2011 National Freshman Attitudes Report
Special focus: Attitudes that may limit academic engagement
Also included: Addendum by Race/Ethnicity for a further demographic examination of the responses in the main report
This report describes self-reported attitudes and motivations of first-year college students nationally at the beginning of the undergraduate experience, based on a 100-item motivational assessment administered in the summer and fall of 2010. Highlighted this year are attitudes that may limit academic engagement, suggesting the need for educational interventions. For context, references to earlier Noel-Levitz National Freshman Attitude Reports are included, along with a detailed appendix.
Among the highlights:
- More than 44 percent of incoming freshmen nationally agreed with the statement, "Math has always been a challenge for me," with even higher percentages agreeing among first-generation freshmen (48 percent) and adult, nontraditional-age freshmen (53 percent).
- Only 63 percent of incoming freshmen agreed with the statement, "I am capable of writing a very clear and well-organized paper," a percentage that was lower among students at two-year public and private institutions (55 percent) than at four-year public and private institutions (65-67 percent).
- Male freshmen, especially, acknowledged their irregular study habits and a limited enjoyment of books and reading, along with uncertainty about the value of their college education.
- Reflecting the uncertain economy, nearly one-third of incoming freshmen (31 percent) and even more first-generation freshmen (40 percent) arrived on campuses last fall indicating they had "very distracting and troublesome" financial problems.
