A Path to College Success: Analyzing the Precursors and Predictors of College Adjustment

Abstract

College enrollment rates have increased drastically through the years. Yet, retention rates have remained stagnant, particularly from the first to the second year. Some have attributed early departure to poor college adjustment. Bridging together theoretical perspectives and models rooted in retention research and social media research, this study tested a predictive model of college adjustment. An online survey was completed by 611 (22.8% male, 77.2% female) undergraduates. A path analysis revealed that well-adjusted students had strong kinship support, self-esteem and academic self-efficacy, were highly involved both academically and socially, and experienced lower levels of loneliness and academic stress. Shyness was found to forestall successful overall college adjustment by diminishing students' social involvement, which in turn increased perceived loneliness and contributed to poor self-esteem. On the other hand, active coping style was found to facilitate overall college adjustment by increasing academic involvement, which subsequently enhanced academic self-efficacy and self-esteem. The findings also indicate that academic Facebook use promotes greater overall college adjustment by enhancing students' social involvement. Furthermore, moderation analyses showed that the use of Facebook for interpersonal purposes increases social and academic involvement, particularly among less shy and high self-esteemed students. Interpretation of these results and practical implications are discussed.