5 Reasons Advanced Wayfinding Helps Reduce Stress on New Students
Today’s colleges and universities are challenged to provide more than just an education for matriculated students; they’re expected to deliver an entire experience. This experience should impact each student in a positive way, enabling them to learn, mature and evolve. Fortunately, advancements in technology and the Internet of Things have facilitated greater ways for institutions to cater to this experiential approach.
As a result, higher education IT professionals have become a big part of the experience equation, charged with finding new ways to foster and enhance connectivity. From accessibility to security and everything in between, there is a wide range of progressive solutions that can be leveraged to elevate the student experience. One of those is advanced wayfinding.
In this article, you’ll discover the ways in which advanced wayfinding helps students in higher education to navigate their new surroundings and reduce stress, thereby enriching their overall college experience.
Why All the Anxiety?
To fully understand the stress-busting advantages of an offering like advanced wayfinding, it’s necessary to get some insight into what new students are thinking and feeling as they make their way onto and around campus.
For many young adults, this experience is a huge shift in lifestyle — one that can affect them in a major way. It could be their first time living away from home, which means taking on responsibilities they’ve never had to handle independently before. Getting around campus, meeting demanding schedules and learning how to manage the challenges that each day presents can become overwhelming.
Amid all of these concerns, there’s no reason for students to have to worry about navigating from place to place. New students typically struggle with finding classes, dining halls, professors’ offices, dorms, wellness centers and more, but an advanced wayfinding system alleviates this burden and eases some of the stress associated with living and learning in a brand-new place.
The Stress-Reducing Benefits of Advanced Wayfinding
In today’s digital environment, there’s apt to be a smartphone or other mobile device on every student’s person, regardless of where they happen to be at any given time. With an advanced wayfinding system that’s properly supported by a strong wireless network, your institution can enable students to obtain directions to any location on campus via their mobile devices.
By implementing a mobile wayfinding application, you’re able to positively affect the student experience and reduce stress in these valuable ways:
1. Punctuality becomes more attainable.
In addition to making sure they get out of bed on time, students are faced with the reality of navigating unfamiliar surroundings without being late for class and other important engagements. With a location-based app that gives them step-by-step directions to their intended building, classroom or office, tardiness is much less of an issue.
2. Maneuvering to and from dorms and dining halls isn’t so intimidating.
In the beginning, some students may feel afraid to leave their own dorm for fear of getting lost. As a result, they might forgo trips to the dining hall or other social areas altogether. This inhibits their ability to get comfortable in their new environment and find satisfaction in their overall experience.
3. Relationships with faculty and administration are more interactive.
When students are confident in their ability to find their way around campus, that’s one less barrier to personal interaction with their professors and other school administrators. Students know exactly where to locate the resources they need, when they need them.
4. Security and wellness are supported.
It’s important to ensure that students can access emergency help and/or medical attention quickly, whenever it may be required. Advanced wayfinding supports this need and makes it easier for campus-goers to stay safe and well.
5. Students have one less thing to worry about.
Grades, majors, social activities, finances, homesickness — all of this can add up to a lot of worry. Newfound independence can often be accompanied by major nervousness. By using advanced wayfinding to simplify students’ ability to get around campus, you give them one less thing to fret about.
Supporting Advanced Wayfinding: Network Considerations
The landscape of connectivity for colleges and universities has evolved from even a decade ago. With new wireless demands and mobile applications like advanced wayfinding, it is the goal of higher education IT professionals to set up a campus network that supports 24/7 use.
Your institution’s wireless setup must be able to bear the load of desktop PCs, laptops, smartphones, tablets, gaming devices and more. Students rely on having constant connectivity, including sufficient bandwidth and the proper security measures to protect themselves. A strong network is a crucial influencer in attracting and retaining students in this digital age.
That’s why developing a wireless networking infrastructure that supports a college or university’s users and applications is a challenging endeavor. Be sure to consider these important factors to ensure that you’re setting up your network — and advanced wayfinding system — for lasting success.
RF Planning
In order to achieve the desired coverage and performance of a wireless network, you must fully understand the RF environment into which the network is being deployed. This is particularly important for higher education, as the ages and construction materials of typical campuses can span decades or, in some cases, centuries. For example, Turn-key Technologies, Inc. has found walls as thick as four feet while executing network planning for campuses.
Security
With student and staff information on the line, it’s imperative to ensure that your campus’s wireless networking infrastructure is fortified against cyber threats, ransomware and other dangerous factors. Protecting your wireless network should be a top concern in the setup of your campus infrastructure. The value of a secure network is immeasurable when you’re dealing with thousands of users connecting through multiple devices on a constant basis.
Bandwidth
Students expect to be able to connect all of their devices, all of the time, which puts a heavy strain on the campus’s bandwidth. It’s necessary to implement a wireless networking infrastructure that enables IT professionals to have a high level of application visibility and control, creating policies that prioritize different applications and devices accessing the network.
Don’t sacrifice the college experience by lacking the network strength and advanced application capabilities to make students feel more comfortable and content in their new home away from home. Consider implementing mobile wayfinding at your campus, and get your free copy of the Step-by-Step Guide to Wireless Networking for Higher Education IT Pros to inform and support your efforts.