but also outside of study. "I use it to schedule my personal life," said Isabelle. "It's brilliant for meal planning too. I can see what I need to buy each week, so I spend less time shopping and have more time to enjoy the fun and creative parts of my degree."
As technology continues to reshape how students live and learn, they shared their predictions for what higher education might look like in the next five years.
The future of higher education
Students saw greater emphasis being placed on delivering a blend of in-person and online study as the workplace becomes more flexible and technology continues to advance.
"One of my modules this term was entirely online, which was great as I could study at my own pace," said Tommy.
"Employers expect staff to be comfortable working remotely without losing motivation, so attending lectures and studying online is a must," added Hashim, who also emphasised the need to remove any disparity between the online and in-person experience.
Success at university was not regarded as all only study, students also highlighted the importance of wellbeing and balance in their lives.
"Young people have moved away from the big night out and are now much more likely to go to the gym or do yoga," said Isabelle. "I hope universities will continue to involve students in designing courses and the social sides of university life to stay relevant. Having healthier social options, and getting hands-on experience with a small business, is so much more valuable to learning than writing a ten-thousand-word essay."
The panel discussion offered universities a window into what matters most to students and how to deliver it.
For more information on how we can help your university meet students' changing needs, discover Ellucian Student powered by Banner.
