An exploratory study of students’ weekly stress levels and sources of stress during the semester

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adele Pitt ◽  
Florin Oprescu ◽  
Geraldine Tapia ◽  
Marion Gray
Keyword(s):  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Group Data ◽  
University Life ◽  
Focus Group Data ◽  
Stressful Experience ◽  
Support Programmes ◽  
Different Sources

Studying at university can be a very stressful experience. Although the literature provides some information regarding different sources of stress among students, studies have not addressed the issue of changes over the course progression. This study aimed to obtain a deeper understanding of the sources of stress for first-year students and whether these stressors are more prevalent at different times during the semester. A mixed-method approach was used. Content analysis was undertaken on longitudinal electronic message data, and thematic analysis was used for focus group data. Results indicated an increasing trend of stress over the semester. The major stressors identified were academic, financial/work, personal, family-related, interpersonal, social support, university/life balance and starting university. A number of stressors were found to be more prevalent at different times during the semester, including some academic-related stressors plus starting university, family-related and financial/work-related stressors. This is one of the few studies to examine the influence of timing of the levels of stress. Importantly, this study suggests that the start and end of the first semester constitute the riskiest periods for negative stress-related consequences. These results could be used to assist universities in developing student support programmes.

scholarly journals Psychological Well-being of First-year Psychology Students Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Getrude C. AH Gang ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Real Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychology Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Online Classes ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
First Semester ◽  
University Life ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Social Media Platforms

University life is always colorful, filled with a plethora of memorable moments, both academic and non-academic. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, however, first-year university students’ academic experiences might be slightly different from their expectations due to being fully conducted in online learning. The COVID-19 pandemic denied first year students the opportunity to join the face-to-face classes and become involved in university’s activities in the real setting. All activities were replaced with virtual setting and they could only contact their course mates and lecturers via social media platforms. This derailment of their expectation to experience real-life university settings may dampen their enthusiasm and impact their motivational and happiness levels. To explore the phenomenon, a study was conducted with 143 first-year psychology students to examine their self-reported motivational and happiness levels before and after seven-week of online classes. This study included 113 females (79%) and 30 males (21%) with a mean age of 20.68 (SD=1.88). Data collected revealed that students’ motivation and happiness levels declined significantly after their online classes. According to their extent of agreement with the single statement ‘Overall, I am happy with my university life’, 48 (33.60%) students agreed, 76 (53.10%) were neutral, and 19 (13.30%) indicated dissatisfaction. This study may assist the university and relevant authorities in understanding students’ perceptions of dealing with academic and life challenges through online classes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, psychological strategies should be considered to enhance first-year students’ motivation and happiness levels when faced with online classes in their new first semester.

Preventing Online Victimization: College Students’ Views on Intervention and Prevention

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (14) ◽  
pp. 2291-2307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendi E. White ◽  
Dianne Carmody
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
First Year ◽  
College Level ◽  
Online Harassment ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Prevention Education ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Group Data ◽  
Focus Group Data

Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites have changed the way we interact online. Technological advances have also facilitated the emergence of cyberstalking and online harassment, a growing issue on college campuses. This study utilizes focus group data to examine college students’ experiences with online harassment and cyberstalking. Students voiced concerns with online tracking, falsifying identities, and harassment. They also noted that incoming first-year students and those negotiating some of their first romantic relationships are especially vulnerable. In addition, students were asked to propose appropriate prevention, education, and intervention strategies at the college level. Surprisingly, many students recommended offline programs to battle this online problem.

scholarly journals Helping First Year Students Think Like Psychologists: Supporting Information Literacy and Teamwork Skill Development

2008 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacquelyn Cranney ◽  
Sue Morris ◽  
Branka Spehar ◽  
Michele Scoufis
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Group Processes ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Group Data ◽  
Assessment Tasks ◽  
Focus Group Data ◽  
Information Literacy Skills ◽  
Final Group

The current research implemented and evaluated (a) a programme targeting the development of information literacy skills (ILS) (Study 1) and (b) a team skills development programme (Study 2), with first year psychology students in Psychology 1A and Psychology 1B, respectively. In Study 1, five online ILS modules were developed. Students completed pre and post measures of learning and evaluative measures and applied these skills in the completion of several other assessment tasks. There was an improvement in all pre to post measures and students reported liking the modules and evaluated them as useful. In Study 2, students were required to complete a group research project. Ratings of group processes (e.g. productivity and cohesiveness), were obtained early and late in the programme, as well as summative evaluative ratings. The objective (mean final group mark) and subjective (evaluative) measures indicated that the groups functioned effectively. Focus group data obtained for both studies corroborated the quantitative findings. Both programmes appeared to be effective and the findings are discussed in light of their relevance to ‘thinking like a psychologist’.

