The study investigated the social and academic experiences of first year students at a university in Zimbabwe. A phenomenological research design was used to conduct the study. Respondents were seven purposefully sampled first year students (N = 7: males = 3, females = 4, mean age = 24.4 years; age ranging between 18 and 36 years). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with each respondent. Content analysis of the responses showed that first year students experienced varied social and academic adjustment problems. The students over-relied on social networks and efficacious beliefs to cope with the challenges. The students need to be exposed to various coping resources to enable them to quickly and smoothly adjust into the new life at university.