en تخصصي Special پژوهشي Research <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Source Sans Pro;"><span style="line-height:normal">Student onboarding can support academic adjustment, social integration, and student success. This comparative cross-sectional study examines onboarding experiences at DHBW Mannheim in Germany and the University of Houston-Downtown in the United States. An online survey of 350 undergraduate business students (200 in Germany and 150 in the United States) assessed transition challenges, institutional support, and use of digital and artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Students in both settings identified academic workload, time management, and performance pressure as prominent challenges. Respondents in the United States rated mentoring, networking opportunities, and the organization of onboarding more favorably than respondents in Germany. Students also reported using digital platforms and AI for information retrieval and academic support. The findings suggest that onboarding should coordinate academic guidance, social connections, organizational information, and digital support across the first year. Institutional leaders can strengthen transition support through structured mentoring, clear communication, and guidance on responsible AI use. Because the study draws on self-reports from two institutions at one point in time, the observed differences should not be interpreted as causal effects or generalized to all students in either country.</span></span></span><br> &nbsp;</div> Student Onboarding, Student Success, First-Year Experience, Higher Education Leadership, Germany and United States, Artificial Intelligence 98 117 http://johepal.com/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1754-3&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Andrea Honal 10031947532846005251 0009-0002-5123-4061 Yes Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg Mannheim (DHBW Mannheim) Alexander Scholl 10031947532846005252 0009-0002-3792-5130 No Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg Mannheim (DHBW Mannheim) Dietrich von Biedenfeld 10031947532846005253 10031947532846005253 No University of Houston-Downtown Alexis von Biedenfeld 10031947532846005254 10031947532846005254 No University of Houston-Downtown