Traditional and Nontraditional Students: Adaption to College

The purpose of the researcher was to investigate study behaviors of traditional and nontraditional students. The independent variables investigated were student status (nontraditional and traditional), college classification, gender, cumulative undergraduate GPA, and average hours studied per week. The dependent variables were Feelings of Lack of Competence, Low Security, and Poor Self-Esteem; Preparing for Day-to-Day Routine Academic Activities; Carrying Out Specific Long Range Academic Tasks, and Total Scale. The Sample consisted of 90 males and 99 females, a total of 189. Three composite null hypotheses were tested, employing a three-way analysis for variance (general linear model). A total of 60 comparisons were made plus 24 recurring. Of the 60 comparisons 20 were for main effects and 40 were interactions. Of the 20 main effects, 14 were statistically significant at the .05 level. Of the 40 interactions, 4 were statistically significant at the .05 level. The results of the present study appeared to support the following generalizations: 1. females are better at carrying out specific long range academic tasks than males. 2. nontraditional students are more adaptable to college than traditional students, 3. graduate students are more adaptable to col1egc than undergraduates. 4. females are more adaptable to college than males, 5. students with higher GPA's are more prepared for day-by-day activities, 6. students who study more are better prepared for day-by-day activities, 7. nontraditional students are more adaptable in carrying out academic tasks, 8. students with GPA's of 3.5 1-4.00 arc more skillful in carrying out academic tasks and 100ai adaptation than those with intermediate and low GPA's, 9. students with GPA's of 2.51-3.00 are more skillful in carrying out academic tasks and total adaptation than those with low GPA's. 10. students who study more hours have higher total adaptation. 11. student status and classification should be interpreted concurrently for routine academic activities. 12. student status, classification and gender should be interpreted concurrently for routine academic activities. 13. student status and average hours studied per week should be interpreted concurrently for perception of self. And 14. student status, cumulative undergraduate GPA and average hours studied per week should interpreted concurrently for perception of self.