Self-Efficacy and College Retention Rates

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My name is Haley Domina and I am a Masters student in the Higher Education Administration program at Boston University’s School of Education. I also work for the university in graduate admissions. I plan to use my degree to make life better for college students. I’m shocked at the dropout rates, especially for first-year college students. Given how expensive college can be and how much debt it can leave you with, it’s such a shame to know that so many students drop out without a degree. In my current job, I really enjoy helping incoming students feel welcome at BU, and I hope that I have in some small way helped them work towards their dream of having that diploma in their hand.

One of the most common reasons why students drop out of college is the difficulty in adjusting to this new lifestyle. Life outside of your parents’ home for the first time, in a new city, with new people, and new challenges can be difficult to get used to for an 18 year old. Stepping out of your comfort zone to adjust to college life can take a great amount of courage. Other than the massive amount of debt that can pile up if you drop out, it can also take an enormous toll on the emotional and psychological well being of a person. Everyone should care about college retention rates, not only because of dollars and cents, but also for the health of these students.

In order to begin addressing this problem, college counselors need to take into account two very important factors that contribute to students’ academic and emotional success in their first year of college. Confidence in students’ relevant abilities and optimism play a major role in successfully adjusting to college (Chemers, Hu, & Garcia, 2001). Students with high self-efficacy and optimism in their first year of college:

1. Perceive academic work demand to be more of a challenge than a threat

2. Have higher academic expectations and better academic performance

3. Experience less stress and less health problems

4. And most importantly, have better overall adjustment to college

It seems that high self-efficacy and optimism are two very important factors in first year student adjustment and retention rates (Chemers et al., 2001).

This research suggests that colleges must focus on inclusion in orientation, accepted student days, and any university events. It’s important to give students a sense of optimism for not only their academic success, but also their general well being. Students with high self-efficacy and optimism will succeed and stay in school. It is imperative that college counselors take note of this and work on these factors with students at risk of dropping out.

Reference

Chemers, M. M., Hu, L., & Garcia, B. F. (2001). Academic self-efficacy and first year college student performance and adjustment. Journal of Educational Psychology, 93(1), 55-64.