College Students Face Research Articles

The Impact of Wyman’s Teen Leadership Program on College Achievement and Retention

Low-income, first-generation college students face a host of obstacles on their journeys toward degree completion. Providing effective supports for these students as they navigate their postsecondary experiences is an important determinant of success, the implications of which can be far-reaching. The purpose of the current study discussed in this article was to examine the impact of Wyman’s Teen Leadership Program (TLP) on positive college outcomes for low-income, first-generation students pursuing higher education at Missouri State University (MSU). TLP is a community-based, postsecondary access and success program comprising three developmentally progressive phases that begin when teens are ninth graders and ends after their second year of postsecondary education. During the postsecondary phase of the program, TLP works in close partnership with higher education institutions like MSU to effectively support students through caring relationships and coordinated services. Using a mixed-methods approach, the authors analyzed the college retention rates and grade point averages (GPAs) of 39 TLP participants attending MSU and 82 comparison students with similar background characteristics. Findings revealed statistically higher retention rates and GPAs for TLP participants compared to non-participants. Focus groups were also conducted to better understand the perceptions of TLP participants (n = 15) and TLP staff members (n = 6). Using Schlossberg’s (1989) theory of marginality and mattering as a framework, the authors analyzed focus group responses, from which three overarching themes emerged: relationships, intentional experiences, and self-efficacy. The study findings suggest that postsecondary access and success programs are most effective when their curricula and program experiences are supported by strong and consistent student-adult relationships.

Financial Literacy and Behavioral Biases among Traditional Age College Students

Financial literacy and planning are crucial for everyone. This is especially true for college students who as the decisions they make in this stage of their lives can haunt them throughout their income earning years and beyond. In this paper, we examine several financial literacy issues facing college students. We identify college students’ perceptions about their own financial situation, assess student financial literacy knowledge, as well as evaluate their awareness about the status of their savings and retirement positions. We find that basic financial literacy is not the only factor in making sound financial decisions. Our results show the majority of the college students surveyed are financially literate and have the ability to make informed decisions about their personal finances in the short-run. While our respondents appear confident in making short-run financial decisions, their behavior tends to suggest that their confidence is somewhat misguided. In addition, a large number of the students surveyed feel they do not have the requisite knowledge to make wise retirement planning choices. Furthermore, several respondents report a distrust of retirement plans offer by private companies, which may lead to suboptimal retirement savings.

Distress and resilience associated with workload of medical students

Background: University students face numerous stressors during their study curricula, which require adequate resilience to ensure healthy adaptation.Aims: To examine how relationships between study workload and mental health problems are moderated by resilience. Secondly, to compare our findings with other studies and assess differences in resilience and distress between medical and non-medical students.Methods: A prospective quantitative design was used. Participants completed a questionnaire package assessing resilience resources (Resilience Scale for Adults) and mental health (Core-OM: Clinical outcomes in routine evaluation – outcome measure) under three different conditions: heavy, low or regular workload.Results: During heavy workload, significantly higher distress score was found among medical students compared to other students (1.46 vs. 1.25; p < 0.05). Medical students had slightly higher overall resilience scores (5.21 vs. 4.94; p > 0.05). During heavy workload up to 20% of the participants had higher distress score than clinical samples’ average from other studies. RSA score and Core-OM scores were inversely dependent (p < 0.0001; r= −0.434).Conclusion: Findings suggest that distress mediated by heavy workload does not significantly affect resilience. Many students, especially medical, are experiencing high levels of distress. Resilience is associated with the decrease in distress.

P141 - Examining the Real and Perceived Food Environment, Shopping Behaviors, and Predictors of Dietary Behavior Among a Group of Older, Racially Diverse Off-Campus College Students

