Monday, January 13, 1997
SURVEY:
Students are earning higher grades, are more apt to volunteerBy
Monica Paknad
Daily Bruin Contributor
Record numbers of college freshman nationwide are earning higher
grades, using free time to volunteer, and treating financial aid as
a basis of choosing a college, according to a UCLA study revealed
today.
The Fall 1996 study of national norms for American college
freshmen made its debut this morning, indicating record-level
results.
The survey, conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute
at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education and Information Studies,
also indicates changing social and political attitudes.
An all-time high of 31.5 percent of college freshmen report
having "A" averages in high school, whereas a record low of 14.6
percent reported averages of "C" or lower. Students are also
challenging themselves with more college-preparatory classes than
ever before, according to the study.
These results may represent "societal pressure" to attend
college in order to "get ahead in life," Linda Sax, assistant
professor of education at UCLA and associate director of the
survey, said in a statement.
Even so, record numbers of students claimed frequent boredom in
classes and occasionally missing classes because they
overslept.
Participation in community service also reached an all-time high
with 71.8 percent of freshmen saying they volunteered last year. In
addition to contributing to the community, "volunteer work has
positive effects on students’ personal and academic development,"
Sax said in a press statement.
Additionally, more freshman than ever expect to earn graduate
degrees. A record 38.9 and 15.1 percent hope to attain master’s and
Ph.D or Ed.D degrees, respectively.
Although the survey found that increased self-esteem may be the
case nationally, Dr. Harold Pruett, director of Student
Psychological Services, says that at UCLA they have seen increased
anxiety, depression, and stress-levels.
One-third of students surveyed, the highest amount ever, found
financial assistance a "very important" factor in selecting their
freshman college, compared to a low of 13.6 percent in 1976. The
percentage of students who chose their college due to low tuition
also rose, with two-thirds of freshmen at least somewhat concerned
about finishing college because of a lack of money.
"Rather than picking the college that offers the most
appropriate program, more students will be making choices on the
basis of low cost and the availability of financial aid," said
Alexander W. Astin, UCLA professor of education and director of the
survey, in a press statement.
However, Ronald W. Johnson, director of the Financial Aid Office
at UCLA, disagreed, saying that from his observations the majority
of students at UCLA would not desire to attend another institution
if UCLA "meets their needs for quality of collegial
experience."
Johnson says that most of the students he has spoken to indicate
that attending UCLA has been a "lifelong dream" and they would get
the education they want "by whatever means necessary."
Johnson says that borrowing has become "a more mainstream
component" of financing education, since the cost of education has
risen more than most parent’s salaries over the last five to 10
years. He finds the lower cost of UCLA compared to private
institutions an advantage, but says it is still a matter of what
resources each institution can provide.
According to Sax in the press release, the finding that an
all-time low of freshmen found casual sex acceptable reflects
"changing attitudes towards sex in an era of increasing
consciousness about AIDS and other sexually transmitted
diseases."
Support for keeping abortion legal dropped for the fourth year
in a row, according to the survey.
And, despite being an election year, interest in politics
remains low. Only 29.4 percent found political awareness a "very
important" or "essential" life goal, compared to 38.8 percent in
1992 and a high of 57.8 percent in 1966.
In the 1992 election year, 24.6 percent of students said they
frequently discussed politics whereas in 1996, only 16.2 percent
claimed interest.
The survey, which also measures norms ranging from family to
religion to goals and everyday lifestyles, has included a total of
more than 9 million students at over 1,500 institutions for the 24
years that UCLA has administered it.
This year, 354,853 freshmen at 709 public, private, two-year,
and four-year U.S. colleges and universities participated.
With reports from Daily Bruin wire
services