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Welcome Survey Categories

Coming up with a clear categorisation structure for welcome and induction survey feedback is always a challenge, and something we are constantly working on at Student Voice AI. Welcome survey comments can span everything from the arrival and check-in experience, accommodation, academic preparation, support services, and how students feel about their new community.

Below we share a categorisation structure for welcome survey comments that encompasses 42 categories across 6 high-level themes. We can adopt such a detailed set of categories at Student Voice AI because our machine-learning powered classifiers automate the process, but even if you are labelling by hand then hopefully the below will give you some inspiration.

  • Onboarding & Orientation
    Induction

    Comments about formal induction sessions and activities, including departmental introductions, programme overviews, health and safety briefings, library inductions, and other structured orientation activities designed to introduce students to their course and the institution.

    Welcome events

    Comments about welcome week events and activities, including social events, fairs, performances, tours, and other organised activities during freshers/welcome week. Includes feedback on event quality, variety, accessibility, and timing.

    Campus tours/directions

    Comments about campus tours, wayfinding, signage, and maps. Includes feedback on the ease of navigating campus, quality of guided tours, availability of maps and directions, and clarity of building/room numbering systems.

    Arrival process

    Comments about the check-in and arrival experience, including registration/check-in procedures, collection of keys or ID cards, queuing times, staff availability on arrival day, and the overall logistics of the first day on campus or in accommodation.

    Timeliness of information

    Comments about when information was provided to students, including whether pre-arrival information came early enough, last-minute changes to arrangements, and the pacing of communications leading up to and during the start of term.

    Welcome materials

    Comments about orientation resources, welcome packs, and materials provided to new students. Includes feedback on welcome guides, freebies, information booklets, online resources, and the usefulness of materials in helping students settle in.

    Admissions/Enrolment

    Comments about the admissions and enrolment process, including clearing, offer holder days, visa processes for international students, online enrolment systems, document submission, and the transition from applicant to enrolled student.

  • Academic
    Academic support

    Comments about academic support available to students at the start of their studies, including study skills sessions, academic writing support, maths/stats support, learning development services, and availability of help for students who need additional academic assistance.

    Course structure/content

    Comments about initial impressions of course structure, content, and organisation. Includes feedback on how the course is organised, clarity of learning outcomes, relevance of content, and whether the course matches expectations set during recruitment.

    Module registration

    Comments about module registration, selection, and related information. Includes feedback on the module choice process, availability of module information, ease of registration systems, and guidance provided on optional module selection.

    Pre-arrival materials

    Comments about pre-work, reading lists, preparatory courses, and preparation materials sent before term starts. Includes feedback on the usefulness, volume, and accessibility of materials designed to help students prepare academically.

    Workload

    Comments about academic workload expectations at the start of the course, including early impressions of workload intensity, balance between different types of work, and clarity of expectations around independent study and contact hours.

    Assessment

    Comments about assessment information and expectations provided at the start of the course, including clarity of assessment methods, weighting, deadlines, submission processes, and academic integrity/plagiarism guidance.

    Timetable/scheduling

    Comments about timetabling and scheduling, including when timetables were released, clashes, gaps between classes, distribution of teaching across the week, and the usability of timetabling systems and apps.

  • Accommodation
    Room & Allocation

    Comments about room allocation and room quality, including the allocation process, room size, furniture, storage, heating/cooling, natural light, and whether the room matched expectations or descriptions provided during booking.

    Facilities & Maintenance

    Comments about accommodation facilities and maintenance, including laundry, common rooms, study spaces, bike storage, post/parcel collection, WiFi, and the responsiveness and quality of maintenance and repairs.

    Safety/security

    Comments about safety and security in accommodation, including door locks, CCTV, fire safety, security staff presence, feeling safe in the building and surrounding area, and emergency procedures.

    Accommodation standards

    Comments about cleanliness, inspections, and general standards in accommodation. Includes feedback on the condition of rooms on arrival, cleaning services, pest control, and routine inspections.

    Partner accommodation

    Comments about external or partner accommodation providers, including private halls, nominated housing, or intercollegiate arrangements. Includes comparisons with university-managed accommodation and issues specific to third-party providers.