Background (Background, Rationale, Prior Research, and/or Theory): College students face unique challenges to engaging in healthy dietary behaviors, often leading to weight gain or nutrient deficiencies that may have long-term implications. More research is needed to understand the food environment of off-campus students and its impact on shopping, cooking, and diet, particularly in a sample of older and more racially diverse students. Objective: Examine relationships between off-campus student food environment, shopping behaviors, and dietary behaviors and outcomes. Study Design, Setting, Participants, Intervention: Cross-sectional survey of off-campus college students at a designated minority-serving institution. Students (non-Freshman, living off campus) were recruited through targeted emails, and selected by random and convenience sample. Participants (n = 418) reported demographic information, consumption (validated 26-item Dietary Screener Questionnaire (DSQ)), shopping habits, and perceptions of external food environment. Participant addresses were geocoded, and GIS was used to map proximal food stores and derive a modified-Retail Food Environment Index (m-RFEI) score for each participant, a ratio of healthy to less-healthy stores. Outcome Measures and Analysis: Univariate, Bivariate, and Linear Regression analyses performed. Results: Students perceived limited (39%) and low quality (32%) fresh fruits and vegetables and abundant fast food near their home (84%). Students mostly consumed food not requiring cooking (63.2%) or fast food (61%). Students shopped at their primary food store on average less than four times per month. Low average m-RFEI (8.15) indicated an environment of mostly fast food and convenience stores. After controlling for other factors, m-RFEI scores were positively associated with student age (.03) and income (.02), and BMI was positively associated with age, sugar sweetened beverage frequency, and having financial aid, and higher among racial minorities. Most students (76%) desired to eat healthier. Conclusions and Implications: Strategies are needed to help low-income off-campus college students, particularly racial minorities, overcome limited healthy food access for a healthier dietary pattern. Funding: UNC-Greensboro Internal Faculty Research Award.

A Study of Relationship between Depression, Personality Traits and Health Risk Behaviors among Uyghur Students

A Study of Relationship between Depression, Personality Traits and Health Risk Behaviors among Uyghur Students Saimire Asikaer Abstract Depression is one of the biggest problems that college students face. The aim of this study was to determine the contribution of personality traits and students’ favor of their major to depressive symptoms and risky health behavior. I predicted depression and neuroticism would be positively associated with risky health behavior while conscientiousness would be negatively associated. I also predicted that depression would be negatively associated with the students’ favor of their major and neuroticism. The study was conducted on a sample of 493 Uyghur students from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomic Region. Correlational analysis showed that students’ favor of their major and neuroticism were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. The results confirm that, neuroticism and the students’ favor of major contribute to the depression symptoms. The results also showed that depression contributes to smoking and drinking behavior. The findings helps with the understanding of depression and can be used to develop educational and psychosocial interventions to help students with ensuring a happier and healthier university life. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jpbs.v6n1a3

"I'm Having a Little Struggle With This, Can You Help Me Out?": Examining Impacts and Processes of a Social Capital Intervention for First-Generation College Students.

Social capital plays a key role in college and career success, and research indicates that a dearth of on-campus connections contributes to challenges first-generation college students face in effectively navigating the college environment. This study investigates a novel intervention that focuses on the development of skills and attitudes to empower first-generation college students to cultivate social capital and on-campus connections during the transition to college. A mixed methods, explanatory design was used to evaluate impacts and processes of the intervention among first-generation college students (n=164) in the context of an ethnically diverse, urban, public university in the Northeast. Results indicated that students who participated in the intervention demonstrated improved attitudes and behaviors around seeking support in college, closer relationships with instructors, and higher GPAs at the end of their first year in college. These results suggest the potential benefits of a relatively scalable approach to supporting the needs of first-generation college students.

Opportunities and Challenges of Mobile Learning That University Students Encounter in the UAE

This study presents preliminary results based on a survey administrated to a sample of 400 students enrolled in undergraduate courses offered at a Higher Education Institution in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The paper examines opportunities and challenges university students face when instructors introduce “structured” mobile learning in higher education. In part, this article presents qualitative findings of the larger study involving a subset of the sample, to gain in-depth data. Closed-ended and open-ended questions probed students’ experiences and perceptions about the use of mobile devices in academic work. Findings reported in this paper focus on students' perceptions on opportunities and challenges. The analysis revealed that a majority of students used iPads, cell phones, and laptop computers to study anytime and anywhere. Respondents reported that these technological devices enabled students to meet deadlines faster than students without mobile devices. In addition, students indicated that they faced difficulties accessing Internet networks in most places. This phenomenon has afflicted students’ productivity and efficiency levels, since most academic work required Web searches and Internet connectivity. Nevertheless, students benefited a great deal in using such mobile technological devices and admitted that the benefits outweighed the challenges they encountered.

