College Freshmen Research Articles

Comparison Between High School Youth and College Freshmen Toward Their Psychological Disorders Under the Influence of Sleep Hygiene During COVID-19 Pandemic.

Adolescents experience the critical period for physical and psychological growth. Few studies focus on the influence of sleep hygiene on the psychological health of adolescence aging from high school to freshmen year. Also, the influence from the COVID-19 pandemic has a public health significance. A total of 698 students from high schools and colleges were included in the manuscript, and a cross-sectional procedure was conducted, objective to make an epidemiological comparison of the social phobia/depression prevalence, and discuss the effects of potential determinants. Psychological problems including social phobia and depression were prevalent especially among the high school students, with the female gender showing higher possibilities. Current results also indicated that the association between sleep status and the occurrence of social phobia is most obvious among high school students, while relatively higher MMR risks was found both for high school students showing symptoms of social phobia and college freshmen with depressive symptoms. Moreover, the interaction between social phobia and depression was obvious for both populations. Psychological problems including social phobia symptoms and depression are more prevalent among the high school females when compared with their male and freshemen peers. Sgnificant influencial factors for the risk of psychological problems among 2 populations are different, but media multitasking status should be paid attention to for both.

College Freshmen: Their Cognitive Skills Development

College Freshmen: Their Cognitive Skills Development

Can leading a physically active and healthy lifestyle prevent gaining the freshman 15?

Purpose.The purpose of this study is to investigate if leading a physically active and healthy lifestyle can prevent the weight gain typically experienced during the freshman year of college – the ‘Freshman 15’.Methods.Study participants (<i>N</i> = 525) were from three cohorts of incoming students (2018–2020) at a mid-sized university in the West South-Central United States. The weight of each study participant was measured at three points over a year: beginning of their first semester, beginning of their second semester, and beginning of their third semester. During the study, students were encouraged to lead physically active and healthy lifestyles and to exercise daily. Weight changes at sixth months and one-year intervals were recorded as percentages.Results.Freshmen weight gain/loss depended upon initial weight with freshmen who arrived on campus with relatively lower weights (≤100 kg) tending to gain weight, especially males, whilst freshmen who arrived on campus with relatively higher weights (≥100 kg) tended to lose weight. This finding was both more apparent and more statistically significant at the 1-year mark than at the 6-months mark.Conclusions.Several previous studies have linked freshmen weight gain to initial weight with students with higher initial weights gaining the most. However, our results show that maintaining a physically active and healthy lifestyle when entering college reverses this trend – with students with high initial weights losing weight. Thus, living a physically active and healthy lifestyle, which includes aerobic exercise, can prevent the fat mass weight gain often experienced by college freshmen.

Sources of Anxiety Among Freshman College of Science Students and their Coping Skills to Manage Life Difficulties

Sources of Anxiety Among Freshman College of Science Students and their Coping Skills to Manage Life Difficulties

The Online Learning Environment and its Relationship to the Self, Efficacy, Social Presence and Satisfaction of the Freshman University Students

The Online Learning Environment and its Relationship to the Self, Efficacy, Social Presence and Satisfaction of the Freshman University Students

간호학과 신입생의 학업적 자기효능감, 정서지능, 스트레스가 대학생활적응에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of academic self-efficacy, emotional intelligence, stress, and adjustment to college life, as well as to identify the factors influencing the adjustment to college life in nursing students. The study was conducted on 154 nursing college freshman in Pusan Provinces, from September 1 to 30, 2022. Responses were analyzed using SPSS WIN 26.0. There were positive correlations between adjustment to college life and academic self-efficacy, emotional intelligence and the significant factors influencing the adjustment to college life were academic self-efficacy, emotional intelligence, motivation for nursing, and friendship with an explanatory power of 51.3%. Based on the results of this study, it is necessary to develop strategies and educational methods that can help new students in the nursing department adapt to college life through various class methods, studies, and club activities for academic improvement.

