RESEARCH ABSTRACT:
IN BRIEF:  Youth can achieve greater success and reduce negative life consequences during their first year of college if they 1) increase knowledge of new social scene and academic protocols, and 2) work through a conjectural decision-making process prior to actual encounters. This project will create a self-sustaining program that can be used nationwide.

Each year, approximately 1.8 million U.S. first-quarter college freshmen encounter the greatest decision-making period of their young lives. Many of their choices will initiate life-long consequences with financial, emotional and physical (health-related) implications. The highest risks include a dramatic loss of earning capacity due to failing or dropping out—26% freshman non-return rate nationally (ACT, 2004), acquiring a sexually transmitted infection—25% of college age youth (CDC, 2004), alcohol poisoning, acquaintance rape, and others.

Conversely, behavioral data on youth show improved decision-making and fewer negative consequences associated with prior encounters or foreknowledge of given life scenarios (Trad, 1993; Wyatt, 1989). Thus, our hypothesis: Youth will achieve greater success and reduce negative consequences during their first year college if they 1) increase knowledge of social scene changes and new academic protocols, and 2) work through a conjectural decision-making process prior to actual life encounters.

Recently, colleges and universities have added “First Year Encounter” seminars to help new students with these issues; however, most offer these during the first quarter—too late to provide processing time for risk decision-making. The College 101 curriculum offers guidance on key issues derived from current collegians that lend stories with peer-to-peer credibility. Participants receive tips on specific topics such as time management, studying/testing techniques, roommate issues, drug, alcohol, and STD statistics, credit/money management, and more. Adolescent decision-making theories note the predictive abilities of intervention to influence actual decisions that can forecast outcomes (Mann, Harmoni, & Power, 1991; Ross, 1981; Janis & Mann, 1977). This previewing technique forms the basic premise of College 101.

From late 2004 to early 2006, a sample survey of over one hundred current college students was undertaken. Key themes were identified to determine the base content of this college preparatory curriculum. The draft program was invited for presentation at the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents (NAE4HA) annual conference in Seattle, Washington in November 2005. From that presentation, 26 youth development professionals from 12 states signed up to pilot the program. These pilots took place in 2006. Just over 500 students ultimately participated during that year. In late 2006, we initiated a full research study that asked over 600 current college students to provide advice to high school seniors. Results are presently being compiled. We are also working with the University of Wisconsin who has undertaken a series of focus group interview sessions with current collegians to obtain similar information on the first year experience and how high school seniors should prepare. In December 2006, we were invited to present papers on the seminar at two additional higher education academic conferences: Children, Youth & Families at Risk (CYFAR) Annual Conference, May 1-4, 2007, Chicago; and the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) Annual Conference in Philadelphia, April 2007.

For the 2007 curriculum update, we just completed shooting “on the street” interviews with over 50 college students from three different universities. The 3-days of shooting has been edited and included in the 2007 seminar. We anticipate that the program will be offered in dozens of locations this spring, with approximately half outside of Ohio. Our goal is to reach 3,000-5,000 students this year. From this point onward, an unlimited number of high school seniors nationwide can benefit. Follow-up survey methodologies will be employed to track seminar participants as they progress through their first-year college to determine  ultimate program effectiveness.

Brian Raison

CURRICULUM HIGHLIGHTS:
The curriculum has reached a national audience. Invited papers, workshops, and awards at numerous academic conferences include:

1st Place Nationally - Journal of Youth Development's academic and professional association, (NAE4HA). In blind peer reviews, the program was chosen as the best program package in the nation.

National Students in Transition Conference (University of South Carolina's National Resource Center for First Year Experience). Cincinnati, Ohio - November 1-4, 2007.
 
Children, Youth & Families at Risk (CYFAR) Annual Conference. Chicago, Illinois - May 1-4, 2007.

National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) Annual Conference. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - April 16-19, 2007.

Building Human & Social Capital: The Knowledge Economy Conference –Ohio State University. Columbus, Ohio – May 2, 2006. 

National Association of Extension 4-H Agents (NAE4HA) Annual Conference. Seattle, Washington - November 2005.

2006 – Twenty-six locations in 14 states sign up and taught College 101 as a pilot program. 

2007 – Over 200 locations in 36 states have signed up to teach the seminar this year.