The purpose of this instrumental case study (Stake, 2003) is to explore the role of social class in student adjustment to the college environment. The story of Anna is presented to illustrate how social class impacts on the ability of students to participate in campus life and engage in their academic work. Anna's story is interpreted through the…

Examines differences between expectations and perceptions of self-assessed adjustment to college to determine whether students expect more of themselves than is subsequently realized. Describes this "freshman myth" at Clark University and Holy Cross College (N=308) and discusses differences in various aspects of adjustment. (BH)

Presents a psychosocial process of dropping out at the college level. This process is analyzed through three periods comprising eight regressive steps induced by mutual maladaptation between the students and the CEGEP. However, post-dropout period is a moratorium during which integration and self-reactualization take place. (Author/MKA)

Participatory exercises are standard practice in qualitative methods courses; less common are projects that engage students in the entire research process, from research design to write-up. Although the teaching literature provides several models of complete research projects, their feasibility, and appropriateness for large, compulsory,…

A qualified conclusion of the study is that undecided students are less satisfied with the college environment in terms of the measures used in this study than were decided students. (Author)

Many adult students with learning disabilities have entered postsecondary schools in recent years. Many of these students experience cognitive, emotional, and behavioral limitations that may act as obstacles in their educational processes and subsequent careers. Research has shown that self-determination skills can help ameliorate the effects of…

This paper presents a critical appraisal of resilience and its associated concepts within the context of higher education. It addresses wide-ranging definitions of resilience, encompassing endurance and adaptability, and seeks to understand how these definitions impact on the learning experiences of students. As theoretical and empirical work on…

Background: Few studies have examined physical activity during the transition from high school to college. Purpose: To examine changes in physical activity and physical activity patterns among females during the transition from high school to college. Methods: Sixty-nine females (age 18.2 [plus or minus] 0.4 years; body mass index 21.8 [plus or…

With a sample of 43 male college students, self ideal self discrepancies were significantly related to some adjustment scales but were independent of the environmental (college and hometown) actual ideal discrepancies. The two environmental discrepancies shared a common variance but were not significantly related to the adjustment scales. (Author)

ACT College Outcomes Survey data were collected from 27,811 students (63% aged 20-22, 37% over 26). Older students were much less involved in campus activities and more in family responsibilities. Adults reported higher levels of academic and intellectual growth in terms of broadening interests, critical thinking, study skills, career development,…

This study examined sense of belonging among a national sample of 2,967 first-year students. Guided by the work of Hurtado and Carter (1997), relationships between several aspects of the college environment and sense of belonging were examined. Findings indicated that African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian Pacific American students reported…

The freshman year of college is usually acknowledged as a stressful time of social and academic adjustment. During this period, first-year students face many social and intellectual challenges. For high school athletes, the combined impact of college transition plus disengagement from sport can further complicate first-semester adjustment and may…

Results of comparing freshmen who had pre-college counseling with those who did not indicate any significant differences during freshman year. (CJ)

Learning communities, designed primarily to increase student persistence and academic achievement, are a common first-year initiative on university campuses. Assessments of learning communities frequently examine indicators that are easily quantifiable such as student persistence and academic achievement, but also examine factors thought to affect…

The study concludes that faculty and curriculum profiles are moderately consistent, are closely tied to psychological theory, are measured independently of student characteristics, are related in meaningful ways to other measures of the college environment, and appear to reveal differences in relative emphasis on various subject matter areas.…