|
Activities in the past year
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Attended a religious service
|
68.5 |
71.2 |
70.0 |
81.3 |
83.8 |
82.4 |
|
Was bored in class*
|
37.9 |
35.5 |
36.6 |
47.4 |
36.8 |
42.6 |
|
Participated in organized demonstrations
|
26.9 |
27.2 |
27.0 |
27.6 |
11.6 |
20.3 |
|
Tutored another student
|
47.4 |
53.5 |
50.8 |
53.3 |
51.3 |
52.4 |
|
Studied with other students
|
83.1 |
88.5 |
86.1 |
88.1 |
91.2 |
89.5 |
|
Was a guest in a teacher's home
|
23.4 |
21.7 |
22.4 |
35.8 |
26.5 |
31.6 |
|
Smoked cigarettes*
|
5.7 |
6.0 |
5.9 |
8.1 |
3.5 |
6.0 |
|
Drank beer
|
53.8 |
38.9 |
45.5 |
59.6 |
38.9 |
50.2 |
|
Drank wine or liquor
|
54.2 |
50.8 |
52.3 |
57.8 |
46.0 |
52.4 |
|
Felt overwhelmed by all I had to do*
|
18.3 |
38.0 |
29.3 |
21.5 |
36.8 |
28.5 |
|
Felt depressed*
|
6.1 |
9.6 |
8.1 |
5.9 |
14.0 |
9.6 |
|
Performed volunteer work
|
79.5 |
86.3 |
83.3 |
78.5 |
89.4 |
83.5 |
|
Played a musical instrument
|
43.6 |
41.1 |
42.2 |
43.0 |
45.5 |
44.1 |
|
Asked a teacher for advice after class*
|
27.7 |
31.7 |
29.9 |
25.0 |
36.3 |
30.1 |
|
Used the Internet *
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*for research/homework |
70.9 |
81.8 |
77.0 |
69.9 |
88.6 |
78.4 |
|
*to read news |
48.7 |
42.5 |
45.2 |
51.5 |
35.1 |
44.0 |
|
*to read blogs |
24.1 |
27.6 |
26.1 |
36.6 |
42.1 |
39.1 |
|
*to blog |
12.8 |
15.7 |
14.4 |
23.1 |
26.5 |
24.7 |
|
Voted in a student election*
|
21.5 |
23.4 |
22.6 |
17.2 |
16.8 |
17.0 |
|
Socialized with someone of another racial/ethnic group*
|
68.2 |
71.4 |
70.0 |
58.1 |
54.9 |
56.6 |
|
Came late to class
|
62.9 |
58.8 |
60.6 |
58.8 |
39.8 |
50.2 |
|
Discussed religion*
|
28.4 |
30.6 |
29.6 |
25.0 |
24.6 |
24.8 |
|
Discussed politics*
|
36.2 |
35.4 |
35.7 |
22.8 |
18.6 |
20.9 |
|
Performed community service as part of a class
|
56.7 |
61.0 |
59.1 |
57.0 |
58.4 |
57.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Student rated self above average or in highest 10 percent in:
|
|
Academic ability
|
65.4 |
61.9 |
63.4 |
57.4 |
54.0 |
55.8 |
|
Artistic ability
|
33.2 |
37.9 |
35.9 |
25.0 |
22.1 |
23.7 |
|
Computer skills
|
44.4 |
30.0 |
36.4 |
37.5 |
32.7 |
35.3 |
|
Cooperativeness
|
71.6 |
72.9 |
72.3 |
69.9 |
76.1 |
72.7 |
|
Creativity
|
60.9 |
61.5 |
61.2 |
51.5 |
51.8 |
51.6 |
|
Drive to achieve
|
72.7 |
77.0 |
75.1 |
66.2 |
73.7 |
69.9 |
|
Emotional health
|
59.8 |
44.7 |
51.3 |
58.8 |
46.5 |
53.2 |
|
Leadership ability
|
65.2 |
56.1 |
60.7 |
62.5 |
50.9 |
57.2 |
|
Mathematical ability
|
44.7 |
32.2 |
37.7 |
41.2 |
31.6 |
36.8 |
|
Physical health
|
67.0 |
43.8 |
54.0 |
63.2 |
40.4 |
52.8 |
|
Public speaking ability
|
41.1 |
33.3 |
36.7 |
41.2 |
27.2 |
34.8 |
|
Self-confidence (intellectual)
|
66.8 |
51.7 |
58.4 |
64.7 |
46.0 |
56.2 |
|
Self-confidence (social)
|
58.5 |
45.7 |
51.3 |
55.9 |
48.2 |
52.4 |
|
Self-understanding
|
