Student-rated importance that the institution provides a challenging and supportive environment.

Component survey items:

How important is it to you that your university provides the following?

• A challenging academic experience

• Support to help you succeed academically

• Opportunities to interact with students from different economic, social, and racial or ethnic backgrounds

• Assistance with coping with your non-academic responsibilities (work, family, etc.)

• Support to help you thrive socially

• Opportunities to attend campus events and activities

Student certainty that they will persist in the face of academic adversity.

Component survey items:

During the coming school year, how certain are you that you will?

• Find additional information for course assignments when you don’t understand material

• Participate regularly in course discussions, even when you don’t feel like it

• Ask instructors for help when you struggle with course assignments

• Finish something you have started when you encounter challenges

• Stay positive, even when you do poorly on a test or assignment

 

Student perception of their academic preparation.

Component survey items:

How prepared are you to do the following in your academic work at this college?

• Write clearly and effectively

• Speak clearly and effectively

• Think critically and analytically

• Analyze math or quantitative problems

• Use computing and information technology

• Work effectively with others

• Learn effectively on your own

 

Expected engagement in educationally relevant behaviors during the first year of college.

Component survey items:

During the coming school year, how often do you plan to?

• Hours spent preparing for class (studying, reading, writing, doing homework or lab work, analyzing data, rehearsing, and other academic activities)

• Ask questions in class or contribute to class discussions

• Make a class presentation

• Work with other students on projects during class

• Work with classmates outside of class to prepare class assignments

• Discuss grades or assignments with an instructor

• Discuss ideas from your readings or classes with family members outside of class

• Discuss ideas from your readings or classes with others outside of class (students, family members, co-workers, etc.)

 

Engagement in educationally relevant behaviors during the last year of high school.

Component survey items:

During your last year of high school, how much of the following did you do?

• Assigned reading (textbooks or other course materials)

• Writing short papers (5 or fewer pages)

• Writing longer papers or reports (more than 5 pages)

• Hours spent preparing for class (studying, doing homework, rehearsing, etc.)

• Asked questions in class or contributed to class discussions

• Made a class presentation

• Discussed grades or assignments with a teacher

• Worked with other students on projects during class

• Worked with classmates outside of class to prepare class assignments

• Prepared two or more drafts of a paper or assignment before turning it in

• Discussed ideas from your readings or classes with teachers outside of class

• Discussed ideas from your readings or classes with others outside of class (students, family members, etc.)

 

Expected academic difficulty during the first year of college.

Component survey items:

During the coming school year, how difficult do you expect the following to be?

• Learning course material

• Managing your time

• Getting help with school work

• Interacting with faculty