This study explored college transition meaning-making dynamics of emancipated foster care youth and the role campus environments play in that process. It adds to the college student development theoretical base by acknowledging the needs, goals, and values of disenfranchised college students transitioning into higher education. Emancipated foster…

This study explored the relationship between academic self-efficacy beliefs and the academic adjustment of first-generation and non-first-generation students. Findings supported the presence of a differential relationship that was generally weaker for first-generation students. However, findings also suggested first-generation students experienced…

Students enrolled in a first-semester, critical-thinking course assessed their perception of their own wellness using a 52-question survey. Within the survey, holistic wellness was measured along seven dimensions: (a) physical, (b) intellectual, (c) social, (d) occupational, (e) spiritual, (f) emotional, and (g) environmental. Individual…

This study examined how traditional-aged, first-year college students with specific learning disabilities adjusted to academic expectations as they moved from high school to a less monitored collegiate environment. Results of the study indicated that these students had difficulty moving beyond their established high school patterns by…

This hermeneutic phenomenological study describes the lived experiences of high-achieving, low-income undergraduates and their transition into a college environment historically reserved for wealthy students. The results of this study indicate that these students are flourishing in full need-based financial aid programs as a result of their own…

This study investigated the effects of career development courses on career decision-making self-efficacy (CDMSE), college adjustment, learning integration, academic achievement, and retention among undecided undergraduates. It also investigated the effects of course format on career decision-making abilities and academic success outcomes and…

Learning communities (LCs) have become a popular strategy for developing structured programming aimed at enhancing student success and retention. While most LCs have focused on improving the quality of education for first-year students, little attention has been placed on addressing their usefulness for enhancing the success of transfer students.…

This quasi-experimental, action-research study explored a five-week pre-enrollment initiative called the Pathways Summer Bridge (PSB) Program in the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University (ASU). Theoretically framed and developed using the six components of Tinto's (1993) longitudinal model of institutional…

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…

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that promote successful transitions into and through postsecondary education for American Indian students, from the perspectives of the student, school counselor, and college advisor. The method of study included analysis of interview transcripts from clinical practitioners, service providers,…

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…

Although researchers have argued students experience feelings of stress, fear, and uncertainty as they transition from college to work life, there is limited empirical research supporting this argument. Our study filled this gap by exploring 183 fourth-year students' perceptions regarding their impending transition out of the college environment.…

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…