Predicting GPA of University Freshman Using Peer Relationship

본 연구는 신입생들의 1학년 1학기 초의 교우관계를 통해 1학기 말의 학업적 적응에 해당하는 학업성적을 예측하기 위해 수행되었다. 교우관계는 연결 상태와 연결의 강도를 반영할 수 있는 사회연결망 분석을 사용하여 신입생 87명의 교우관계를 통해 학업성적에 미치는 영향을 알아보았다. 독립변인인 교우관계는 두 개의 잠재변인으로 측정하였다. 하나는 친밀도와 도움을 주고받는 정도인 상의도를 반영한 지지적 교우관계이고 다른 하나는 대화 및 만남 횟수를 반영한 교류적 교우관계이다. 이를 통해 종속변인인 1학년 1학기 학업성적을 예측하였고, 자료는 구조방정식 모형으로 분석하였다. 지지적 교우관계는 학업성적을 정적으로 예측하였고, 교류적 교우관계는 부적으로 학업성적을 예측하였다. 이는 전공 내의 친구들로부터 친밀감과 조언을 많이 받는다고 생각할수록 높은 성적을 받게 되고 친구들과 많이 교류할수록 낮은 성적을 취득한다는 의미이다. 본 연구는 신입생의 학업성적을 증진시키기 위해 교우관계를 돈독히 하는 것을 바탕으로 다양한 개입 프로그램을 개발할 수 있는 계기를 마련했다는 점에서 의의가 있다. 끝으로 본 연구의 한계점과 미래 연구에 대한 제안점을 제시하였다.

A Survey of Living Conditions and Psychological Distress in Japanese University Freshmen during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Since the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, educational institutions have implemented measures such as school closures, raising concerns regarding the increase in psychological distress among university students. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that have influenced psychological distress among college freshmen during the COVID-19 pandemic. A questionnaire survey was conducted at the conclusion of the sixth wave of COVID-19 in Japan. Psychological distress was measured using the six-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6). Factors affecting psychological distress were calculated using regression analysis. Of the 2536 participants, 1841 (72.6%) reported having no psychological distress, while 695 (27.4%) reported having psychological distress. Factors that were identified to contribute to psychological distress were lack of sleep, weight gain or loss, worsening of interpersonal relationships, and physical symptoms and illnesses. A willingness to join an athletic club and having an environment in which it is easy to discuss worries and anxieties with others were factors that were identified to hinder psychological distress. It is necessary for universities to offer enhanced supports for physical and interpersonal activities. Additionally, it is imperative to encourage students to look after their physical health and to actively utilize university-based consultation systems.

The relation between stress and impulsivity during the first year of college.

Previous research has established that short-term and persistent stress negatively impact mental health, with one proposed consequence being increased impulsivity. The present study tests the short-term and persistent associations between stress and three facets of global self-reports of impulsivity: negative urgency, lack of premeditation, and lack of perseverance, among young adults across 6 months of their first year of college. College freshmen (n=362) completed self-report questionnaires assessing stress, negative urgency, lack of premeditation, and lack of perseverance three times over a 6-month period. Pre-registered analyses were conducted using multilevel growth curve models. Confirmatory analyses suggested that persistent stress was associated with higher levels of negative urgency and trajectories of worsening lack of perseverance over time, while short-term stress was associated with higher negative urgency. Lack of premeditation was not robustly associated with stress. While both persistent and short-term exposure to stress may be associated with some facets of global self-reports of impulsivity, the relations vary across facets of impulsivity. Overall, negative urgency was the most robustly associated with stress on both time scales, which suggests that this facet of impulsivity may be the most impacted in the context of stress in the first year of college.

Diverse College Students' Cultural Background and College Persistence

Tinto (1975) created a college persistence model, emphasizing institutional academic and social integration, that continues to guide U.S. university retention strategies. This longitudinal study followed 584 college Freshman from diverse backgrounds, testing for group differences in the relationship that Tinto’s key constructs have on college persistence, over time, for U.S.-White, U.S.-minority, and immigrant-origin groups. We found significant positive associations between Academic Integration and Intentions to Persist for all ethnic groups, but group differences in Social Integration and Intentions to Persist. Additionally, Intentions to Persist was a significant predictor of actual persistence for all groups, suggesting predictive power overall.

Action Plan Based on the Factors in Studying at CDSGA as Perceived by the College Freshmen A.Y. 2021-2022

Action Plan Based on the Factors in Studying at CDSGA as Perceived by the College Freshmen A.Y. 2021-2022

