Survey: Incoming Students Hit New Low
January 31, 2011 by Geneva ReidPosted in: Special Report, Student Life
The latest stats on incoming college students show a definite downturn in one key area. Only slightly more than half of first-year students rated their emotional health in the top 10%.
This is a decrease of 3.4% since 2009 and 11.7% since 1985, according to a new survey from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program.
And there was a significant difference in the responses from men and women: 45.9% of women reported above average emotional health compared to 59.1% of men.
Female high school seniors were also two times as likely to feel overwhelmed with everything they have to do, compared to men.
Other findings from the survey include:
- 71.2% consider their academic abilities above average (highest number ever)
- 75.8% view their drive to achieve as in the highest 10%
- 53.1% use loans to finance college costs
- 73.4% rely on grants and scholarships — a 3.4% increase compared to 2009
- More than 75% of students support gay and lesbian rights
- 64% believe the wealthy should pay higher taxes than they do now
Are students today actually forced to deal with more stressors — or are they just less capable of handling stress?
Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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Tags: college stress
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February 2nd, 2011 at 11:37 am
So, new students think they are above average, high achievers, get money to go to school and think others should pay more taxes which in turn would help to further finance grants. And we wonder why critical thinking on campuses is poor, per the UVA research highlighted in USA Today, and why the 6 year graduation rate is 50% nation wide
February 2nd, 2011 at 1:15 pm
Different Dr T, but same response!
February 2nd, 2011 at 3:02 pm
Students believe that they are above average? I used to rarely see any indications around town of a student being on an honor roll. Now it seems that the parents in their cars waiting to pick up students ALL have a bumper sticker saying their child is an honor roll student. Have students become that much smarter or is this article just more proof that the self-esteem movement that has sucked the life out of our kids? We inflate grades so students don’t feel bad; some youth sports groups don’t keep score so there are no “losers” and the list goes on. If anything, it is not the students’ fault, it is ours for allowing this PC barnyard scatology to infect our schools, sports and life. These students haven’t had a chance to fail and learn that life continues after a failure and that many times that failure makes you better. By not allowing them to experience the real world, of course you get survey results like these. Wait until they are paying 50% or better of their wages toward a tax, as many do and see if they have the same tune.
February 2nd, 2011 at 4:29 pm
Decreased face to face “human” interaction and too much focus on technology? 24/7 connectivity and a different meaning of “digital divide” increasing emotional and physical stress?
February 2nd, 2011 at 7:04 pm
How can 75.8 percent of students fit in the top 10 percent? Simple: oversized ego.
February 3rd, 2011 at 10:57 am
Why ask a prospective incoming student questions about their political views? Is that an admissions criteria? Why not develop criteria to identify those HS senior students who are considered “academically excellent” college candidates? And, like Dr. T above suggested, formulate questions to test their critical thinking skills. The questions don’t have to be politically controversial ones either. Also, ask them questions about their parents’ socio-economic status, to see if there is a correlation between that and feeling overwhelmed about their perceived challenges of college…Then, ask them questions about “socialization” issues they will have to adjust to on a college campus to see if correlations exist between their answers and feeling emotionally overwhelmed. Some of the the questions the UCLA study suggest that there are biases (like there is in any study) by its creators, but these biases are questionable as related to what questions really need to be asked. Afterwards, colleges can evaluate their incoming freshman orientation programs to see if they are/will be meeting the needs of those incoming students.
February 3rd, 2011 at 11:12 am
I do not know the details about the research, but it is possible that the students are comparing their academic abilities to all their friends and acquaintances, not just those who are attending college. I would expect a college student to rate his academic ability higher than a non-college student. And note that “academic ability” is not the same as “intelligence” or even “life skills ability.”
Of course it could also be possible that the survey only included students from Lake Wobegon.
February 8th, 2011 at 12:43 pm
I think the questions seem off base. Were students asked questions related to their entitlements to grades, money or special programs? Having taught remedial courses in Math, many students believe that grades are based upon the wrong social issues and not their performance. My Dad used to say,”If you don’t work/pay for something, you don’t put a value on it.” I really question the sample used and the point of the research. The attitudes may point to the reasons why American students continue to fall behind the rest of the world. Everyone can’t be an American Idol.