North Carolina State University
2008 First-Year Student Survey:
Highlights
NC State conducted its annual survey of entering first-year students during New Student Orientation sessions held in July and early August 2008. The survey response rate was 88.1 percent (N=4,234 of 4,804). The margin of error for survey results is ±0.2 percentage points at a 95% confidence interval.
NC State's academic reputation is very influential in the decision to attend NC State. A majority of respondents applied to three or more colleges including NC State. Academic reputation was most frequently reported as the single most influential factor in the decision to attend NC State, followed by level of support for intended major.
Almost all incoming students felt adequately prepared for college by their high school and by their own efforts. Although respondents were equally likely to report being "well prepared" for college by their high school and by their own efforts, they were twice as likely to say they were "poorly prepared" by their high school as they were by their own efforts.
Good grades and high achievement are important to incoming students. Among those taking fewer than 15 credit hours, want better grades was the most commonly reported reason for taking fewer hours. The majority of respondents reported that they do not intend to work during their first semester at NC State. Among those planning to work, eighty percent plan to work less than 20 hours a week. More than half of incoming students say their primary goal or objective for attending NC State is to "obtain a bachelor's degree as preparation for graduate or professional school." About three-fourths of respondents have plans for post-baccalaureate studies leading to a Master's degree or higher.
Incoming students report room to grow on various knowledge, skills, and personal development goals. Respondents consistently gave higher ratings to the importance of each of 41 different knowledge, skills, and personal development goals than to their current development of the goal. Appreciating gender equity, appreciating racial equity, taking responsibility for my own behavior, and valuing lifelong learning were among the highest rated goals in terms of both development and importance. Ability to handle stress and time management ranked high in importance, but low in development. Several goals central to the University's core general education curriculum received low importance and development ratings, including applying scientific methods of inquiry, understanding the present as it relates to history, and writing skills.
Location is not a determining factor in future employment plans of incoming students. Among those planning to seek employment after graduation, respondents were much more likely to report that they will seek employment "anywhere" or "anywhere in the United States" than to report that they will seek work "in North Carolina only."
Dr. Nancy Whelchel, Associate Director for Survey Research
Office of Institutional Planning and Research
Box 7002
NCSU
Phone: (919) 515-4184
Email: Nancy_Whelchel@ncsu.edu
Posted: March, 2009
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