The Challenge: What Happens Between Admission and Arrival?

Halmstad University has strong marketing and recruitment strategies in place, ensuring a steady flow of admitted students. However, one major gap remained: the waiting period between acceptance and official enrollment.

“We have a lot of resources for marketing and recruitment, but we have no organization in place for what we call the waiting period, from when students accept their place to when they actually register as a student.”  – Helena Bengtsson, International Communications Manager at Halmstad University

This period is a critical moment as students start second-guessing their decisions, feeling disconnected, and struggling with unanswered questions. Halmstad needed a solution that could:

✔️ Keep students engaged before arrival
✔️ Support social connections to prevent isolation
✔️ Require minimal staff intervention

Instead of hiring additional staff or creating a new internal process, the university turned to Goin’, a student community platform designed to create student communities naturally.

“The Goin’ solution was perfect for us. We didn’t have to hire a special person for this, and we didn’t have to maintain too many in-house processes. We just launched Goin’, and the process worked out by itself.”

The Solution: A Student-Led Community That Runs Itself

The key to success? Letting students take the lead.

“We actively chose to not involve too many staff in it because we wanted it to be a peer-to-peer solution, and we should not be too much in it. We have other channels for that.”

Instead of a staff-heavy initiative, Goin’ allowed current students to step in and help incoming students settle in. This created a win-win situation—new students got guidance and friendships, while current students felt involved and valued.

“We also involved some of our current students, and they really enjoy meeting the new students. It’s been a win-win for both the experience of our current students and incoming students.”

And despite the late decision to implement Goin’, it was quick and effortless to set up.

“It was very quick, actually. This was a very last-minute decision when we were just about to admit our students for the next semester. But we set it up quickly, and we were very happy that Goin’ provided us with such a fast solution.”

Even after launch, minimal staff effort was needed to keep things running.

“I don’t put a lot of effort into it. I have a great contact person at Goin’ who helps me when I need to add or change something in the app. But otherwise, it kind of has its own way of happening. I just sit back, relax, and the students are very happy.”

The Unexpected Outcome: A Supportive, Self-Sustaining Community

One of the initial concerns was moderation. With students engaging freely, would staff need to step in to manage conversations or resolve conflicts?

“I remember I was kind of worried that there would be conversations we needed to control, or that people would treat each other badly. But actually, there is such a nice community, and they are so nice to each other and helpful to each other. My worries didn’t happen at all.”

“It’s going very smoothly, and people are just very happy to chat and find new friends.”

This sense of student support is what makes Goin’ so valuable—students are eager to help one another, share advice, and build friendships. At Halmstad University, students on average are making over 17 new friends in their network. To boost the discovery, they are also hoping into so many group networks with over 100 students in each of them.

90% of students express that using Goin' helps them to get answers to questions that they would normally have to ask the university staff.

For some students, these connections are effortless. But for others, especially introverts, it’s more challenging to take that first step.

“We know that very social students always find friends. But we also have students who are more quiet or more introverted. I think for them specifically, Goin’ is a tool that helps them take the step to join those events physically when they arrive.”

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To get more insights from the students, here’s what some of them had to say:

“I am obsessed with Goin’! It's like a guidebook for international students like me. I get all the answers to my questions from here!” - Nare from Armenia

“The app has been very helpful from the moment I joined. It allowed me to access more information, such as what I need to do before departing for my studies in Sweden.” - Natasha from Zambia

“Moving to a new country can be challenging, but meeting people beforehand makes the experience easier.” - Bernard from Gambia

“Having Goin’ is helpful and with this app we dont feel like we are going through the process alone. The topics of the groups are great.” - Ines from Tunisia

“I get easily information about all things related to university and connect with new people.” - Raval from India

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Final Thoughts: The Power of Community in Student Life

Reflecting on her own university experience, Helena highlights why social connections are just as important as academics.

“For me, the student experience was just as much about meeting people and making connections as it was about studies. That’s what gives you opportunities in life.”

“The community you have as a student, you don’t get that anywhere else in life. These are the years where you meet friends for life and build networks that shape your future career. Take the opportunity to meet as many people as you can. And of course, study. But that’s just a part of it.”

Halmstad University’s success with Goin’ showcases that when students are given a space to engage, support, and connect, they create something truly valuable; a thriving student community.

If you’re looking for a scalable, student-led solution to improve engagement, reduce staff workload, and create a thriving community, Goin’ can help. Scheduling a meeting or if you