Thrice the Pain

Thrice the Pain Taylor McIntyre Like most girls do, I grew up dreaming about becoming a mom, baby names, pregnancy, and starting my own family with a handsome man. Well, that day came a little bit sooner than expected. I was a 19-year-old college freshman when I took my first-ever pregnancy test. I about fell over when I saw those two pink lines, and boy was I scared—scared to tell my boyfriend and parents; scared about how a baby would change everything about my education and career path; scared about how it would affect my friendships. But mostly, I was excited. I was the oldest of 4 kids and had helped raise my three younger brothers. I could do this! A baby of my own would be magical! I told my boyfriend, and while he shed a few tears out of fear, he was excited too, and we decided to get married! While initially shocked and a bit disappointed in my actions, my parents got past that and were already looking forward to their first grandchild. With all that out of the way, the next stop was our first doctors appointment! I was 9-weeks by the time I got in, and I was so thrilled to check on my tiny babe. After all the normal exams that get pretty personal, it was time to use the doppler to check on the heartbeat! The doctor looked and looked all over my belly, but the only heartbeat we could hear was my own. This scared me but the doctor assured me that it was still early and there was no reason to be alarmed; we'd hear it next time. So I tried not to worry and went on with life. I spent most nights dreaming of my baby and most every day planning our future. At 13 weeks, I went back to my OBGYN for our next appointment, and of course I couldn't wait to hear that heartbeat finally. Once again, no dice. No matter how long he searched, he could not find the heartbeat. I thought for sure we would do an ultrasound to check everything out, but no—the doctor said that sometimes based on the location of the placenta and other variables, it could just be difficult to hear, and we'd for sure hear it next time. I was so young. I just didn't know enough to recognize that something was really wrong. I tried to lock away my anxiety and looked forward to the next appointment because I knew at that point we'd be getting close to halfway through and finding out the gender of our sweet baby. While we'd already sent out invitations for the wedding, I was 15 weeks and 6 days pregnant when my boyfriend got down on one knee with a ring and officially proposed! It was such a special night until I felt a gush of fluid suddenly run down my legs. What in the world?! Honestly, I thought I might have peed my pants. We laughed and I headed to the bathroom to check it out. I was a bit surprised to find a thick, yolk, yellow fluid in my pants. I freaked out and we headed straight to the emergency room. I suffer from pretty severe anxiety. My teeth chattered and I shook the whole way there. They tested the fluid to see if it was amniotic fluid and it wasn't. They told me they were going to do an ultrasound. They hid the screen from me during the exam and told me that a doctor would be in to tell me the results. A female doctor came in with heartbreaking news. She told me that my pregnancy was a blighted ovum. I struggled to understand what she was saying as I tried to internally process that I wasn't going to be having my baby. She said that my body had tricked itself into growing an empty yolk sac and that it had actually stopped growing around 11.5 weeks. Now my body was going to go through the process of expelling all of that from my uterus...

Prevalence and risk factors of belching disorders: A cross-sectional study among freshman college students.

Belching disorders seriously affect quality of life; however, their prevalences and risk factors remain unknown. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors, particularly lifestyle factors, of belching disorders among freshman college students in central China. A cross-sectional study was conducted in September 2019 in Huazhong University of Science and Technology (Wuhan, Hubei Province, China). The subjects were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire for data collection, including sociodemographic information, lifestyle factors, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Belching disorder was diagnosed based on the Rome IV criteria. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the risk factors for belching disorders. A total of 3335 subjects were enrolled, and 78.26% were men. Among them, 1.95% (65/3335) reported belching disorders. Significant differences in the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Student-Life Stress Inventory (SLSI) scores, and consumption of whole grains, black tea, coffee were found between the belching and non-belching groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that coffee consumption at least once weekly and a high total SLSI score (over mean + standard deviation) were independent risk factors for belching disorders, while intake of whole grains at least once weekly was a protective factor. Excessive belching is a common disorder among freshman college students in central China. Lifestyle factors, including consumption of whole grains and coffee, and stress, were associated with belching disorders. Therefore, dietary intervention may be a potential management for belching disorders.

Cordel Corrido: What Are the Implications of Creating a New Narrative Voice for Education?

In this article the author proposes queering the teaching of Brazilian and Mexican popular poetry, cordel and corrido, for students in high school or freshmen in college engaging with a curriculum of the brown bodies and aesthetic currere. The author criticizes the teaching of canonic literature in classrooms usually written by white, straight, and middle-class men, and proposes teaching popular poetry from Latin America as a project to interrupt that canon. Teaching and encouraging students to write poetry is a way to oppose the epistemicide in classrooms, and students of color (African descendants, Native peoples, and with roots in Latin America) have “sacred truth spaces” to be who they are.

Sleep disturbance and quality of life among university freshmen in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China.

