A peer-led approach to helping university students with information overload

Students frequently struggle to understand university procedures, meet administrative deadlines and identify reliable information. On top of emails, learning platforms, portals and automated notifications, they must navigate complex online forms, fragmented communication channels and institutional jargon. This information overload can trigger stress, avoidance and disengagement.

Administrative complexity – whether it’s around enrolment, finding accommodation or managing a bank account – can be a major barrier to student success, particularly for first-year, international and financially vulnerable students. One major consequence is non-take-up of aid: students fail to claim financial or social support simply because procedures feel overwhelming. Even highly capable students may delay essential steps, jeopardising their academic progress and well-being.

Universities often respond to confusion with new communication tools. Yet this abundance can lead to confusion rather than clarity. The challenge, then, is not to provide more information but to make support visible, accessible and human.

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So, rather than creating another digital platform, we invested in human mediation. Le Phare (The Beacon) is a single support hub where students can ask any question, without needing to know which department is responsible. The service is run by trained student ambassadors, known as éclaireurs (which translates to pathfinders or explorers), whose role is to guide peers through administrative processes, clarify procedures and direct them to appropriate services. Support is available in person, by email and through social media, ensuring easy access. 

Locating Le Phare in the students’ library, a high-traffic space at our university, has increased the number of requests for administrative support from students. Some, just passing through, took five minutes to get information about a specific process.

The éclaireurs also participate in orientation week at the beginning of the academic year. With their purple shirts and lighthouse logo, they make the service visible to all new students. Student ambassadors recruited from among UTC’s international students also support students in their maternal language. This was important since incoming international students may struggle more with the French administrative procedures, and the language is an additional barrier. 

Peer support has proved particularly effective in lowering psychological barriers. Students felt more comfortable asking “simple” questions and expressing uncertainty, which they often hesitate to do with formal administrative offices. Peer-to-peer guidance creates trust, relatability and reassurance. Student ambassadors share similar experiences, enabling them to explain procedures in accessible language and anticipate common obstacles. 

However, the role of the éclaireurs is not to take over or complete tasks on behalf of the student. Instead, their purpose is guide them through the process, demonstrate what they can do themselves and provide support only when needed. The student remains an active participant throughout, while the éclaireur empowers them to navigate university life independently.

This model requires strong institutional backing. Student ambassadors need continuous training, clear referral pathways and emotional support, particularly when handling complex personal situations. They work closely with professional staff, ensuring reliability and safeguarding boundaries. 

Ambassadors are carefully selected through an application letter, CV review and individual interview, allowing the team to assess not only their skills and experience but also personal qualities such as empathy, communication, professionalism, approachability and a positive attitude.

A key lesson from our experience is that simplicity is more effective than information abundance. We focused on:

• Centralising student questions: With one contact service whether online or in person, students could ask questions on unrelated procedures and reduce the time needed to find information or the correct process or person. 
• Limiting duplicate communication: Usually, the same information is available on websites, pages or other areas in the university. The challenge is making sure that information across all channels is kept up to date. Students know that Le Phare has current information and procedures. 
• Producing short, clear procedural guides: Often, an overview of a procedure helps students understand the steps. Guides created by students for students cut down redundant information and are more efficient. Longer explanations are available if more information or clarification is required. For example, housing benefit applications consistently generated anxiety. By offering guided support sessions and simplified instructions through Le Phare, we significantly reduced incomplete submissions and late requests.

Introducing a central student-facing hub did raise concerns about duplication, role overlap and potential dependency. We addressed these by framing Le Phare as a gateway service, designed to direct students efficiently, not replace specialised units. Over time, administrative departments reported clearer student queries, fewer incomplete requests and smoother processing, demonstrating that clarity benefits both students and staff.

Institutions seeking to reduce information overload may consider:

• creating a single visible entry point for student questions; a physical space and a webpage allow students to find the correct university service or office webpage and information
• using peer-led models to lower psychological barriers
• prioritising human interaction over digital expansion
• simplifying procedures
• offering support in different languages and including international students as ambassadors 
• designing systems that build autonomy, not dependency.

Reducing information overload is not merely administrative; it is educational. When students are supported to navigate complexity, they develop autonomy, resilience and confidence. At a time when student well-being is a growing concern, investing in clarity and human mediation may be one of the most impactful strategies available. 

Véronique Hédou is an assistant professor and head of Student Life at the Université de Technologie de Compiègne, France. 

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