How Soft Skills Shape First-Year Success in Higher Education

TL;DR

The paper addresses the gap of underemphasized soft skills in early CS curricula by introducing an eight-unit Soft Skills Seminar offered as a semi-isolated elective alongside the FoP course. It employs a mixed-methods evaluation across three cohorts and multiple group configurations to assess impact on individual and team performance, supported by quantitative grades and qualitative feedback. Findings show significant improvements in individual presentation marks and team project outcomes for seminar participants, with qualitative data indicating enhanced team dynamics and preparedness, though some survey effects were not statistically significant. The study suggests that integrating soft skills early, via a semi-isolated course paired with project-based activities, can improve study ability and university integration, and recommends scaling the approach to broader curricula.

Abstract

Soft skills are critical for academic and professional success, but are often neglected in early-stage technical curricula. This paper presents a semi-isolated teaching intervention aimed at fostering study ability and key soft skills-communication, collaboration, and project management-among first-year computer science students. The elective seminar Soft Skills and Tools for Studies and Career in IT was alongside a mandatory team-based programming course. We analyze project outcomes and student experiences across three cohorts across three groups: students who attended the seminar, students who teamed up with a seminar attendee, and students with no exposure to the seminar. Results show that seminar participants performed significantly better in individual presentations and team projects. Qualitative feedback further indicates improved team dynamics and study preparedness. Although self-assessed collaboration and communication did not reach statistical significance, consistent trends suggest that early soft skills training enhances academic integration. We recommend embedding such interventions early in technical study programs to support the transition into university life.

Figures (3)

• Figure 1: Comparison of performance scores across the experimental group, control group 1, and control group 2.
• Figure 2: Comparison of performance scores across the experimental team group and control team group.
• Figure 3: Comparison of performance scores across the experimental team group and control team group.