scholarly journals Academic Advising and the Student Transition to College

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joe Cuseo
Keyword(s):  
Academic Advising ◽  
Student Development ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
First Year Experience ◽  
Development Theory ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Student Transition ◽  
Undergraduate Experience

The first year of college continues to be a critical period for student persistence, learning, and development. College students are under increasing pressure to make commitments to major and career plans at a very early stage in their undergraduate experience, often without the programmatic support to do so. First-year experience professionals, who are knowledgeable about student development theory and professionally committed to facilitating the transition of students to collee, are well position to fill the void in support for early academic and career decision-making. Provision of proactive and personalized support to meet the current demands for early educational and vocational decision-makingmay be pivotal for ensuring the success of today's first-year students in general, and today's growing number of first-generation students in particular.

scholarly journals Exploring the first-year experience in a diverse population: Using participatory action research to explore strategies to support student transition into fast-track undergraduate degree programs

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 41-51
Author(s):  
Greg Rickard ◽  
Marguerite Bramble ◽  
Hazel Maxwell ◽  
Rochelle Einboden ◽  
Sally Farrington ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fast Track ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Transition Process ◽  
First Year Experience ◽  
First Year ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Student Transition ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
University Life

As the cohort of students in Australian universities become increasingly diverse, attention to ensuring their success is an emerging issue of social justice in tertiary education. Navigating transitions through the student journey is crucial to their success. Exploring and responding to the needs of a cohort of first-year students is the focus of this research. Using a participatory action approach, this project aimed to discover what is meaningful for first-year students, by exploring how students experienced the processes of admission, enrolment, commencement, and learning and teaching in two fast-track and one online health degrees. Nine students were partnered with nine academics for a six-month period. The analysis offers insights into equity issues in relation to the institution’s admission processes, the quality of support and engagement from academics to students when transitioning to university life, and how students find their ‘place’. Strategies to support the transition process for first-year students are identified and discussed.

scholarly journals A Sense of Belonging

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wanda Hadley
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disability ◽  
Student Development ◽  
Development Theory ◽  
First Year ◽  
Students With Learning Disabilities ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
University Culture ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
The University

First-year students that identify as having a learning disability are an at-risk subgroup of students self-identifying on college campuses. Many of these students choose not to disclose their learning disability upon admissions to the university because of their concern about being accepted in the university culture. This research is from a two year study of the experiences of a group of first-year students with learning disabilities transitioning to a private, selective, coeducational, 4-year University in the Midwest. Qualitative data of focus group interviews and semi-structured individual interviews present the findings of the study. Chickering (1969) and Chickering and Reisser’s (1993) stages of student development theory are presented through Hadley’s (2009) interpretation of their experiences.

scholarly journals Problem-Oriented Project Learning as a First Year Experience: A Transformative Pedagogy for Entry Level PPL

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Niels Møller Nielsen
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
First Year Experience ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Entry Level ◽  
Project Learning ◽  
Transformative Development ◽  
Structured Approach ◽  
Theoretical Considerations

This paper explores how Problem-oriented Project Learning (PPL) can be organized in a context that meets the pedagogical needs of first year students. Under the assumption that, while PPL provides a fruitful context for learning, it is also challenging for early stage learners, the article formulates the theoretical considerations underlying a strategy for entry-level PPL. On that foundation, this paper discusses a case study where a set of scaffolding structures has been put in place to support the transformative development of first year students acquiring the study habits of PPL. This paper finds that a highly structured approach to entry level PPL promotes the students’ academic achievements as well as their sense of meaning in the PPL programme.

scholarly journals Personal development, resilience theory and transition to university for 1st year students

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke Pickard ◽  
James McKenna ◽  
Julie A Brunton ◽  
Andrea Utley
Keyword(s):  
Student Development ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Development Theory ◽  
First Year ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Transition To University ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Self Worth ◽  
Outdoor Orientation

Aim The study aimed to determine whether an outdoor orientation programme (OOP) could increase personal development, develop resilience and aid transition and adaptation in 1st year university students. OOPs are thought to aid transition through adventure experience. Based on student development theory, outdoor orientation programmes accelerate psychological growth (Vlamis et al., 2011). Method Semi structured interviews were conducted with 14 students who attended an outdoor orientation programme to investigate the experience of attending an OOP and transition to university. The data was analysed following Braun and Clarke (2006) Six phase approach to thematic analysis. Results Thematic areas discovered included ‘Personal development – Building more than a raft’. This theme described the way in which students developed self-worth and self-efficacy through the OOP experience. ‘The fine line between challenge and fear’ describes how delivery of an intervention such as an OOP needs to be carefully delivered to enhance the benefits and limit any possible detrimental experiences. Discussion These first year students developed in terms of self-worth and self-efficacy through overcoming challenge. This development was also linked to the students surprising themselves about their capacities for handling adversity. Keywords: Adaptation; transition; 1st year students; outdoor orientation program; resilience; personal development.

scholarly journals Fostering Retention in Online Higher Education: Students’ Perceptions of an Intervention Addressing their First-Year Experience

2020 ◽  
pp. 389-397
Author(s):  
Marlon Xavier ◽  
Julio Meneses
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Academic Advising ◽  
First Year Experience ◽  
First Year ◽  
Continuous Assessment ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Online Higher Education ◽  
Intervention Measures

Dropout represents one of the greatest challenges faced by online higher education. This paper presents an institutional intervention aimed at fostering retention and success of first-year undergraduate students at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), an online and open University, through measures addressing learning design and academic support. Secondly, through analysing in-depth interviews with first-year students, the paper explores their perception of intervention measures and their possible advantages or risks. Results indicate that time-related factors represent the major issue for persistence and continuance. Intervention measures such as personalized course packages which prevent overlapping of submission deadlines; flexibility in continuous assessment; and personalized support and academic advising were valued highly by most students. Future retention interventions in open universities are also discussed.