University freshmen are particularly vulnerable as they are undergoing the transition from high school to university with a range of changes. Sleep problems among this group in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China were barely studied. This study aimed to explore sleep disturbance, and its association with quality of life (QoL) and demographic and clinical characteristics among university freshmen in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. A multistage stratified cluster random sampling method was performed to recruit student participants with a structured questionnaire to collect sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, and lifestyle behaviors. Sleep disturbance including three aspects of sleep disturbance (i.e., difficulty initiating sleep (DIS), difficulty maintaining sleep (DMS), and early morning awakening (EMA)) was assessed using standardized measurement. Multiple logistic regression models were applied to analyze the data. Among included 2,769 freshmen, the prevalence of sleep disturbance was 14.8% (95% CI: 14.2-15.5%), and corresponding prevalence of DIS, DMS, and EMA was 8.2% (95% CI: 7.7-8.7%), 8.3% (95% CI: 7.8-8.8%), and 4.2% (95% CI: 3.8-4.6%), respectively. Freshmen with sleeping disturbance had significantly lower QoL in physical [F (1, 2769) = 60.23, p < 0.001], psychological [F (1, 2769) = 46.18, p < 0.001], social [F (1, 2769) = 23.04, p < 0.001], and environment [F (1, 2769) = 6.07, p = 0.01] domains. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that having breakfast five times a week or less (less than three times, OR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.34-2.40; 3-5 times, OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.09-1.79), self-perceived severe Internet dependence (OR = 1.71, 95% CI: 1.11-2.65), self-perceived poor health status (OR = 3.44, 95% CI: 2.06-5.74), high academic stress (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.13-1.78), poor relationship with classmates (OR = 3.44, 95% CI: 1.53-7.71), and severe ADHD symptoms (OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.05-1.12) were positively associated with sleeping disturbance. Sleep disturbance was common among freshmen and is associated with poorer QoL. Prevention and intervention strategies should be developed and implemented, especially among the vulnerable university freshman groups.

Rediscovering the Poetic Genius of María Irene Fornés

Rediscovering the Poetic Genius of María Irene Fornés Erin Joy Schmidt (bio) I feel we are constantly threatened by death, every second, every instant, it's there. And every moment something rescues us. Something rescues us from death every moment of our lives. For every moment we live we have to thank something. We have to be grateful to something that fights for us and saves us. —Fefu and Her Friends, p. 52 I first encountered María Irene Fornés's Fefu and Her Friends in 1997, exactly twenty years after its 1977 off-Broadway premiere. At the time I was a college freshman, and, quite frankly, was not quite sure what to make of it. I was utterly intrigued by the irreverence of Fornés's dialogue. "Do you think about genitals all the time?" asks Emma as she is gardening with Fefu. At age 19, I was not yet able to grasp the depth and invention of the human condition that Fornés exposed with her dialogue. My play library and theatrical vocabulary was limited to playwrights of the popular realm. I had not yet dug into genres beyond realism and naturalism. What I wasn't aware of at that time but what is not lost on me now is that a seed of curiosity was planted for Fornés in that first read. On the surface, the play seems like a simple relationship play written in the same vein as other popular 1970s kitchen-sink dramedies. The play centers on Fefu Beckman and seven of her friends who gather at her New England country home to rehearse a program for an educational society fundraiser in the late 1930s. Yet as the dialogue unfolds, it becomes clear how profound and nuanced the plot and these women really are. Weaving together the lives of these housewives and philanthropists, Fornés delves into themes of conformity, patriarchal oppression, and the feminine mystique without compromising the unique yet familiar relationships among the women. Writing about a production of Fefu and Her Friends at the American Conservatory Theatre in April 2022, theatre critic Jim Munson observed: "The other thing that makes this play's reputation is Fornés' writing style, which is grounded in realism, but occasionally includes poetry and other flights of fancy. This is also what makes the work so hard to describe." Although the play was intriguing to this young woman, a deeper understanding would only come with age (fig. 1). After that first encounter, it would take another twenty-five years for me to engage with Fefu and Her Friends. During the next decade, I received my MFA in acting, worked as an AEA actor in regional theatres throughout the East Coast, and taught performance at several colleges. I was introduced to all manner of plays and playwrights with, as would be expected, the most offerings from the theatrical canon of "well-made plays." Fornés's name would come up among the other surrealists, but more as a nod to her oddness than her brilliance. Now as a theatre professor and stage director at Providence College, our theatre department's play-selection committee was searching for plays to produce during our season dedicated to women in the theatre. As a member of the committee, I was tasked with proposing plays that would be a good fit for the theme and that offer something I would be interested in directing. I remembered that strange yet poignant play I read so many years ago, and decided to read it again and investigate if it might be a good vehicle for our students, remembering little more than the fact that it was written by a woman and featured an all-female-identifying cast of characters. As I began to dig into the text, I was enthralled by the way that Fornés crafted a plot that was driven by women who were confronting their issues, not hiding from them, in contrast to the women of Ibsen, Chekhov, and Williams, whose words surrounded [End Page 149] Click for larger view View full resolution Fig 1. Undergraduate Madelyn Rich (Emma) performs a monologue as other cast members look on...

