Predicting Adjustment to College: Student-Athletes’ First Year of College

• In Event: Roundtable Session 49
  In Roundtable Session: The Sport Experiences of Students and Teachers in Schools and Campus Environments

Abstract

The transition from high school to college is critical to student success and persistence to graduation (Hurtado et al., 2007); and while student-athlete graduation is a concern, the student-athlete transition has received little attention. The purpose of this study is to identify key factors that impact student-athletes’ adjustment to college, measured by their successful management of the academic environment and sense of belonging after the first year. Data from a national multi-point study (n=20,048) were used. Utilizing a reconceptualization of the integration model (Nora, 2001), this study finds that availability of campus services, perception of relevance of coursework to future plans, and the ease of developing close friendships with other students all positively affected student-athletes’ adjustment and sense of belonging.

Author

• Laura Bernhard, University of California - Los Angeles