For any student, the first semester of graduate school is the most traumatic experience in his or her career as a graduate student. Fortunately, there are some things that can be done to make the transition for these students easier. Getting undergraduate students involved in the classrooms in positions of pedagogical responsibility is the most…

The purpose of this study is to examine a limited number of variables that have been documented in the literature as influential factors for women science majors and to determine which significantly influence undergraduate expectations to obtain science-related occupations. The results of this study indicate that several factors are worthy of…

A total of 160 Asian Americans completed a series of standardized instruments assessing their environmental, social, and psychological experiences as undergraduates. Overall, social support variables were the strongest predictors of academic persistence. Research-derived implications for university personnel and professional counselors are…

Describes a program that involved classroom instruction in advanced mathematics, a visit to the Mathematical Sciences section of Oak Ridge Laboratory, talks by faculty members on their interests, work with mentors on student research activities, and various recreational activities. Includes a list of projects and students participating. (RT)

Students in an undergraduate political science course that integrated classroom instruction and community service (n=37) were significantly more likely than were those in traditional discussion sessions (n=52) to report that they had performed to their potentials, learned to apply principles, and developed a greater awareness of social problems.…

Examines undergraduate female students' involvement in an African-American Greek-letter sorority at selected Southeast colleges, and the impact of community service on their general education. Describes seven elements of African society, known as the principles of Nguzo Saba, which provided the conceptual framework for this study. Contains 43…

This paper explores both the personal narratives of a group of black and white undergraduate students and the institutional discourse at one historically white and Afrikaans medium university now undergoing its own transformation in post-apartheid South Africa. It considers how students talk about their actual experiences and the micro-realties of…

The withdrawal policies of many universities are based on the supposition that being able to withdraw without grade point repercussions will encourage students to return to the institution at a later date. This study focused on withdrawing students and examined the differences between those who re-enroll after a withdrawal and those who do not.…

Biracial students represent a growing number of students on many campuses and an increasingly significant segment of the population of the United States. Nevertheless, this group of students rarely has been studied with respect as to how their experiences affect persistence at colleges and universities. This case study reports on the experiences…

This study identified factors leading to lower participation in study abroad experiences on the part of minority students at Michigan State University (MSU). A survey of MSU undergraduates (n=1,139) is analyzed in terms of percentage traveling abroad, world regions visited, attitudes related to travel experiences, travel experience by…

The study reported here is the first step in what is intended to be a multi-stage project to follow 10 prepreparation students as they move through the teacher preparation program and begin to teach. This first stage explored the question of whether these students held cognitive constructs about teaching and what these constructs were like. Data…

Undergraduate project work in a sample of British universities was investigated. After initial informal discussions with project supervisors and students, questionnaires were refined, and attention was focused on: project choice, project initiation, development and progress, staff/student relationship, assessment, and resources. Resources were one…

This article argues that to understand higher education student retention, equal emphasis needs to be placed on successful integration into the social world of the university as into the academic world. To date, sociological research reflecting first-year students' perceptions of the processes involved in developing social lives at university is…

This study explored how undergraduate students diagnosed with AD/HD remain in college. Using a qualitative research design from a grounded theory perspective, the researchers captured the personal stories of 10 college students from two universities similar in location, size, and liberal arts tradition. The findings included themes related to…

Despite a growing body of evidence, the common causal factors of plagiarism among international students are still widely seen to be poor language skills or a lack of academic integrity on the part of the students. This research uses the experiences of a particular cohort of students to explore these assumptions. It investigates and compares the…