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.

scholarly journals Should I study or should I sleep?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ignacio Estevan ◽  
Romina Sardi ◽  
Ana C. Tejera ◽  
Ana Silva ◽  
Bettina Tassino
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Duration ◽  
School Performance ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychology Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Start Time ◽  
Previous Night ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
The Impact

Sleep is crucial for college students’ well-being. Although recommended sleep duration is between 7-9 hours per day, many students do not sleep that much. Scholar demands are among the causes of observed sleep deprivation in youth. We explored the influence of having a school test on previous night sleep in first-year students and the association of sleep duration and test performance. We ran two surveys in freshman students of the Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay: 1) 97 students of the School of Sciences who took the test at the same time; and 2) 252 School of Psychology students who took the test in four successive shifts. More than 1/2 of the participants (survey #1) and almost 1/3 (survey #2) reported short regular sleep duration (< 7h). In both samples, the sleep duration of the night before the test was reduced with respect to regular nights (survey #1: 2.1 ± 0.2 h, p < 0.001; survey #2: between 1.7 ± 0.4 h and 3.6 ± 0.3 h, all p < 0.001), with more than 10% of the students who did not sleep at all. In survey 2, sleep duration increased in later shifts (F (3,248) = 4.6, p = 0.004). Using logarithmic regressions, we confirmed that sleep duration was positively related to test scores in both samples (survey #1: exp B = 1.05, p < 0.001; pseudo-R2 = 0.15; survey #2: exp B = 1.01, p < 0.001; pseudo-R2 = 0.05). Delaying test start time may prevent the reduction in sleep duration, which may also improve school performance. In addition, educational policies should include information for students about the impact of sleep on learning and of the consequences of reduced sleep duration.

scholarly journals Subjective well-being among first-year university students: A two-wave prospective study in Flanders, Belgium

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
David De Coninck ◽  
Koen Matthijs ◽  
Patrick Luyten
Keyword(s):  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
First Year ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Start Time ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Parental Relationship ◽  
Child Relationship

In the transition from secondary to tertiary education, first-year students experience stress due to the academic, cultural, and social environment they must adapt to. This may negatively impact their subjective well-being, which in turn may negatively influence academic performance and increase the probability of dropping out. We report findings from a two-wave online study involving first-year students enrolled in a sociology course at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at the University of Leuven (Belgium). Students completed self-report questionnaires on sociodemographic background, subjective well-being, parental relationship quality, and personality, at the start (Time 1) and end (Time 2) of the first semester. 194 students (35%) completed measures at both times. Results show that subjective well-being decreased from the beginning to the end of the first semester. Well-being at university was positively, and feelings of depression negatively, related to subjective well-being at Time 1 and Time 2. Female students reported lower well-being than male students at Time 2 but not Time 1. The quality of the mother–child, but not the father–child, relationship was positively related to subjective well-being at Time 1 and Time 2.

scholarly journals ADAPTATIONAL TRAINING AS A MEANS OF STUDENTS SELF-EFFICACY DEVELOPMENT

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (86) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olena Muzyka ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Real Life ◽  
The Self ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Professional Goals ◽  
Psychological Indicators ◽  
Motivational Support ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The One

The article analyzes the possibilities of adaptation training as a means of developing the self-efficacy of first-year students. Theoretical and organizational principles of training are substantiated, the content of its separate stages is described, indicators of self-efficiency of students before and after training are compared. The training is based on the analysis of real life situations, specific organization of group work and feedback. The self-efficacy of first-year students develops at three stages of adaptation training: actualization of professional goals, reflection of adaptive resources, value-motivational support of self-efficacy. After getting acquainted and announcing the purpose of the training, students diagnose their own self-efficacy using the author's method "Student Self-Efficacy Profile". The main content of the first stage is the actualization of distant and close professional goals. The second stage of training - reflection on adaptive resources - is the main one. Аbilities can be considered the most relevant adaptation resources. An important property of abilities is the ability to develop. Students need to pay special attention to this. Arguments are sought in their personal value experience. This stage of training is aimed at reflecting their own professional abilities and forming a value attitude towards them. It is important that each trainee realizes that his or her personal set of professional abilities is sufficient to begin the process of professionalization and characterizes him or her individuality. The third stage of training is aimed at developing self-efficacy based on updated adaptation resources. We assume that the motivation for professionalization is provided by two groups of psychological indicators. On the one hand, it is based on personal values (abilities, standards of activity), and on the other - professional goals. Re-diagnosing self-efficacy completes the training. The results of the training show an increase in self-efficacy indicators on scales: goals and motives, abilities, reflection, resistance to failures, self-development.

