Background: The short-term impacts of outdoor orientation programs (OOPs) have been documented in the literature for close to 40 years. While there is a fair amount of research examining the immediate effects of OOPs, there are relatively few studies exploring long-term impacts. Purpose: This study examined the important longitudinal "lessons…

Background: Using Personal-Disclosure Mutual-Sharing (PDMS) with students transitioning to Higher Education (HE) has yet to be researched in education. Aims: In two studies, we aimed to explore the immediate effects of a Coping Oriented Personal-Disclosure Mutual-Sharing (COPDMS) intervention on first-year undergraduate students' relational and…

This qualitative study investigated academic challenges, supports and the role of readiness in academic adaptation of international students. 20 international students were recruited for data collection employing semi-structured interviews. The results showed that three types including academic challenges, socio-cultural challenges and language…

Veterans are entering the community college classroom as part of their transition from military to civilian life. This article explores what leaders of community colleges could do, and have done, in developing programs, implementing changes, and adopting policies to attract and accommodate the unique needs of student-veterans.

What exactly is an "outdoor orientation program?" First offered in the United States in the 1930s by Dartmouth College, outdoor orientation programs (OOPs) use adventure programming to help incoming students adjust to university or college. Typically, these programs are conducted in a wilderness or backcountry setting, are several days…

International students arriving at UK higher education institutions often find the first stage of the period of transition from home to British university difficult. Research has shown that the difficulties relate to finding themselves in a new culture. This University of Ulster project encouraged them to explore their feelings by participating in…

In this study international and domestic students were compared on variables such as accommodation and financial satisfaction, social support, mismatched expectations, academic stress, dysfunctional coping, and psychological distress. International and domestic students (N = 86 for each group), enrolled at a large Australian university based in a…

The number of minority, particularly Latino, students attending community colleges is on the rise in the United States. Such students frequently lack academic preparation and financial resources. These difficulties, when added to family obligations, often require that minority students attend institutions that offer the most flexible…

A study examined the effect of a 1-day outdoor experiential training orientation on graduate students' perceptions of stress. Fifty-seven first-year veterinary medicine students were surveyed before the fall semester and during final exam period. Several mood states, including anxiety-tension, vigor-activity, and depression-dejection were…

Adult educators can help students cope with stress by (1) designing programs that are responsive to stress factors; (2) including information on stress effects in orientation sessions; (3) developing individualized programs of study; (4) integrating education into students' work and other life roles; (5) providing personal attention, advising, and…

"Avenues to Success in College," a noncredit first-year orientation course, taught study and coping skills, familiarized students with campus facilities, and provided information about drug/alcohol use and other first-year concerns. Students completing the course earned higher average grades, were less likely to experience academic…