The Influence of Financial Self-Efficacy and Financial Socialization on Student's Financial Stress and Coping Choices

College is the overwhelming choice for high school graduates in the United States with over 2.2 million 2016 high school graduates enrolled in college (BLS, 2016). Those 2.2 million students represent about 70% of 2016 high school graduates (BLS, 2016). These new undergraduate college students face considerable opportunities and challenges. The many changes facing college students have been termed ecological transitions (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). The ecological transitions facing college students include less parental supervision, more autonomy and new interpersonal relationships (Holinka, 2015). Increased academic expectations, both real and perceived, influence feelings of stress (Holinka, 2015). The rate of increase in college student stress has been described as “alarming” (King, Vidourek, Merianous, & Singh, 2014, p. 133). The initiators of this stress, stressors, take many forms including academic pressures and lifestyle changes (Friedlander, Reid, Shupak, & Cribbie, 2007). It is well documented these academic and lifestyle changes do indeed create a feeling of stress in many college students (King, Vidourek, Merianous, & Singh, 2014). The negative impact of stress on health includes decreased mental acuity, depression, suicide and many physical ailments including musculoskeletal disorders (Bauer, Chesin, & Jeglic, 2014; Ekpenyong, Daniel, & Aribo, 2013; Lester, 2014; Pedersen, 2012; Pelletier, Lytle, & Laska, 2016). Students often choose to cope with their stress with risky lifestyle choices such as binge drinking, drug use and promiscuity (Lester, 2014; Pedersen, 2012; Pelletier, Lytle, & Laska, 2016). Feelings of stress have been shown to be mitigated by high levels of self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is the belief that a person can accomplish what they set out to do (Bandura, 1997). Similarly, feelings of stress can be mitigated by positive socialization by parents, other family members, teachers and social networks. The impact of stress is considerable and well documented. This research seeks to further understand how a student’s financial self-efficacy and financial socialization may impact those feelings of financial stress and their coping choices. This deeper understanding may provide insight into the steps parents, educators, counselors and others may take to mitigate a college student’s sense of financial stress thus limited their feeling of need to choose adverse coping options.

Human Rights of Students with Disabilities in Ghana: Accessibility of the University Built Environment

ABSTRACTThis article addresses two important human rights issues: disability rights and the right to education. Inclusive education requires accessible built teaching environments. However, few empirical studies address the accessibility of university built environments in a human rights context. The case study involved a normative empirical approach in which questionnaires and interviews were used to ascertain the perceptions of persons with disabilities (PWDs) about the built environment of selected universities in Ghana and the priority given to persons with disabilities in administrative decision-making about accessibility. This study reveals some of the challenges many university students face in terms of communication, transportation and physical environment. The study shows that students perceive that the university administration treats the concerns of students with disabilities as an afterthought. This is arguably the result of (and made worse by) a weak legal and regulatory framework. Based on these findings, this article will provide recommendations that may help protect the rights of students with disabilities. These include the need for the universities to enact and enforce policies pertaining to persons with disabilities and for the National Accreditation Board to review its accreditation standards.

Writing Difficulties Encountered by Jordanian EFL Learners

The current study aimed at exploring difficulties that university students face when they write in English as a Foreign Language (EFL). It also aimed at proposing solutions to help EFL learners overcome writing difficulties. The sample of the study comprised 82 English majors from the World Islamic Sciences and Education University in Jordan. Instruments of the study included a questionnaire on difficulties that may face English majors while they write in English. The questionnaire also included an open-ended question on suggestions and solutions that can help the students overcome writing difficulties. The results revealed that “lack of ideas” topped difficulties faced by Jordanian EFL students in writing class, followed by “the incorrect use of mechanics of writing”. The study also revealed that “lack of clear assessment instruments and marking schemes” occupied the third rank, while “time restriction” ranked fourth. “The unsuitable methods of teaching writing” and “vocabulary restriction” occupied the fifth and sixth ranks respectively, while “topic inappropriateness” and “lack of materials for consulting” occupied the seventh and eighth ranks. Finally, “grammar difficulties” and “lack of teacher's help” ranked ninth and tenth respectively. The study proposed a number of suggestions and solutions to help EFL learners overcome writing difficulties.

