North Carolina State University
2011 First-Year Student Survey:
Open-End Comments
Frequency Distributions by Topical Category
Students were asked to report in their own words what they are most excited about and most concerned about in coming to NC State. The tables included in this report contain the frequencies at which various topics were referenced in their responses to these questions.
Exact wording of questions:
Briefly describe what it is you are most excited about in coming to NC State (view frequency distribution)
Briefly describe what, if anything, you are most concerned or nervous about in starting your first semester of college at NC State (view frequency distribution)
What Most Excited About (Table 1)A total of 2,209 respondents provided a response to the question asking about what they are most excited about in coming to NC State. First-year students most commonly reported being excited about their social life (36.2%), personal/career development (26.0%), campus life/involvement (18.8%), and independence (18.3%). Only about 1 percent of respondents reported being excited about college living (e.g., living with a roommate).
The following are several students' responses that relate to social life, personal/career development, campus life/involvement, and independence:
"I am mostly excited about simply taking the next big step in life to get where I ultimately want to be."
"I am most excited about all the different opportunities and groups I will be able to join at NC State."
"The chance to experience new responsibilities and new ways of learning at the same time."
| Topic | N | % |
|---|---|---|
| Social Life | 800 | 36.2% |
| Personal/Career Development | 573 | 26.0% |
| Campus Life/Involvement | 415 | 18.8% |
| Independence | 404 | 18.3% |
| Transition to College | 324 | 14.7% |
| Community/Campus Environment | 128 | 5.8% |
| Diversity | 62 | 2.8% |
| Performance/Workload | 60 | 2.7% |
| Co-curricular activities | 55 | 2.5% |
| Instruction | 44 | 2.0% |
| Living/Roommate | 22 | 1.0% |
| Time Management | 14 | 0.6% |
| Financial | 9 | 0.4% |
| Health | 7 | 0.3% |
| First Year College | 4 | 0.2% |
| Transportation | 1 | 0.0% |
| Other/Miscellaneous | 36 | 1.6% |
Link to verbatim comments by topic
Back to Top Biggest Concerns (Table 2)
A total of 2,009 respondents provided a response to the question asking about what they are most concerned or nervous about in starting their first semester at NC State. About one-third of respondents reported being concerned with performance/workload (32.9%) during their first semester at NC State. Other commonly reported concerns related to the transition to college (21.0%), and time management (14.4%). Less than 2 percent of students reported being most concerned about financial issues (1.9%) and less than 1 percent reported being concerned with issues related to safety (.6%).
The following are several students' responses that relate to performance/workload and adapting to the transition of college:
"The workload and being able to adjust to a new environment."
"I am concerned about the transition from my home to college and the transition to a new city."
The following are examples of responses related to concerns with time management:
"Managing my classwork and homework as well as also being involved in extracurricular activities and having the time to do it all."
| topic | N | % |
|---|---|---|
| Performance/Workload | 661 | 32.9% |
| Transition to College | 422 | 21.0% |
| Time Management | 290 | 14.4% |
| Independence | 253 | 12.6% |
| Social Life | 252 | 12.5% |
| Health | 130 | 6.5% |
| Instruction | 88 | 4.4% |
| Living/Roommate | 85 | 4.2% |
| Campus Life/Involvement | 81 | 4.0% |
| Personal/Career Development | 74 | 3.7% |
| Financial | 38 | 1.9% |
| Transportation | 21 | 1.0% |
| Community/Campus Environment | 18 | 0.9% |
| Registration | 15 | 0.7% |
| Safety | 13 | 0.6% |
| Co-curricular activities | 6 | 0.3% |
| Diversity | 3 | 0.1% |
| First Year College | 2 | 0.1% |
| Other/Miscellaneous | 65 | 3.2% |
Link to verbatim comments by topic
Back to Top
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: May 2012
Return to 2011 First-Year Student Survey Table of Contents Page