Date of Award
Fall 1996
Document Type
Dissertation - Restricted
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Bardwell, Rebecca
Second Advisor
Frederich, Jane
Third Advisor
Kipfmueller, Mark
Abstract
The freshman year has long been known to be a critical time of transition and adjustment for students. Increasingly, academic administrators, faculty members, and student affairs professionals are focusing on ways to make this transition a positive and productive experience for the population. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among a student's self-reported study strategies, self-perception of their problem-solving ability and first-semester academic standing. It was hoped that such an inductive examination of these variables would lead to a better understanding of some of the factors that contribute to the success and retention of these students. A women's college was chosen for this study because of my long-standing interest in the higher educational needs of women. Additionally there has been a limited number of studies that have looked specifically at the academic adjustment of this population.