    Location

    Comments about accommodation location, including distance from campus and teaching buildings, transport links, proximity to amenities (shops, healthcare, etc.), and the local neighbourhood.

    Kitchen/shared spaces

    Comments about kitchen facilities and shared living spaces, including kitchen equipment, cleanliness of shared areas, size of communal spaces, and relationships with flatmates in shared accommodation.

  • Services & Support
    Student support and wellbeing

    Comments about wellbeing and pastoral support services, including counselling, mental health support, chaplaincy, welfare advisors, and awareness of how to access support. Includes feedback on visibility and accessibility of these services during the welcome period.

    International student support

    Comments about support specifically for international students, including visa and immigration advice, airport pickup services, orientation for international students, language support, and help adjusting to studying in a new country.

    IT/Systems

    Comments about IT services, systems, and account setup. Includes feedback on setting up university accounts, email, VLE/learning platforms, printing, WiFi access, software availability, and IT helpdesk support during the onboarding period.

    Library

    Comments about library services and resources, including library inductions, opening hours, study spaces, book availability, online resources, and the ease of getting started with library services.

    Funding/Finance

    Comments about fees, funding, and financial support. Includes feedback on tuition fee payment, student finance/loans, scholarships and bursaries, hardship funds, and financial advice services. Also includes concerns about cost of living.

    Disability support

    Comments about disability and accessibility support, including registering with disability services, arranging reasonable adjustments, accessibility of buildings and materials, and the transition process for students with disabilities or long-term conditions.

    Careers

    Comments about careers services and guidance available to new students, including early careers events, awareness of careers support, placement/internship information, and employability initiatives introduced during welcome.

  • Community
    Student community

    Comments about the student community and sense of belonging, including feeling welcomed, making friends, fitting in, diversity of the student body, and overall impressions of the student culture and community atmosphere.

    Local area

    Comments about the local area and city/town life, including things to do, transport, cost of living in the area, town-gown relationships, safety of the local area, and settling into the location.

    Socialising/social events

    Comments about social events and opportunities to socialise, including parties, club nights, non-alcoholic events, informal meetups, opportunities to meet people on the same course, and the balance of social activities available.

    SU & Societies

    Comments about the Students' Union, clubs, and societies. Includes feedback on freshers' fair, joining societies, SU facilities, SU communications, and the role of the SU in the welcome experience.

    Peer mentors

    Comments about peer mentors, welcome mentors, student ambassadors, and buddy schemes. Includes feedback on the helpfulness of peer support, availability of mentors, and the quality of peer-led orientation activities.

    Peer representatives

    Comments about student representatives, course reps, hall reps, and other elected student roles. Includes awareness of rep systems, elections, and early engagement with student representation.

    Postgraduate community

    Comments specific to the postgraduate student community, including PG-specific events, feeling part of a PG cohort, integration with UG students, and the unique challenges of starting as a postgraduate student.

    Part-time students

    Comments specific to the experience of part-time students, including scheduling of events and classes, feeling included despite less time on campus, and support tailored to students balancing study with work or other commitments.

  • Staff & Communication
    Staff

    Comments about staff interactions and helpfulness, including academic staff, professional services staff, accommodation staff, and security. Includes feedback on approachability, responsiveness, and the quality of support received from staff.

    Communication

    Comments about institutional communication, including emails, letters, app notifications, social media, and other official communications. Includes feedback on volume, clarity, consistency, and the channels used to communicate with new students.

    Personal tutor

    Comments about personal tutors, academic advisors, or equivalent pastoral academic staff. Includes feedback on initial meetings, availability, understanding of the tutor role, and early impressions of the personal tutor relationship.

    Department/Faculty

    Comments specific to department or faculty, including departmental welcome events, programme-specific induction, departmental admin, and the sense of belonging to a particular academic unit within the institution.

    Unclear information

    Comments about confusing or unclear information, including contradictory messages, jargon, overly complex instructions, and information that was difficult to understand or act upon.

    Lack of information

    Comments about missing or insufficient information, including things students wished they had been told, gaps in pre-arrival communications, and areas where more guidance or information would have been helpful.