摘要：Undergraduate retention is a major concern for universities and first year failure is a significant contributor to the overall statistics for non-progression. This report describes an interview-based investigation of students’ perceptions for the reasons underlying their failure in 1st and 2nd semester modules. The most commonly cited reasons were misconceptions about the academic expectations both in terms of the volume of work covered during the semester and the level needed to pass the examinations. There was also a frank appreciation, by a majority of the students interviewed of not having done enough work. These findings are discussed in the context of the 1st year transition and approaches to teaching within biological sciences.