scholarly journals Self-Concept and Social Adjustment of First-Year Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-130
Author(s):  
Rifa Hidayah
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Social Adjustment ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
First Year ◽  
Socialization Process ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
First Semester ◽  
The Social ◽  
University Life

Objective - Students who study in higher education institutions should have a good socialization process since it later influences their happiness and sadness during their first year of university life. They may face some difficulties and problems that may inhibit their academic success if they cannot adjust well. One of the successful social adjustment criteria is self-concept, in which is derived from interactions with others, for example, the environment. For that reason, it is important to investigate the self-concept and social adjustment of Psychology students, at UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang, during the first semester. This paper therefore aims to a) determine the degree of student social adjustment, b) determine the quality of self-concept, and c) identify the relationship between self-concept and social adjustment among first year students of Psychology, UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang. Methodology/Technique – The subjects of this study include 134 first year students at the Faculty of Psychology, UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang, East Java. The data was collected in accordance with the scale of self-concept and social adjustment. Finding & Novelty - The results show that 1) the degree of first students’ self-concept is in average scale, 69.4%, 2) the social adjustment of first year students belongs to a moderate category, 71,6%, and 3) self-concept has positive correlation to social adjustment (r = 0,703, p = 0,000). These findings confirm that the higher the self-concept the students poses, the better the social adjustment they perform. This study suggests the need for intervention to escalate self-concept and social adjustment of students by collaborating with some stakeholders, particularly students’ parents, universities, government, societies, and religious figures. Type of Paper: Empirical.

A Longitudinal Study of the Effects of Academic and Social Integration and Commitment on Retention

NASPA Journal ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl Beil ◽  
Carol A. Reisen ◽  
Maria Cecilia Zea ◽  
Robert C. Caplan
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Social Integration ◽  
Academic Integration ◽  
Research University ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Academic And Social Integration ◽  
Private Research

This longitudinal study predicted retention from academic integration, social integration, and commitment to remain in college in a sample of first-year students at a residential, private research university. When assessed separately, first-semester reports of commitment mediated the effects of both academic and social integration on retention six semesters later.

scholarly journals First-year students’ math anxiety predicts STEM avoidance and underperformance throughout university, independently of math ability

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Daker ◽  
Sylvia U. Gattas ◽  
H. Moriah Sokolowski ◽  
Adam E. Green ◽  
Ian M. Lyons
Keyword(s):  
Math Anxiety ◽  
First Year ◽  
Math Skills ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Math Ability ◽  
Current Thinking ◽  
Attitudes Toward Math ◽  
Show Evidence ◽  
Stem Outcomes

AbstractMath anxiety is widely considered a potential barrier to success in STEM. Current thinking holds that math anxiety is directly linked to avoidance of and underperformance in STEM domains. However, past evidence supporting these claims is limited in important ways. Perhaps most crucially, it is possible that math anxiety predicts STEM outcomes merely as a proxy for poor math skills. Here, we tested the link between math anxiety and subsequent STEM outcomes by measuring math anxiety, math ability, and several covariates in 183 first-semester university students. We then tracked students’ STEM avoidance and achievement through four years at university via official academic transcripts. Results showed that math anxiety predicted both a reduction in how many STEM courses students took and, separately (i.e., controlling for one another), lower STEM grades. Crucially, these associations held after controlling for math ability (and other covariates). That math anxiety predicts math-related academic achievement independently of Math Ability suggests that, contrary to current thinking, math anxiety’s effects on academic performance likely operate via mechanisms other than negatively affecting math ability. Beyond this, we show evidence that math anxiety can account for associations between math ability and STEM outcomes, suggesting that past links between math ability and real-world outcomes may, in fact, be at least partially explainable by attitudes toward math. These findings provide clear impetus for developing and testing interventions that target math anxiety specifically and suggest that focusing on math ability without additional attention to math anxiety may fail to optimally boost STEM outcomes.

scholarly journals The Students’ Speaking Skill Analaysis on Local Wisdom- Based Topics (A Study at the First Year Grade of Mathematics Department of Unswagati)