Impact of Short-Duration Research Experiences on STEM Self-Efficacy among Early-Stage, Rural, First-Generation College Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 42-49
Author(s):  
Jandy Hanna ◽  
Hannah Carreon ◽  
Micheal Fultz ◽  
Erica Harvey ◽  
Caitlin Howley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
First Generation ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Stem Majors ◽  
Career Plans ◽  
Before And After ◽  
First Generation College

In rural West Virginia, the First2 Network aims to improve STEM persistence by including students in creating solutions to STEM attrition. A research program for rising first-year students in STEM majors is discussed here. The authors assessed students’ STEM education and career plans, identity, efficacy, and sense of school of belonging before and after the program. Students’ STEM identity, efficacy, and school belonging improved after participation.

A FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS’ ADAPTATION TO DIFFICULTIES AT HIGH EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENTS

2021 ◽  
pp. 97-113
Author(s):  
Nailya R. Salikhova ◽  
◽  
Aida R. Fakhrutdinova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Social Community ◽  
Transition To Higher Education ◽  
Study Participants

Data from an empirical study aimed at identifying the difficulties faced by students in their transition to higher education, the overcoming of which is important for personal development, are presented in the article. The study participants (n=179) were asked to describe the difficulties of transition from school to University in the 1st year based on analysis of their autobiographical memory. The content analysis of texts allowed identifying the main themes and compiling a list of challenges, and then the frequency of occurrence of each of them was determined. According to the results, the most actual difficulties are the different aspects of integrating into the new social community due to sharp changes in the social environment during the transition from school to University. A big challenge is the need for self-organization in educational and everyday matters, planning and organizing your time. The third most frequently mentioned is learning difficulties, especially those related to mastering the material in the new educational environment. Problematic areas of adaptation to higher education that have not been previously reflected in the sources are the establishment of a common life in the dormitory, pressure from parents, the manifestation of their individuality, the increase in the length of classes and the pace of learning, romantic relationships and language barriers. The difficulties of the first examination session are much less frequently mentioned, and are more frequently mentioned when examining the current adaptation process. The results of the study can be used for the development and subsequent implementation of a system of practical measures aimed at helping students to adapt to the new environment and conditions. Such assistance to students in building a new way of life at a university, especially at an early stage of study, is necessary not only to improve the effectiveness of the educational process, but also to facilitate the processes of personal growth and development of students

scholarly journals Building Connections in the First-year Undergraduate Experience

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
June Countryman ◽  
Andrew Zinck
Keyword(s):  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
The Past ◽  
Core Courses ◽  
Big Ideas ◽  
Undergraduate Experience ◽  
New Students ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Transition From High School ◽  
Support Students

Concerned about the success rate of new students in our program we designed and implemented a compulsory set of experiences which aim to support students in their transition from high school to university by 1) developing their sense of belonging to a community of learners and by 2) articulating with them the interrelationships among their first year core courses. We initiated various strategies which we have refined in response to student feedback over the past three years. In this paper we describe the pedagogical moves that constitute our initiative and the lessons we learned. We explore essential academic and personal issues that first-year students in all programs face. We share our research findings and address the big ideas that could be applied to any discipline or multi-disciplinary program. Préoccupés par les taux de rétention des étudiants de première année, les auteurs ont conçu et mis en oeuvre un ensemble d’expériences obligatoires dont le but est d’aider les étudiants à effectuer la transition entre l’école secondaire et l’université. Ils ont établi deux objectifs : (a) développer chez les étudiants le sens d’appartenance à une communauté d’apprenants et (b) démontrer les corrélations qui existent entre les cours de base de première année que les étudiants suivent. Diverses stratégies ont été entreprises et plus tard améliorées, à partir des rétroactions fournies par les étudiants au cours de l’étude de deux ans. Cet article présente une explication des actions pédagogiques de cette initiative et explore les questions essentielles académiques et personnelles auxquelles sont confrontés les étudiants de première année dans tous les programmes. Les résultats de cette étude sont résumés et les idées générales qui peuvent s’appliquer à n’importe quelle discipline ou à des programmes multidisciplinaires sont présentées en détail.

scholarly journals Qualitative Analysis of Student Perceptions: “Some Advisors Care. Some Don't.”

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 44-54
Author(s):  
Ruth V. Walker ◽  
Alexandra I. Zelin ◽  
Carolyn Behrman ◽  
Rachel Strnad
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Academic Advising ◽  
State Institution ◽  
Transition To College ◽  
Guidance Counselors ◽  
First Year ◽  
Perceived Effectiveness ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
School Guidance

University-based academic advising at a large, Great Lakes state institution was designed to support first-year students' transition to college. We conducted individual interviews and facilitated story circles with 162 students to determine their perceived effectiveness of advising. Analyses revealed four overarching themes: student difficulty making the distinction between roles of high school guidance counselors and postsecondary academic advisors, advisor communication, student desire for a relationship, and advisor accessibility. On the basis of data gathered, we developed a model for understanding the formation and maintenance of student advising perceptions.

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