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Adjustment to College. A Study of 10,000 Veteran and Non-Veteran Students in 16 American Colleges

Author(s):
Frederiksen, Norman O.; Schrader, William B.
Publication Year:
1950
Report Number:
RB-50-10-22
Source:
ETS Research Bulletin
Document Type:
Report
Page Count:
513
Subject/Key Words:
Carnegie Corporation, College Students, Followup Studies, GI Bill of Rights, Student Adjustment, Student Characteristics, Veterans., Veterans Education

Abstract

Need was evident for a systematic comparison of veterans and non- veterans with respect to such things as background, attitudes and motives, worries, and participation in various aspects of college life. Such information, valuable for its own sake, should also aid in understanding the dynamics of academic success and failure and in accounting for veteran- nonveteran differences in academic success. A particular need was recognized for specific study of the students who would not have attended college without the aid provided by the GI Bill--an inquiry which would consider not only academic success but also various personal characteristics of these students. The study reported here was designed to meet these varied needs. First, an effort was made to determine whether veterans did earn better grades in college, relative to ability, than did nonveterans. Second, veterans and nonveterans were compared with regard to background and attitudes, as reported by them on a questionnaire. Third, the value of the questionnaire items in identifying promising students was considered. Fourth, a special study of veterans brought into college by the GI Bill is summarized. Fifth, the information obtained from a questionnaire was used in an attempt to account for differences in academic performance between veterans and nonveterans. Sixth, some comparisons of men and women students with respect to academic success, background, and attitudes are made. Seventh, the findings of this study regarding the effectiveness of conventional predictors of academic success are summarized. Eighth, the possibilities of using data from the student questionnaire for obtaining a description of a college are illustrated. (Includes RB-50-10 through RB-50-22.).

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