Validez de contenido y consistencia interna de un cuestionario sobre el proceso de inserción socio-laboral desde la mirada del universitario

En el actual contexto de crisis e inestabilidad laboral, los universitarios experimentan una nueva realidad en la que adquieren un valor añadido factores y variables psicosociales que determinan o condicionan la búsqueda de empleo, así como la propia calidad del proceso de inserción socio-laboral. En esta línea, el objetivo del presente estudio es realizar la validación de un cuestionario ad hoc con el que se pretende conocer cuáles son las principales inquietudes, necesidades, expectativas, experiencias y recursos hacia la inserción socio-laboral de los universitarios. En total, participan 931 estudiantes de último curso de Grado de la Universidad de Murcia y la Universidad de Granada. Para la recogida de información y análisis de los datos, se aplica una metodología mixta que permite obtener evidencias de contenido y constructo del instrumento en un único proceso. Los principales resultados aportan una adecuada concordancia inter-jueces, así como unos elevados índices de fiabilidad en las diferentes escalas utilizadas en el cuestionario, que sirven para corroborar la pertinencia, adecuación y validez de los datos recabados en el mismo; constituyéndose así como una interesante aportación en el ámbito científico y psicométrico para aquellas líneas de investigación que dirijan su foco de interés hacia el difícil proceso de inserción sociolaboral de los universitarios y su empleabilidad.

Comparison of two approaches to prevention of mental health problems in college students: Enhancing coping and executive function skills

ABSTRACTObjective: College students face a significant number of stressors, increasing risk for internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. The current study examines two promising avenues of intervention aimed to reduce stress and prevent psychopathology in this population: a coping skills group and a cognitive training program. Participants: 62 undergraduate students from two universities were recruited from 2013 to 2015. Methods: Students were randomized to a 6-week coping skills group or cognitive training program and completed measures of stress, coping, executive function, and symptoms of anxiety, depression and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) at pre- and post-intervention. Results: Participants in both conditions reported significant decreases in social stress, executive function difficulties, and anxiety symptoms post-intervention. Students in the cognitive program improved significantly more on measures of behavior regulation and ADHD symptoms compared to the coping group at post-intervention. Conclusions: Brief stress management interventions targeting coping and executive function may benefit college students at risk for psychopathology.

Socialización y sociabilidad de género en un escenario universitario altamente masculinizado

The purpose of this article is to identify and to understand the challenges that university students face in the practices of sociability and codes of coexistence that they use as skills to interact with other people, in the daily life of a university context built socially for the masculine gender and, in which woman mimic the actions of those around them. We discuss the concepts of gender differential socialization and sociability, adopting the anthropology of experience like a methodological perspective, we use the application of interviews, and the study is qualitative. Findings suggest that in the university school system these practices of socialization and codes of coexistence are mediated by gender camouflage, useful and convenient for the continuity of a sexist and violent system that, although born before university, is remarkably resilient.

95后女大学生消费、理财现状浅析

随着改革开放和市场经济的发展，人民群众的物质文化生活以及与之相适应的消费水平的提高，投资理财与消费变得十分重要。95后女大学生作为社会的重要群体之一，有较好的学习和生活条件，并且95后作为新的一代，受周围环境的影响，其消费行为在新时代中呈现出了新的特点，同时也产生了许多问题和矛盾。因此发现女大学生消费和理财中出现的问题，分析大学生消费不合理的原因，论述财商在理财中的重要性，探析当代大学生理财所面临的问题等就显得尤为重要。 With the reform and opening-up and the development of the market economy, people’s material and cultural life and the level of consumption about it become higher, so investment and con-sumption has become very important. As one of the most important social groups, post-95s female students have good learning and living conditions. As a new generation, the post-95s are affected by the surrounding environment so that their consumer behaviors present new features in the new era, but that also brings many problems and contradictions. Therefore it becomes very important to find female college students’ consumption and financial problems, to analyze whether the causes of College Students’ consumption are reasonable, to discuss the importance of financial quotient, and to analysis of the problems that contemporary college students face when they manage their money.

