In addition to academic pressures shared with American students, students from other countries studying in the United States have the stress of living in an unfamiliar culture. Common symptoms of culture shock (irritability, loneliness, depression, rigidity) have been identified. Parallel symptoms have been described in the learned helplessness…

A new approach has been proposed to increase the success of Chicana/o students in college. Rather than studying only students who leave college without completing their degrees, the new approach focuses on those students who succeed in college by completing their programs of study. The campus experience for students is conceived as a "black…

An ecosystem approach to the management of dysfunctional stress in a medical education setting is described. Students described the major stressors as information-input overload, shortage of time, inadequate feedback regarding performance, and poor quality of interpersonal relationships. Appropriate interventions were designed. (Author/MLW)

Major current issues in student financial aid include the articulation of program purposes, the allocation of aid resources, and the structure of delivery mechanisms. The resolution of these issues can dramatically affect institutions of postsecondary education, from their fiscal viability to the nature of their student body. (Author/JMD)

A recently released report by a Stanford University committee examining race relations in every segment of campus life concluded that despite racial diversity, race relations are strained and full integration must be accomplished. The report's conclusions and recommendations relate to the undergraduate and graduate student bodies, faculty, and…

A multi-institutional study of 263 first-time college freshmen investigated the effects on students' social and academic integration of having expectations for college remain unmet. Results are discussed in terms of implications for enrollment management and the linkage of theories concerning college choice and student departure. (Author/MSE)

A study used theory elaboration to help revise Tinto's interactionalist theory of individual student departure from college to include the effects of organizational attributes on student withdrawal. Results provide strong support for including concepts from organizational theory and suggest future research should use theory elaboration to look for…

This study investigated the relationship of parental attachment (Parental Attachment Questionnaire) and on-campus social support (People in My Life) to college adjustment (Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire) among 186 Black students' on predominantly White campuses. Parental attachment was found to contribute to the explanation of college…

The development of a principled microcomputer-based adventure game that simulates the experience of higher education for prospective students in British schools is discussed. Playing the game is intended to provide prospective students a "realistic role preview." Consideration is given to an earlier board game and research on student…

An international study of adaptation and coping of students, faculty, and administrators involved with foreign student exchange is examined using data obtained in 11 countries--Brazil, Canada, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Japan, Kenya, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The following are included:…

The examination of the functioning of social networks has been used to understand how individual and environmental characteristics can mediate the availability of social support. To examine the relationship between personal attributes, psychosocial environmental attributes, and the interaction between these variables, 92 entering college freshmen…

Stress adaptation research suggests that individuals need not only strategies and skills to solve problems, but also supportive environments in which solutions can be accomplished. A general profile of Australian freshmen education majors was drawn to examine their adjustment to and behaviors in the college environment. Results indicated that 80%…

Orientation in this report refers to the various adjustment processes that students need to make to function effectively within a postsecondary institution. The major aim of the study was to obtain an outline of the range of problems encountered by respondents at Flinders University in a 1975 questionnaire survey of their adaptation to the…

A noted poet and professor offers advice to African American students on making the adjustment to a predominantly white college or university. Issues addressed include attendance patterns and study habits, relationships with faculty, cultivating friends and self-esteem, participation in campus life, and dealing with racism. (MSE)