“I Hope to Remain the Same”: Continuity and Change in College Students' Sexual Possible Selves across the First Semester

How students manage their time is critical for academic performance and is an important component of self-regulated learning. The purpose of the present study was to examine relationships among first-year college students’ ( N = 589) time use, academic self-regulation, and target and actual grade point average (GPA) at three time points. Findings showed that students planned and spent less time on academics than socializing and work obligations in their first semester. Students generally planned to spend more time on academics in the second semester. Academic time use (planned and actual academic hours) related to higher self-regulated learning and target GPA in the first and second semester. Students who were farther away from their first-semester target lowered their second-semester target GPA instead of planning more time in academics. Students exceeding their target first-semester GPA planned to socialize more in the second semester. Orientation and transition programs that assist students may need to revisit time management and planning midway through the year to address potentially inadequate self-regulated learning in the first year of college.

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The influence of family cohesion and relational maintenance strategies on stress in first semester college students

Communication Quarterly ◽

10.1080/01463373.2020.1821735 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 68 (4) ◽

pp. 457-471

Author(s):

Lindsey S. Aloia ◽

Claire Strutzenberg

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Family Cohesion ◽

Relational Maintenance ◽

Maintenance Strategies ◽

First Semester ◽

Relational Maintenance Strategies

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Relationship Between Depressive Symptoms and Other Health Markers in First-Semester College Students

Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics ◽

10.1016/j.jand.2020.06.244 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 120 (9) ◽

pp. A30

Author(s):

J. Mansperger ◽

J. Kemp ◽

J. Kiss ◽

A. Morgan ◽

K. Knippen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

First Semester

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Predicting College Student Drinking and Smoking Intentions With Cognitively Accessible Attitudes and Norms

Health Education & Behavior ◽

10.1177/1090198118818238 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 46 (2) ◽

pp. 267-274 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Nancy Rhodes ◽

Bridget Potocki ◽

Sarah Thomas

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Drinking Behavior ◽

Peer Norms ◽

First Semester ◽

First Year College ◽

Student Drinking ◽

Effective Interventions ◽

Cognitive Accessibility ◽

First Year College Students

Understanding the factors that make college students more likely to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes is key to developing effective interventions in order to reduce these behaviors. This study sought to understand entering college students’ intentions to engage in smoking and drinking behavior by examining the cognitive accessibility (ease of retrieval from memory) of attitudes and norms for drinking. A sample of 413 first-year college students living in on-campus residence halls participated in the study in the first 2 weeks of their first semester of college. Reaction time measures of attitudes and norms assessed the cognitive accessibility of these constructs. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted. Results indicated that the cognitive accessibility of both attitudes and peer injunctive norms predicted behavioral intentions to drink and smoke. Our findings indicate that when injunctive peer norms are accessible from memory, they are better predictors of drinking and smoking intentions than descriptive norms or injunctive family norms. Our work provides important guidance for interventions to reduce risky behavior in college students and suggests that emphasizing social costs of these behaviors may be a promising strategy.

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0369 Sleep Disparities are Established by the First Month of College

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsaa056.366 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 43 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. A141-A141

Author(s):

V Bermudez ◽

D Fearon ◽

M Wheelis ◽

M Cohenour ◽

M K Scullin

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Academic Success ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

First Generation ◽

Female Students ◽

Achievement Gaps ◽

First Generation Students ◽

First Semester ◽

Short Sleep ◽

Long Sleep

Abstract Introduction Short and poor quality sleep are particularly common in college students, likely impacting their ability to persist and succeed in difficult courses. In the current study, we investigated demographic-based sleep differences (sleep disparities) and demographic-based academic differences (achievement gaps) in first-semester college students, with the goal of informing whether sleep disparities contribute to achievement gaps. Methods From 2017 to 2018, first-semester undergraduate students at Baylor University completed the New2BU Survey [N=6,048, 61.9% female, 18.7% first-generation, 23.8% underrepresented racial/ethnic minority (URM)]. Data collection occurred within three to five weeks of classes beginning. The survey included self-reported weekday total sleep time (TST), which we classified as short sleep (≤6.9 hours), normal sleep (7-9 hours), or long sleep (>9 hours). Semester GPA data were obtained from university records for students’ first 4 semesters. Results There was evidence for both achievement gaps and sleep disparities. The risk for short sleep was increased in female students (p<.001; OR=1.20, 95%CI: 1.08-1.33), first-generation students (p=.02; OR=1.17, 95%CI: 1.03-1.33), and URM students (p<.001; OR=1.32, 95%CI: 1.16-1.50). The risk for long sleep increased substantially in first-generation students (p=.003, OR=1.92, 95%CI: 1.25-2.97) and URM students (p<.001; OR=2.41, 95%CI: 1.57-3.70), but not in female students (OR=0.88, 95%CI: 0.59-1.30). First-generation and URM students showed a 0.2-0.3 GPA reduction each semester relative to comparison groups (ps<.001), but short sleep and long sleep predicted GPA data up to four semesters later. Sleep-GPA correlations were modest in size (rs=.10-.14), but remained significant even after controlling for numerous demographic variables, high school GPA, and college entrance test scores. Conclusion Sleep disparities are noteworthy within the first month of college, and predictive of academic performance across four semesters. Addressing sleep health in all students—but particularly female, first-generation, and URM students—may increase academic success, bridge achievement gaps, and reduce health disparities. Support National Science Foundation (DRL 1920730)

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