64.1 |
54.3 |
58.6 |
52.2 |
48.2 |
50.4 |
|
Spirituality
|
35.9 |
36.0 |
35.9 |
34.6 |
39.5 |
36.8 |
|
Understanding of others
|
66.0 |
68.2 |
67.2 |
61.8 |
71.9 |
66.4 |
|
Writing ability
|
45.6 |
50.4 |
48.3 |
42.6 |
27.2 |
35.6 |
|
|
National
Men
|
National
Women
|
National
Total
|
MC Men
|
MC Women
|
MC Total
|
|
Objectives considered essential or very important
|
|
Becoming accomplished in one of the performing arts
|
18.8 |
20.3 |
19.7 |
14.6 |
19.3 |
16.8 |
|
Becoming an authority in my field
|
63.5 |
59.7 |
61.4 |
61.4 |
50.9 |
56.5 |
|
Obtaining recognition from my colleagues for contributions to my special field
|
60.4 |
59.9 |
60.1 |
56.1 |
56.1 |
56.1 |
|
Influencing the political structure
|
26.9 |
22.0 |
24.2 |
20.5 |
15.0 |
18.0 |
|
Influencing social values
|
44.7 |
47.8 |
46.4 |
43.5 |
49.1 |
46.1 |
|
Raising a family
|
73.5 |
70.1 |
71.6 |
74.4 |
84.2 |
78.9 |
|
Being very well off financially
|
77.0 |
73.7 |
75.2 |
78.0 |
77.2 |
77.6 |
|
Helping others who are in difficulty
|
62.9 |
73.5 |
68.8 |
60.6 |
81.6 |
70.3 |
|
Making a theoretical contribution to science
|
20.4 |
17.7 |
18.9 |
23.5 |
13.3 |
18.8 |
|
Writing original works (poems, novels, short stories, etc.)
|
20.7 |
21.6 |
21.2 |
15.9 |
19.5 |
17.6 |
|
Creating artistic work (painting, sculpture, decorating, etc.)
|
21.1 |
26.8 |
24.3 |
11.4 |
16.8 |
13.9 |
|
Becoming successful in a business of my own
|
52.3 |
44.5 |
47.9 |
48.5 |
26.3 |
38.2 |
|
Becoming involved in programs to clean up the environment
|
29.1 |
34.9 |
32.4 |
22.0 |
38.1 |
29.4 |
|
Developing a meaningful philosophy of life
|
54.3 |
52.4 |
53.3 |
39.4 |
41.6 |
40.4 |
|
Participating in a community-action program
|
26.7 |
35.3 |
31.5 |
26.5 |
35.7 |
30.7 |
|
Helping to promote racial understanding
|
37.4 |
42.9 |
40.4 |
22.7 |
24.1 |
23.4 |
|
Keeping up to date with political affairs
|
43.3 |
40.2 |
41.5 |
30.3 |
24.1 |
27.5 |
|
Becoming a community leader
|
37.6 |
36.2 |
36.8 |
32.6 |
26.5 |
29.8 |
|
Improving my understanding of other countries and cultures
|
51.4 |
61.6 |
57.1 |
37.9 |
43.2 |
40.3 |
|
Adopting "Green" practices to protect environment
|
43.5 |
55.1 |
50.0 |
37.9 |
41.1 |
39.3 |
|
|
National
Men
|
National
Women
|
National
Total
|
MC Men
|
MC Women
|
MC Total
|
|
Agree strongly or somewhat that:
|
|
There is too much concern in the courts for the rights of criminals
|
56.2 |
49.4 |
52.4 |
64.0 |
53.1 |
59.0 |
|
Abortion should be legal |
65.7 |
66.7 |
66.3 |
58.1 |
60.0 |
59.0 |
|
The death penalty should be abolished
|
37.3 |
44.3 |
41.2 |
29.4 |
32.5 |
30.8 |
|
Only volunteers should serve in the armed forces
|
68.5 |
71.8 |
70.3 |
54.4 |
69.3 |
61.2 |
|
Marijuana should be legalized
|
53.7 |
43.9 |
48.2 |
58.1 |
39.5 |
49.6 |
|
It is important to have laws prohibiting homosexual relationships
|
25.7 |
12.7 |
18.5 |
28.7 |
17.4 |
23.5 |
