The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) calls for a new approach to students as active participants in the learning process. In response, the University of Barcelona founded the Student Observatory in 2012 as a tool for participation and active communication that is committed to and responsible for UB students. The aim of the Observatory is to obtain data to facilitate informed decisions on university policies relating to students and graduates in general; and to their support services in particular. Therefore, the Student Observatory is more than just an ordinary university observatory: it is a tool for seeing the world of young university students from their eyes, with their perspective of values and priorities. It is the mirror that clearly reflects student concerns and that provides the tools needed to find solutions.