The stress-producing life events experienced by students at a private four-year college

Abstract

This research examines the stress producing life events experienced by private college students and their possible effects on the retention rate of students at these colleges. A comparison of selected success factors was made between ATB students (students entering college without first completing a GED or high school diploma) and Non-ATB students (students completing a GED or high school diploma before entering college). A comparison was also made of selected success factors between past students who completed a program of study successfully and those who left college before successful completion of a program of study. Comparisons were made when the sub-populations of past students were further broken in ATB students and Non-ATB students. Comparisons were made of the total stress levels and the stress producing life events that were reported by ATB students and Non-ATB students. Data was collected during September 1998 at a small, private, four-year college in Southern Arizona, made up of 411 adult students enrolled in certificate, diploma, associate degree, and bachelor's degree programs. As with all adult students, the students at the college have enrolled in college to complete a program of study while maintaining the responsibilities of an adult life. The primary data collection instrument was a survey based on the Holmes and Rahe Social Readjustment Scale. Students were asked to indicate all of the events that they had experienced in the previous 12-month period. Students were asked for a variety of demographic data. Data was also collected from the college-maintained databases of all students enrolled at the college during 1993-1998. Few significant differences were found between ATB students and Non-ATB students to support the difference in the retention rates of the two populations. This suggests that it may not be the actual stress producing life events that affect the student's ability to persist until successful completion of his or her chosen program, but rather the individual student's ability to cope with those life events. Although there was a variety of slight differences, and the issue of the additive affect was not addressed by this study.