An outcome of the increase in online learning opportunities, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, has been a limited opportunities provided to students for face-to-face interaction with peers and the larger university community. Social interactions are important for university students, providing them with opportunities to network, learn and collaborate with others. Social interaction also aids with personal growth; allows students to form social systems; exposes them to various cultures, which enhances cultural and social awareness; promotes engagement in enriching extramural activities; and develops students’ social skills. As such social interaction is strongly linked to a sense of mental well-being. Social structures are also an important aspect of any form of learning. Much is acknowledged about the relationship between social interaction and overall mental well-being; what is less known is the impact that the withdrawal of social interactions has on first-year students, particularly in relation to a sense of being socially and pedagogically included or isolated. A sense of inclusion promotes a sense of well-being, which in turn promotes persistence in studies and the likelihood of students completing their courses of study. This study investigated how the lack of social interaction affected first-year students' university experience. The overarching research question is: What influence has a lack of traditional socialisation had on first-year students’ ability to fully integrate into unfamiliar university settings? The study’s theoretical foundation is social and pedagogic inclusion. Data was gathered from 176 first-year students at the University of the Witwatersrand's School of Education, which is part of the Faculty of Humanities. This is a public university in Johannesburg, a sizable South African metropolis. Students at the university come from diverse backgrounds, including other African countries, and a wide range of socioeconomic and cultural contexts. The study adopts a qualitative phenomenological research approach. Open-ended questionnaires were used to gather information at three different times periods: at the beginning of the year, six weeks later and at the end of the same year. Significantly, responses indicating a lack of overall well-being because of social isolation from the university community had increased by 40% at the end of the year in relation to Weeks 1 and 6. Therefore, promoting a sense of well-being in the student population post-pandemic should be a priority, necessitating a comprehensive approach that provides students with mental health support via wellness programmes that encourage community and peer engagement. The study specifically illustrates the relationship between social interactions and the sense of feeling socially included or excluded among students. The study recommends that university management and academic staff should create opportunities for first-year students to be able to engage in more social activities.

Keywords: Social interactions, first year students, mental well-being, online learning, inclusion, isolation.