North Carolina State University
2010 First-Year Student Survey:
Highlights
NC State conducted its annual survey of entering first-year students during the summer of 2010. After attending New Student Orientation students were e-mailed an invitation to complete the survey online. At the start of the Fall semester students who had not attended orientation were also invited to participate. The survey response rate was 61.3 percent (N=2,882 of 4,703). The margin of sampling error for survey results is ±0.7 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence interval.
NC State's academic reputation is very influential in the decision to attend NC State. Although more than two-thirds of respondents applied to three or more colleges including NC State, a majority of incoming students said that NC State was their first or only choice among colleges to attend. 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.
Students feel well prepared for college by their high school and by their own efforts. The vast majority of incoming students said they were at least "somewhat well" prepared for college both by their high school and by their own efforts. Students who participated in programs geared towards improving college readiness, such as Upward Bound and GEAR UP, are more likely than non-participants to feel well prepared by their own efforts.
Students are nervous but excited! In response to a question asking them to comment in their own words on what they are most concerned or nervous about in starting their first semester at NC State, about one-third of students mentioned issues related to their academic performance or managing the workload, and another 20 percent commented on the transition to college. When asked about what they were most excited about the most common responses related to social activities, personal or career development, and their new-found independence.
High achievement is important to incoming students. More than 60 percent 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." Three-fourths of respondents have plans for post-baccalaureate studies leading to a Master's degree or higher.
Students are helping to pay their college expenses. Two-thirds of incoming students say they will be putting their own resources towards the cost of their NC State education, although most of them will be contributing less than $1,000 their first year. Almost half of students intend to work either on- or off-campus during the school year, with about 40 percent of them working more than 10 hours per week. In addition, about 15 percent of student say they will be taking out $6,000 or more in loans to cover their first year expenses.
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 34 different knowledge, skills, and personal development goals that the University has for them than to their current level of development of the goal. Most notably, ability to handle stress and time management ranked high in importance, but low in development. Goals ranking high in both current development and importance include appreciating gender equity, appreciating racial equity, and ability to function as part of a team. Several goals central to the University's core general education curriculum received low importance and development ratings, including applying scientific methods of inquiry and writing skills.
Co-curricular activities geared towards academics and athletics are of most interest to incoming students. Among 29 co-curricular activities and programs, first year students expressed greatest interest in study abroad/national student exchange, organizations/clubs related to your major, and intramural sports.
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."
NC State freshmen are well-connected, technologically. Nearly all incoming students plan to bring a laptop computer, a desktop computer, or both a laptop and desktop to campus. Ninety percent of students said they send or receive text messages and forty percent or more access the internet or check email via a mobile handheld device at least once per day.
For more information on the 2010 First-Year Student Survey contact:
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: January 2011
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