|
Racial discrimination is no longer a major problem in
America
|
23.5 |
13.7 |
18.1 |
22.8 |
20.2 |
21.6 |
|
Realistically, an individual can do little to bring about changes in our society
|
31.5 |
24.1 |
27.4 |
27.2 |
22.8 |
25.2 |
|
Wealthy people should pay a larger share of taxes than they do now
|
63.3 |
66.2 |
64.9 |
66.2 |
65.5 |
65.9 |
|
Same-sex couples should have the right to legal marital status
|
64.9 |
80.3 |
73.5 |
61.5 |
77.9 |
69.0 |
|
Affirmative action in college admissions should be abolished
|
50.1 |
40.8 |
45.0 |
58.1 |
43.8 |
51.6 |
|
Federal Military Spending should be increased
|
28.3 |
20.9 |
24.2 |
36.3 |
24.1 |
30.8 |
|
Federal government should do more to control sale of handguns |
70.5 |
83.4 |
77.7 |
56.3 |
84.1 |
69.0 |
|
Federal government is not doing enough to control environmental pollution |
80.2 |
85.6 |
83.3 |
69.1 |
86.8 |
77.2 |
|
A national health plan care is needed to cover everyones' costs |
72.8 |
81.1 |
77.4 |
66.7 |
83.2 |
74.2 |
|
Undocumented immigrants should be denied access to public education |
49.1 |
36.9 |
42.3 |
49.6 |
46.9 |
48.4 |
|
Through hard work everyone can succeed in American
society |
76.2 |
71.8 |
73.8 |
75.0 |
83.2 |
78.7 |
|
Dissent is a critical component of the political process |
65.2 |
59.0 |
61.9 |
62.4 |
50.5 |
57.0 |
|
Colleges have a right to ban extreme speakers from campus |
41.9 |
34.0 |
37.5 |
36.8 |
31.9 |
34.5 |
|
Students from disadvantaged background should be given preferential treatment in college admissions |
44.6 |
39.9 |
42.0 |
36.3 |
48.2 |
41.7 |
|
The fededral government should raise taxes to reduce deficits |
34.1 |
25.1 |
29.1 |
31.3 |
20.7 |
26.5 |
|
Addressing global warming should be a federal priority |
76.6 |
83.3 |
80.3 |
64.9 |
84.1 |
73.7 |
|
|
National
Men
|
National
Women
|
National
Total
|
MC Men
|
MC Women
|
MC Total
|
|
Political orientation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Far left
|
5.0 |
4.7 |
4.8 |
3.7 |
5.3 |
4.4 |
|
Liberal
|
31.4 |
41.4 |
37.0 |
26.9 |
27.2 |
27.0 |
|
Middle of the road
|
44.5 |
39.9 |
41.9 |
49.3 |
54.4 |
51.6 |
|
Conservative
|
17.0 |
13.2 |
14.9 |
18.7 |
12.3 |
15.7 |
|
Far right
|
2.2 |
0.7 |
1.4 |
1.5 |
0.9 |
1.2 |
|
Note: The statistics are based on survey responses of over 250,000 freshmen entering over 400 four-year colleges and universities in the fall of 20068 The figures were statistically adjusted to represent the
total population of well over 1.5 million first-time, full-time freshmen at four-year institutions. Because of rounding or multiple responses, figures may add to more than 100 percent.
|
|
|
SOURCE: "The American Freshman: National Norms for Fall 2008," published by American Council on Education and
University of
California at Los Angeles Higher Education Research Institute
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