An exploration of the factors that affect the academic success of college sophomores

College Student Journal, June, 2005 by Steven S. Graunke, Sherry A. Woosley

Researchers have suggested that, although they have not received much attention in the research literature, college sophomores may face academic difficulties. Pattengale and Schriener (2000) said that the sophomore year may be a time in which students disengage from academic life, thus creating an adverse effect on their grades. Tinto (1993) also suggested that the important issues for first-year students may not be important issues for students at other stages in a college career. Because much of the research regarding retention has focused on first year students, further research may be needed for other class levels, specifically sophomores. This study used a survey of second semester sophomores to explore how sophomores' experiences and attitudes affected their academic success. Commitment to an academic major and satisfaction with faculty interactions were both found to be significant predictors of grade point average. The results suggest researchers and practitioners need to be cautious in applying what is known about first-year students to students who have progressed beyond the first-year. The findings also suggest that institutions may want to develop sophomore specific programs.

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Over the past two decades, a great deal of attention has been devoted to why students succeed or do not succeed in college. In his classic work, Leaving College, Tinto (1993) outlined a longitudinal model of institutional departure. The model suggests that individual student attributes interact with experiences within the university environment to foster integration into the social and academic context of the institution. This integration impacts students' academic goals, future plans, and commitment to the university. Consequently, negative experiences within the university, such as poor interactions with faculty or lack of involvement in campus activities, may cause the student to lessen their commitment to the university and possibly leave the institution.

Tinto's model has provided the framework for many studies. Because previous research has highlighted the large numbers of students leaving during their first year of college (e.g. Tinto, 1993), much of the research regarding student success and attrition has focused on first-year students. These studies have shown the potential importance of social integration (Berger, 1997; Strage, 1999), extracurricular involvement (Berger & Milem, 1999; Milem & Berger, 1997) and institutional commitment (Allen & Nelson, 1989; Cabrera, Nora & Castaneda, 1993: Nora, & Cabrera, 1993) as well as their impact on the retention and academic success of first-year college students. College and university students at other levels or stages in their college career have not received as much attention. Tomlinson-Clarke's 1998 study of women indicated that juniors and seniors scored significantly higher on a measure of academic adjustment than did first-year students. Also in 1998, Mohr, Eiche and Sedlacek studied seniors who left before graduating. They found that seniors who had departed did not differ significantly from returning seniors in terms of dissatisfaction with university policies or levels of campus involvement. It is interesting to note that Mohr et. al (1998) found that these issues were not significant for seniors. In contrast, previous research regarding first-year students has shown these same issues may be linked to first-year student success and attrition. Thus, it may be that different components of Tinto's model adopt different levels of importance as students progress through their college career. Previous research is limited, though, when it comes to students at specific class levels or specific points in their college career.

Sophomores, in particular, are at a stage in their college career where institutions may need to be especially aware of relevant issues. Increasingly, the second year is being viewed as a time of moratorium, in which students seek to solidify their career decisions and personal goals (Anderson & Schreiner, 2000; Boivin, Fountain, & Baylis, 2000). Gardner (2000) found that sophomores were more likely than students in other classes to state that "confirming their major selection or deciding on an appropriate career was their biggest personal problem" (p. 72). The dilemma is that the second year is often a point at which institutions tend to provide the least amount of support to the students. According to Pattengale and Schreiner (2000), institutions feel as if they have succeeded in retaining students after the first year, and that attention may then be directed to the next incoming cohort. At the same time, not all sophomores have found a major and those that have are not especially involved in classes in their major. Therefore, sophomores may have few interactions with faculty in their major. Because most sophomores have also not had opportunities for campus leadership and do not receive much programming or attention from student affairs (Pattengale & Schreiner, 2000), they may be relatively isolated from meaningful contact with other faculty as well. Thus, sophomores may become increasingly distant from the university community and more engaged in individual activities. Gardner (2000) found that sophomores exist in their own "sphere" which is running "counter to the academic path of the engaged learner" (p.73). Sophomores were less likely than students in other classes to be actively involved with their own learning or to see faculty as actively engaged in their personal and academic development. In addition, they spent less time than students at other levels engaged in academic activities and more time engaged in social activities (Gardner, 2000). These results may be especially concerning when the findings of other researchers are taken into account. Juillerat (2000), for example, found that sophomores at private colleges rated factors such as a sense of belonging and approachable faculty as more important than students at other class levels. Overall, the research suggests that sophomores may have needs that differ from students at other levels and those needs are being largely overlooked by institutions of higher education.