This essay is a discussion of the lived experiences of first-generation college students each August when they arrive on a college campus for the first time. The author's approach offers a reflective component for institutions of higher education to consider when creating support or programs for first-generation students as they navigate an…

The estimated prevalence of neurodivergent (ND) conditions is approximately 15-20% of the population in the United States (Doyle, 2020; Maenner et al., 2023). ND students are increasingly enrolling in mainstream colleges and universities (Bakker et al., 2019) but report that they are not receiving adequate support on campus (Dexter et al., 2024;…

First-year students at universities continue to experience adjustment challenges which are an indication of low academic buoyancy. Academic buoyancy is a student's ability to succeed amidst academic difficulties and setbacks in academic settings. This study examined the gender differences in academic buoyancy among first-year undergraduate…

As the cultural climate in American higher education continues to evolve, there is an inherent need to adjust curriculum and educational perceptions to better assist American students in operating in a global context. Furthermore, the current cultural and political landscape in the United States has magnified the need for students attending…

Recent studies have posited that K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education should go beyond traditional subject silos and take an interdisciplinary approach that integrates these core subjects into a cohesive curriculum to foster authentic problem-solving skills. The purpose of this study was to field test one of five…

What can educators do to help students care about their learning and become more invested in their own success? Chase Nordengren describes how a school district created a goal-setting culture in all classrooms at all grade levels. The district began with a complex, research-based, prescriptive program that teachers found did not work well with…

College 101 is powerful Pre-College Opportunity Program (PCoP) designed to expose at-risk high school students to the benefits of post-secondary education, to motivate them to stay in school, and to help them envision a future that includes post-secondary education. The unique features of College 101 include that it is grounded in the pedagogical…

The purpose of this explorative qualitative methods study was to examine students' motivations and proficiency of a foreign language in a top tier higher education environment. The study investigated the factors and motivations that affect students' proficiency in a foreign language. The qualitative methods included open-ended questionnaires,…

This paper analyses some contemporary educational contexts that teachers should consider for their puberty education programmes and/or curricula, for primary and secondary school students. The educational contexts addressed here include significant international puberty education framework documents, socio-biological factors including earlier…

We describe a day-long introduction to new accounting majors, which we call a boot camp. Boot camp it is an effort to make juniors more aware of their identity, career purposes and learning resources that are now parts of their world, much of which is not covered explicitly in the accounting curriculum. This paper provides an overview of the…

In response to California State Assembly Bill (AB) 3, which requires the state's community colleges to implement orientations and other specified matriculation services, Fullerton College (FC) developed two orientation videos in 1989 for native speakers of English and English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) students. The videos were used by counselors…

This paper describes the orientation program conducted for distance students at the University of Central Queensland in Queensland, Australia, and outlines the steps in developing and conducting such a program. Information is included on the rationale for the orientation program, program objectives, program design, including issues, location,…

The purpose of evaluating the orientation program at the University of Texas at Austin was to provide information which would aid the orientation unit in the Office of the Dean of Students in establishing new programs and revising programs already in existence. In the summer of 1974, a total of 4,550 students participated in the survey, which…

A 6-year study assessed the academic, career, and personal goals of 5,300 first-year college students. Data are presented, comparing student groups on various goals over the six-year period, and highlighting several key factors. Implications for program planning based on real student goals (not assumed) are examined. (MSE)

In 1996, Ohio's Terra Community College undertook a project to substantiate the need for a comprehensive orientation program and to develop such a program, including a pre-college session and a college orientation class. Information was gathered through a literature review, suggesting that orientation creates a bond between the student and the…