"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…

A study found college honors (n=231) and nonhonors (n=709) first-year students were similar in extracurricular interests, educational objectives, and some study habits; they reported differences in most other areas. Findings have implications for advising both groups, such as placement of emphasis on format of academic courses, orientation to…

High-risk college freshmen (n=72), most African-Americans, who participated in a deliberate psychological education-based orientation course that addressed minority student needs and incorporated principles of student development, achieved significant increases in cognitive development, study skills, and course satisfaction. However, achievements…

Comparison of the responses of Asian, black, and white honors students attending a first-year seminar at a large research university found that Asians differed most often from white and black students on all issues. Academic issues most often engendered group differences. Results suggest that racial subgroups in the honors student population have…

This article discusses the adjustment of ten Asian-born university students to the academic culture of an English-speaking university in the United States. Findings from a case study reveal an instrumental role played by compatriot networks in the students' adjustment process. Spindler's cultural therapy model provides the lens for an…

A five-year plan for admissions in a large state university is presented that considers current and projected enrollment, budget, space, equipment, computer liaison, recruitment, research personnel, publications, orientation, and public relations. (MSE)

Factors supporting excellence in optometric residency programs are discussed, including initial student contact and orientation, instructional quality, teacher as resource, student quality, admission procedures, curriculum design, levels of clinical training, resources that expand the resident's experience, stature of the program within the…

A study using focus groups and interviews of 132 traditional and nontraditional college students examined factors and experiences in the transition from work or high school to college. It looked at differences between traditional and first-generation college students; the role of family, high school friendships, and peers; and developmental…

The effectiveness of a California State University, Long Beach, program to prepare incoming students for university-level work and educational processes was assessed in 2 surveys of new students (n=1,100, n=1,613) and 1 of 80 who had taken the course previously. Key elements in program success were identified: course content; teaching techniques;…

Demographic trends suggest colleges and universities will be enrolling record numbers of foreign-born students, and must prepare to introduce this population to the distinctive practices and standards of American higher education. Suggestions include redesigning the orientation program, establishing strong English language instruction, improving…

From its beginnings 25 years ago, the University of Hawai'i-West O'ahu (UH-West O'ahu) has strived to provide its students, mostly working adults with an average age of 32 years, with easy access to classes and advising by maintaining flexible class schedules and office hours. When UH-West O'ahu initiated a distance education program in 1981, the…