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 143
Author(s):  
Devi Siti Afiah
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Method ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Wh Questions ◽  
Speaking Skill ◽  
Math Students ◽  
Academic Year ◽  
Local Materials ◽  
Mathematics Department

The goals of this research are (1) to know what students’ responses toward WH question tehnique; (2) to know whether the WH Question can improve students’ math in English. This research used the descriptive qualitative method. The writer described and analyzed the students’ mistakes in speaking skill using local materials. The research was carried out at the first year students of math department in 2016/2017 academic year. It was strated from September 2016 to January 2017. The population was the first semester students of math department in academic year of 2016/2017. The number of population were 21 students. The results of this research were (1) the tudents gave good responses toward the WH Questions learning, and (2) the WH questions improved the Math students’ ability in learning English. Keywords: Speaking, Local-wisdom, WH-questions

scholarly journals Entering Higher Professional Education: Unveiling First-Year Students’ Key Academic Experiences and Their Occurrence Over Time

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonas Willems ◽  
Liesje Coertjens ◽  
Vincent Donche
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Critical Incident ◽  
Transition Process ◽  
Academic Experiences ◽  
First Year ◽  
Study Program ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Academic Transition ◽  
First Semester

To date, little understanding exists of how first-year students in professionally oriented higher-education (HE) programs (i.e., those that provide vocational education to prepare students for a particular occupation) experience their academic transition process. In the present study, we first argued how the constructs of academic adjustment and academic integration can provide complementary perspectives on the academic transition of first-year students in (professional) HE. Next, we examined what first-year students in professional HE contexts perceive to be the most important experiences associated with their academic transition process in the first semester of their first year of higher education (FYHE). To this end, we adopted the fundamentals of the critical incident technique and asked 104 students in a Flemish (Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) university college (which offers professional HE programs, such as nursing) to complete “reflective logs” with open questions at the start of the second semester of their FYHE, wherein they reflected on three critical academic experiences during their first semester. An inductive, cross-case content analysis of the collected narratives showed that students reported on nine themes of academic experiences, which relate to five adjustment themes (dealing with the organization of the study program, organizing study work, committing to the study, following class and taking notes, and processing learning content outside class) and four integration themes (feeling competent, feeling stressed, feeling prepared, and feeling supported). Further analyses showed that although some of the nine themes of academic experiences appear to be more important at different times in the first semester, they all seem to be meaningful throughout the whole semester.

Closing the Gap: Preparing Computing Students for Employment through Embedding Work-Related Learning in the Taught Curriculum

2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 317-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine McKinnon ◽  
June McCrae
Keyword(s):  
Student Feedback ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Employability Skills ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Confidence Levels ◽  
Closing The Gap ◽  
Computing Curriculum ◽  
The Impact

This paper presents the findings from a pilot study which explored the impact of embedding work-related learning activities in the first-year computing curriculum at Glasgow Caledonian University. Students worked in teams on practical projects which were formally assessed and the researchers gathered student feedback using two online surveys (n=159) and focus groups (n=29). The findings indicate that 85% of the students felt that their learning on the module had improved their employability skills but that their confidence levels in most skills were lower at the end of the module. The paper suggests that first-year students' realistic awareness of their own skills gaps leads to more focused learning in their remaining years of study.

Ready for the Worst? Negative Emotional Anticipation is Associated with Greater Reactivity to an Emotional Event

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elise Katherine Kalokerinos ◽  
Ella Moeck ◽  
Koen Rummens ◽  
Kristof Meers ◽  
Merijn Mestdagh
Keyword(s):  
Time Scale ◽  
Research Finding ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Experience Sampling ◽  
Bad News ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Emotional Outcomes

Lay wisdom suggests feeling negative in advance of an outcome – anticipatory negative emotion – shields against the blow of bad news. However, evidence is mixed, with different lines of research finding that anticipatory negative emotion is helpful, harmful, or has no effect on emotional outcomes. We set out to reconcile the competing findings by examining effects over a longer, but more granular, time-scale. First-year students (N=101) completed 9 days of experience sampling (10 surveys/day) as they received their first-semester exam grades, and a follow-up survey 5 months later. We investigated the association between anticipatory negative emotion and three negative emotional outcomes: (1) reactivity immediately after receiving grades, (2) recovery across the following week, and (3) recovery after 5 months. Anticipatory negative emotion was associated with increased reactivity and negative emotion 5 months later, suggesting that being emotionally ready for the worst has psychological costs.

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