University freshmen's excessive smartphone use and psychological safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although excessive smartphone use has been confirmed as being associated with specific representations of mental health (e. g., anxiety, depression, wellbeing, etc.) throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the relationship between excessive smartphone use and cognitive representations of mental health (i.e., psychological safety) is not yet fully understood. This study aimed to identify the association between excessive smartphone use and psychological safety among university freshmen during the COVID-19 pandemic; in addition, we examined the mediation effects of hardiness and interpersonal distress in this relationship. In this study, 1,224 university freshmen were selected at random from several universities in Guizhou Province of China. The Psychological Safety Scale was used to evaluate the mental health of university freshmen; the Mobile Phone Dependence Scale was used to evaluate excessive smartphone use; the Hardiness Questionnaire was used to evaluate hardiness; and the Interpersonal Relation Synthetic Diagnose Test was used to evaluate interpersonal distress. The findings showed that: (1) the greater the degree of excessive smartphone use, the more serious respondents' interpersonal distress and the lower their hardiness; (2) excessive smartphone use was not only directly related to the psychological safety of university freshmen but also indirectly related to their psychological safety through the independent mediation of hardiness and interpersonal distress, as well as through the chain mediation of hardiness and interpersonal distress. In general, excessive smartphone use in university freshmen could lead to a decline in their psychological safety. Also, hardiness and interpersonal distress play a complex role in this relationship. During the COVID-19 pandemic, interventions on the mental health of college freshmen should not only provide guidance on how to use their smartphone responsibly but also to provide them with support and guidance for the enhancement of their hardiness and improvement of their interpersonal relationships.

Rapid antibody responses to Epstein-Barr virus correlate with reduced severity of primary infection.

We investigated Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibody kinetics in university freshmen who developed laboratory-documented primary EBV infection during prospective studies and correlated these kinetics with disease severity. EBV-naïve participants had blood collected periodically and sera tested for EBV-specific antibodies with line blot and enzyme immunoassays. The line blot assay contained EBNA-1, p18, p23, BZLF-1, p138, and p54 antigens; the enzyme immunoassay contained viral capsid antigen and EBNA-1. Severity of illness (SOI) was graded 0 (asymptomatic) to 6 (bedridden). Participants with maximum SOI scores 0-2 were compared with those whose maximum SOI scores were 3-6. Time to first antibody response was analyzed using the semi-parametric COX model. A total of 201 sera from 38 college students collected before, during, and after primary EBV infection were tested. Earlier antibody responses correlated with milder symptoms. This was most pronounced for late-developing antibodies. The median time to development of p18 IgG was significantly earlier among low-SOI participants (64 days) than high-SOI patients (119 days; P=0.0003).). Participants with mild disease developed EBNA-1 antibodies sooner than participants with more severe disease (125 days versus >270 days; P=0.017). Participants with mild disease also showed more rapid loss of antibodies against IgG EA p138 and p54 ≥12 weeks post-infection (P=0.012 and P=0.026, respectively). These data suggest that rapid antibody responses to EBV correlate with reduced severity of primary EBV infection.

대학 신입생의 자기주도 활동 프로젝트와 기획서 쓰기의 효과 연구

This study attempted to analyze the process of preparing for the future with more creative and problem-solving ability with writing proposals through university freshman’s self-directed activity and writing activity. Through a new class called Dongduk Arete, students go through the process of self-exploration and develop creative ideas in order to lead them to develop themselves more. Each student tries developing a self-directed program based on ideas that fit their circumstances and tastes and writing them as a proposal. As it has been said that a proposal is 'building', not 'writing', proposal writing is an activity that goes beyond simple writing. As writing a proposal is like building up bricks and writing them together one by one, it is a document for realizing an idea, so it is called a 'blueprint' that is made before construction. Planning is a complex blueprint for putting ideas into practice, a bird's eye view, and a plan for carrying out work. The process of university freshmen leading their life through the process of self-exploration and planning it as a document is a work that demonstrates important values for self-growth in future.

Proposed Work Text in Teaching and Learning Communication Arts for Freshman College Students

Teaching and learning English can be most successful with developed instructional materials that are research-based. This study investigated the grammatical competencies of college freshman students with the end-in-view of proposing a worktext in teaching/learning communication arts. The study used descriptive analysis method. 64 freshman students enrolled in English 11a (Communication Arts and Skills 1) were used as participants. Results revealed that the freshman students’ grammatical competencies improved from “fairly competent” before exposure to the modules to “competent” after exposure. Moreover, findings indicated that there was significant difference in the competency level in grammar of the respondents before and after exposure to the worktext. This means that after using the worktext, the students’ level of competence in grammar greatly improved. Hence, the worktext as an instructional material in teaching/learning communication arts is effective.