scholarly journals Changes in First-Year Students’ Use of Research Resources: Impacts of an Interdisciplinary Seminar Program on Research and Literacy Learning Outcomes

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Murray ◽  
Nathan J Lachowsky
Keyword(s):  
Nous Avons ◽  
Literacy Learning ◽  
The Internet ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Normal Transition ◽  
Before And After ◽  
First Year Seminar ◽  
Research Resources

The Internet, which has made information ubiquitous and seemingly infinite, has transformed education. Universities are challenged to educate students to navigate and evaluate critically the undifferentiated information of the Internet so that students gain the ability to transform it into knowledge. To better understand the effects of taking a First-Year Seminar we examined the types of research resources students consulted before and after taking an interdisciplinary graded for-credit First-Year Seminar at a midsize comprehensive public university in Canada. We analyzed 2,576 anonymous questionnaires collected across 102 first-year seminars. After completing a first-year seminar, students consulted more reliable and scholarly resources, irrespective of the semester of enrollment. Generally, there were some improvements noted between first and second semester students. However, comparisons between students who had just completed a seminar in semester one with students who were about to begin a seminar in semester two, reveal that the improved results are not solely attributable to the normal transition and maturation process experienced by students in their first semester of university. L’Internet, qui a rendu l’information omniprésente et apparemment inépuisable, a transformé l’éducation. Les universités sont mises au défi d’enseigner aux étudiants comment naviguer et évaluer de façon critique les informations non différenciées trouvées sur Internet afin que les étudiants puissent apprendre à transformer ces informations en connaissances. Pour mieux comprendre les effets sur les étudiants qui suivent un séminaire de première année, nous avons examiné les divers types de ressources de recherche que les étudiants ont consultées avant et après avoir suivi un séminaire interdisciplinaire noté et menant à l’obtention d’un crédit, dans une université canadienne publique de taille moyenne. Nous avons analysé 2 576 questionnaires anonymes obtenus de 102 séminaires de première année. Après avoir suivi un séminaire de première année, les étudiants ont consulté des ressources plus fiables et plus savantes, indifféremment du semestre dans lequel ils se trouvaient à ce moment-là. En général, on a noté quelques améliorations entre les étudiants de premier semestre et ceux de deuxième semestre. Toutefois, les comparaisons entre les étudiants qui venaient de terminer un séminaire au cours de leur premier semestre et les étudiants qui étaient sur le point de commencer un séminaire au cours de leur deuxième semestre ont révélé que les meilleurs résultats ne sont pas exclusivement attribuables à la transition normale et au processus de maturation dont les étudiants font l’expérience au cours de leur premier semestre.

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 The First Year Colloquium: Creating a Safe Space for Students to Flourish

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Myriam Vuckovic ◽  
Joan B Riley ◽  
Brian Floyd
Keyword(s):  
Short Form ◽  
Private University ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Safe Space ◽  
Positive Development ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Low Levels

College is one of the most formative times in an individual’s life. Its intense living-learning environment can promote students’ extreme self-confidence and positive development, or alternatively, can result in low levels of well-being. The first year in college is an opportunity for faculty and staff to engage with students to help them build learning skills, a sense of responsibility, and ownership of their college experiences. The aim of this study was to examine the impacts of a first year colloquium on student well-being. In the fall of 2015, 91 entering first year students at a private university in the U.S. participated in a mixed method study using written reflection responses and in a pre/post survey using Keyes (2009) Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF). Gains were seen in psychological well-being with an increase in flourishing as compared to early semester moderate flourishing. Students reported that having one course that provided a safe space for them in their first semester, and that addressed well-being in college, was critical for them to succeed and thrive in their first year.

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 Application of Cannabis Use Intention Questionnaire (CUIQ) to First Year University Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Inês Teodoro ◽  
Hugo Torres ◽  
Nuno Venâncio ◽  
Guilhermina Moutinho ◽  
Maria Deolinda Auxtero
Keyword(s):  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Self Control ◽  
First Year ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Validated Questionnaire ◽  
Intent To Use ◽  
First Year University

Cannabis is the illegal drug most used worldwide. Its long-term use increases the risk of depression and schizophrenia, causing a major public health problem. A validated questionnaire was applied to first year students of Instituto Universitário Egas Moniz to assess their intention regarding cannabis use. They do not consider cannabis to be much associated with well-being, they slightly consider the opinion of relatives, and they show a low intent to use the drug, believing themselves to have strong self-control. Scores are above average for 18-y.o. Portuguese students, except for belief in self-control.

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.

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