This paper estimates the relative importance of three, theoretically interrelated sets of variables on changes in students' intellectual curiosity and interest in learning for its own sake. Variables being analyzed are: (1) students' curricular experiences; (2) students' formal instructional experiences and classroom-related contacts with faculty members; and (3) students' out-of-class experiences with faculty, peers, and the formal co-curriculum. The major purpose was to assess the extent to which student interest in learning is shaped by both formal academic activities and by their out-of-class experiences. Data from a group of 210 students who participated in a Spring 1992 survey and followup surveys show that what happens to students after they matriculate has a substantially greater influence on what and how much they learn than their precollege personal and academic development. Study analysis also revealed that both students' class-related experiences and their out-of-class experiences made statistically significant and unique contributions to the explanation of variations in intellectual orientations above and beyond students' precollege traits and their experiences in other areas of college life. (Contains 44 references.) (GLR)