"It's a Whole New World": A Qualitative Exploration of College Students' Definitions of and Strategies for College Success

Journal of College Student Development, Mar/Apr 2008 by Yazedjian, Ani, Toews, Michelle L, Sevin, Tessara, Purswell, Katherine E

Our findings corroborate previous research that college students spend time on the Internet for both academic and social reasons (Lanthier & Windham, 2004). Yet, our students' narratives indicate that, although their Internet use allowed them to build social relationships, at times it also interfered with their academic responsibilities.

With regard to friends, Kristin noted that although she and her roommate enjoyed having friends in their room, they also realized that they were unable to focus on studying when their friends were present.

Our door is always unlocked, open to everybody, and they know that and they're always in our room, and we don't get any studying done. We have to put Studying, Stay Away [on a dry erase board on the door] because there's just so many people in our room all the time.

These statements illustrate the importance students placed on being able to devote time to academics while also maintaining their social relationships. Although Kristin enjoyed socializing with her friends, she also realized the importance of devoting time to her academics in order to be successful. This was an important realization because previous research has found that "the time and energy students devote to educationally purposeful activities is the single best predictor of their learning and personal development" (Kuh, Kinzie, Schuh, Whitt, & Associates, 2005, p. 8).

The students' narratives also confirmed that their college experience involved more than just academic success. Specifically, students found themselves trying to tend to their academics while at the same time minimizing distractions from their social lives. In order to maintain this balance, students like Eric described the importance of managing their time appropriately:

I'm in a fraternity and stuff, so you know, we do a lot of stuff on weekends, just about every weekend. But, as long as during the week you have a good head on your shoulders, and you take advantage of the time you have to study, and just not waste it on stupid stuff like I'm starting to do.

These sentiments also reflect the importance of developing a sense of responsibility, which previous research found was an integral part of the college experience (Kuh, 1995). This aspect of personal development is particularly relevant given Zarrett and Eccles' (2006) argument that "the college environment enables [students] to practice self-governance, individuation from parents, and freedom to direct their own lifestyle in a safe environment" (p. 18). At the same time that students were striving for independence they also continued to be concerned with developing supportive relationships (Gottlieb et al., 2007). Yet, their new-found freedoms and their interest in establishing new peer relationships often challenged them to maintain a reasonable balance between their academic and social lives. Haley's statement illustrates how she managed her time in a way that allowed her to balance her academic responsibilities with her social relationships: