First-Year Students’ Adjustment to University Life as a Function of Relationships with Parents

Abstract

One understudied aspect of first-year students’transition to university is their relationship with parents. This study investigates the contributions that perceived parenting style, current relationships with parents, and psychological well-being variables make toward perceived overall adjustment to university, from both socio/emotional adaptation perspectives and actual academic achievement. Data were collected from a sample of 408 (116 males and 292 females) first-year students attending university in a large metropolitan Canadian city. Results indicated that mutual reciprocity and discussion with parents, as well as the psychological well-being variables, have direct links to adjustment to university. There was an indirect, positive relationship between authoritative parenting and adaptation variables. Furthermore, the predictor variables differed by both gender and outcome measures. Interpretation of these results, their congruence within the context of the theoretical frameworks, and practical implications are discussed.

Self-Esteem and Academic Stress among Nursing Students

“…This finding was supported by past research findings of Wintre and Yaffe. 22 Contrast to these findings, Elias and colleagues' stated medical students and final-year students were more likely to experience higher levels of stress compared to the other students. 23 This may happen because the first-year students are able to adapt to the new environment fast during university life transition described by Towbes and Cohen.…”

Parental Engagement and Contact in the Academic Lives of College Students

“…Parental involvement in higher education includes engagement in the college choice process, paying for college, offering support to students, and negotiating relationships with campus personnel (Daniel, Evans, & Scott, 2001). Research suggests that this engagement, encouragement, and support is associated with positive 326 outcomes like adjustment to college, academic achievement, persistence, healthier parent-child interactions, decreased stress, emotional health and well-being, and higher educational expectations among college students (Barnett, 2004;Herndon & Hirt, 2004;Hurtado, Carter, & Spuler, 1996;Kalsner & Pistole, 2003;Kenny & Stryker, 1996;Maton, Hrabowski, & Greif, 1998;Ratelle, Larose, Guay, & Senecal, 2005;Rodriguez, Mira, Myers, Morris, & Cardoza, 2003;Trusty, 1998;Wintre & Yaffe, 2000).…”

Family relationships and college adjustment of first-generation college students

“…Prior academic achievement will be statistically controlled with high school rank. In addition, since psychological coping is also known to impact college adjustment (Brooks & DuBois, 1995;Daugherty & Lane, 1999;Kerr, 1995;Larose, Robertson, Roy, & Legault, 1998;Wintre & Yaffe, 2000;Zea, Jarama, & Bianchi, 1995), hierarchical regression analyses will be used to show the effect of the family relationship variable on the adjustment factors for these students beyond what is already accounted for by prior academic achievement and psychological coping skills.…”

“…The majority of the studies in this area have focused on mostly white students from intact two-parent families (Armsden & Greenberg, 1987;Hickman, Bartholomae, & McKenry, 2000;Hoffman, 1984;Hoffman & Weiss, 1987;Kenny, 1987;Kenny & Donaldson, 1992;Lopez, Campbell, & Watkins, 1986, 1988McCarthy, Moller, & Fouladi, 2001), usually volunteers from psychology courses (Cutrona, Cole, Colangelo, Assouline, & Russel, 1994;Fass & Tubman, 2002;Feenstra, Banyard, Rines, & Hopkins, 2001;Haemmerlie, S teen, & Benedicto, 1994;Hickman et al, 2000;Hoffman, 1984;Kemp & Neimeyer, 1999;Kenny & Donaldson, 1992;Lapsley, Rice, & Shadid, 1989;Lopez et al, 1986Lopez et al, , 1988Lopez et al, , 1989Wintre & Sugar, 2000;Wintre & Yaffe, 2000), and often from exclusive private colleges (Hoffman, 1984;Kenny & Donaldson, 1991Lapsley et al, 1989;Rice, Cole, & Lapsley, 1990;Rice, Fitzgerald, Whaley, & Gibbs, 1995). Results are, therefore, limited in their generalizability and this research project expands upon the available knowledge in this area by including students from a more diverse economic background and family make-up.…”