Examining Conceptual and Operational Definitions of "First-Generation College Student" in Research on Retention

Examining Conceptual and Operational Definitions of "First-Generation College Student" in Research on Retention Karie Jo Peralta (bio) and Monica Klonowski (bio) Students who have parents with little to no postsecondary education have an increasing presence in colleges and universities (U.S. Department of Education, 2010). Researchers recognize that these individuals face unique barriers in higher education programs that affect their ability to graduate (Jamelske, 2009). Given the wide concern about student retention (Engle & Tinto, 2008), attention to this group of college students labeled "first-generation" (Ward, Seigel, & Davenport, 2012, p. 3) is particularly important. The concept first-generation college student is defined differently across studies (Ward et al., 2012). Ward, Seigel, and Davenport (2012) pointed to the inconsistency between definitions and the resulting implications for the field of higher education noting that the lack of a single definition of first-generation college student creates difficulty in understanding the positions of researchers on the topic. Therefore, what becomes increasingly challenging is generalizing and comparing information about this group. Because research can inform the development of programs intended to serve first-generation college students (Ghazzawi & Jagannathan, 2011), examining how studies operationalize concepts of this group is a critical step in considering their application. This article builds on the work of Ward et al. (2012) by focusing on the conceptualization and operationalization of the term first-generation college student in current, cutting-edge research in higher education through a "systematic review" (Booth, Papaioannou, & Sutton, 2012, p. 23) of studies. We adopted Fink's (2005) definition of a literature review: "a systematic, explicit, and reproducible method for identifying, evaluating, and synthesizing the existing body of completed and recorded work produced by researchers" (p. 3). Specifically, we reviewed 24 articles published from January 2005 through December 2015 in six journals that were concluded to be top-tier higher education journals in a 2011 study by Bray and Major. The purpose of this article is to shed light on the extent of inconsistency between definitions of the concept first-generation college student in studies that are published in high-impact higher education journals. [End Page 630] CHALLENGES OF BEING A FIRSTGENERATION COLLEGE STUDENT First-generation college students face a number of challenges throughout their academic career (Aspelmeier, Love, McGill, Elliott, & Pierce, 2012). After enrolling, these students face issues in the areas of student involvement, faculty expectations, and degree completion: for example, Unverferth, Talbert-Johnson, and Bogard (2012) found that when compared to their peers, first-generation college students have greater perceived difficulties and lower graduation rates. Academically, these students often arrive underprepared, which results in the need for them to complete remedial courses before they can begin earning credit toward a degree. Due to their inadequate preparation, they tend to have low academic performance (Wiggins, 2011). Furthermore, research shows first-generation students have socioeconomic and housing concerns related to high job demands, financial aid access, and the need to live off campus (Unverferth et al., 2012). First-generation students of color who attend predominantly White institutions experience additional challenges, such as a negative racial campus climate (Fischer, 2007), lack of cultural sensitivity, and racism, which result in feelings of isolation (McCoy, 2014). EFFORTS TO RETAIN FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS Engle and Tinto (2008) revealed in their report that nearly five million first-generation college students had enrolled in institutions of higher education over the previous decade. In order to prepare this student population for success, universities across the country have focused their efforts on providing both academic and social support through the implementation of new programs. One such strategy, the bridge program, prepares individuals for the college experience and is effective in enrolling (Ghazzawi & Jagannathan, 2011) and retaining first-generation students (Cabrera, Miner, & Milem, 2013). Originating in 1964, TRIO programs successfully facilitate the experience of first-generation college students by offering assistance in navigating the administrative aspects of college and providing academic support (Graham, 2011). Tinto (2009) identified four primary factors that contribute to student success which relate to integrating the student fully into the college setting: support, expectations, feedback, and involvement. His research showed that students benefit from access to campus resources, collaborative learning, and teachers who have clear expectations and methods to track...

