This study surveyed 399 incoming first-year students at two colleges in the Midwest on their use of social network sites before college entry and its impact on various dimensions of the first-year experience. Significant correlations were found for two pairs of variables: (a) students who used social network sites before arriving on campus…

The aims of this mixed-methods study were to describe the types of support peer mentors provided to first-year students (mentees), examine whether mentors' and mentees' ratings of support were similar in degree and/or correlated, and determine whether discrepancies in mentor-mentee ratings were associated with mentees' academic outcomes. A large…

This study investigated student-learning outcomes of college peer educators whose primary responsibility or interest was to address health and safety topics on campus, such as alcohol and illicit drug use, tobacco issues, sexual health and safety issues, nutrition, and violence prevention. Participants included 69 first-year college students who…

Although there is a growing body of research on the effects of peer mentoring in higher education, the individual learning of mentors themselves is largely unexplored. In this narrative inquiry study, peer mentors working with a first-year learning communities program shared and analyzed stories about their experiences. The resulting narrative…

This article investigates the evolution of friendships formed during a first-year seminar for honors students enrolled in a private liberal arts college. Through an electronic survey and interviews with former students who had participated in the seminar course six years prior to the research, this case study examined why some friendships were…

A large, suburban, Southeastern university conducted a multi-method study on the effectiveness of its common reader program in meeting multiple learning objectives. Data from approximately 700 respondents, all of whom were first-year students enrolled in 37 sections of the university's traditional first-year seminar course, revealed that the…

This in-depth study examined the perspectives of 17 Korean undergraduate exchange students attending a U.S. southern university during the 2005-2006 school year. The struggles and frustrations they experienced; the difficulties they encountered socially, culturally, and academically; their contributions to the American academic community; and…

This research presents findings from a qualitative study investigating the perceptions of students engaged in the transfer process. Fifty-seven community college transfer students were interviewed through e-journaling during fall 2006 and spring 2007 in an effort to learn what students perceive as a successful transfer process, supports needed to…

Many immigrants regard college education as a primary means for socioeconomic advancement and assimilation into U.S. society. However, despite their growing numbers in American higher education, little consideration has been given to how immigrant students negotiate acculturative stress, social integration, cultural values, and academic engagement…

This qualitative study explores the nature of undergraduate commuter students' social involvement with peers during the transitional first six months of their university experience. Focus group interviews with 46 participants provided a student perspective of the role of social interactions in students' transition to university life. Findings…

The purpose of this study is to assess personal and interpersonal predictors of college adjustment among a sample of 190 first-year Hispanic students. Specifically, we examined the extent to which personal factors such as self-esteem, acculturation, and ethnic identity and interpersonal factors such as parental education and parental attachment…

Research on first-year students' perceptions of their learning environments revealed the aspects of their experiences that enhanced and hindered their learning. End of the semester reflection essays from first-year seminars were analyzed to ascertain students' views. Data analysis revealed that students need peers who provide personal and…