First-Year Retention and Success in Undergraduate Students: The Role of Sense of Purpose

• In Event: Supporting First-Year College Student Success

Abstract

Many of previous studies focused on the deficiency approach: on student departure. This study takes a positive psychology approach – focusing on what makes students stay and progress towards degree. Specifically this study examined whether sense of purpose, academic identity, and grit predicted first-year GPA, retention, and good academic standing directly and indirectly through self-reported degree commitment. Four hundred twenty one freshman students completed self-reported measures of degree commitment, sense of purpose, grit, and academic identity at the start of their first year at a university. First-year measures of academic success were obtained a year later. The practical significance of this work is discussed in the paper.

Authors

• Mariya Yukhymenko, California State University - Fresno

• Taelor Wells, California State University - Fresno