The Voluntariat: A Freirean framework to understand the nature of undergraduate international (medical) experiences

Despite literature documenting limited and asymmetrical benefits along with ethical issues, short-term international volunteering is increasingly popular among North American university students as a perceived advantage when applying to professional healthcare schools or the job market. Academic institutions are also encouraging students to pursue international experiences in order to cultivate values as global citizens. These experiences are most typically limited to economically privileged students. Furthermore, international activities in developing countries often lack a pedagogy of social justice and may confirm a simplistic understanding of development. Brazilian educator Paulo Freire's "liberation pedagogy" provides a framework for understanding the limitations of international volunteering, whereby the presence of privileged volunteers implementing Western models of development may hinder aspects of local movements. Regardless, university students face intense competition in accessing opportunities, such as medical school, and pay large sums to participate in volunteering to strengthen their academic credentials. We propose that these students form "the voluntariat." They simultaneously play two roles by, first, contributing to the conditions that oppress the very communities in which they volunteer and, second, by playing a role as objects of oppression by the liberal institutions of learning and employment to which they are attempting to gain access.

Situation Analysis and Strategy Research of the Employment of College Students Under the New Economic Normal

The employment of college students has always been a public concern of all walks of life, because it not only matters to the national economic development, social stability and the fundamental interests of the people but also plays a big role in delivering sustained, healthy and balanced development of higher education. China’s new economic normal has offered college students new environmental factors and brought new challenges and opportunities. This paper analyzes the current difficulties and opportunities facing college students during job hunting and explores effective strategies of employment promotion so as to ensure the employment of college students

Alcohol Use and Mental Health Conditions Among Black College Males: Do Those Attending Postsecondary Minority Institutions Fare Better Than Those at Primarily White Institutions?

While there is a sizeable body of research examining the association between alcohol use and mental health conditions among college students, there are sparse investigations specifically focusing on these associations among Black college students. This is concerning given Black college students face different stressors compared with their non-Black peers. Black males appear especially at risk, exhibiting increased susceptibility to mental health issues and drinking in greater quantities and more frequently than Black females. This investigation examined the association between alcohol consumption and mental health conditions among Black men attending institutions of higher education in the United States and sought to determine differences between Black men attending predominantly White institutions (PWIs) compared with those attending postsecondary minority institutions. Final sample included 416 Black men, 323 of which attended a PWI. Data were from the National College Health Assessment. Black men attending a PWI reported significantly greater levels of alcohol consumption and significantly more mental health conditions. Attendance at a minority-serving institution was associated with fewer mental health conditions among Black men. Future studies should seek to replicate these findings and conduct culturally sensitive and gender-specific research examining why Black men at PWIs report greater alcohol consumption and more mental health conditions than their peers attending postsecondary minority institutions.

Grit Under Duress

Undocumented Latina/o college students face obstacles and stressors; their stressful experiences and academic strengths merit empirical attention. This cross-sectional, mixed-methods study explored stress, depression, grit, and grade point average (GPA) of 84 non-citizen, Latina/o first-generation college students with a comparison group of 180 citizen, Latina/o first-generation college students in Maryland. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 21 non-citizens and 26 citizens, after conducting a quantitative online survey. Immigrant status moderated the relation between depression and GPA in addition to grit and depression. Qualitative findings suggested that stress for citizens and non-citizens centered on financing college, but non-citizens faced additional stress due to policies pertaining to immigration status. Both groups displayed grit in navigating obstacles and contained their emotions with positive self-talk, but most non-citizens did not turn to anyone outside of the family for support. Findings hold implications for ecological processes and achievement among Latina/o undocumented college students.

DREAMing Big

Undocumented student immigrants in the United States face substantial challenges in higher education including systemic, institutional, and cultural barriers that often impede access to and success in higher education. These barriers directly influence academic and work opportunities. The purpose of this article is to discuss the myriad of factors that affect the academic, career, and work development of undocumented college students. The three main objectives of this article are to (1) examine legislation that directly impacts access to higher education, (2) explore common barriers and systemic challenges undocumented college students face, and (3) review culturally sensitive interventions and resources for working with undocumented college students. Vocational psychologists and career counselors employed in higher education are in a unique position to provide culturally sensitive counseling services to undocumented students as well as to advocate for their academic and work-related needs.