Survey Shows New Students’ Reflections on Academic Successes and Challenges
December 14, 2015
In fall, new first-year and transfer students completed a survey about their educational plans, transition to college and utilization of campus services. The survey had a 48 percent response rate. Major tasks for new students include finding and using campus resources, developing habits that support academic success and identifying obstacles to success. Highlights from the 2015 survey, with notes about the 2014 survey, shed light on new students’ progress on these important tasks.
Finding and Using Resources to Support Academic Success
Of those who responded, 89 percent felt somewhat or very sure that they could find resources that would help them overcome academic challenges and obstacles. Figure 1 shows the five academic resources most frequently used by new students in their first semester. In 2014, new students reported using similar resources most frequently, the key difference being that 44 percent of 2015 students reported frequently using instructors/teaching assistants, compared to 53 percent of 2014 students.
Developing Habits That Support Academic Success
Of those who responded, 91 percent of new first-year students said they attended the ASCEND conference during Welcome Week. One of the ASCEND goals is to help attendees identify habits of academically successful students that they can adopt to facilitate their success. Figure 2 shows the top five habits for academic success that 2015 students reported engaging in during their first semester, which were similar to those reported by new students in 2014.
Identifying Obstacles to Success
Students also reflected on the obstacles they faced during the semester. Figure 3 shows the top six obstacles reported by new students in 2015, which were similar to those reported by 2014 students. The greater the number of obstacles students reported experiencing either frequently or all the time, the less likely students were to say they thought they could succeed academically and could find resources that would help them overcome academic challenges and obstacles.
