Half have attended more than one college???

hoosier · #1 11-11-2005, 08:08 PM

(Would like to see them survey how GLO membership affects this)

A new study released by (Indiana Univ.) IU's National Survey of Student Engagement found at least half of college students have attended more than one college or university.
Out of all transfer students, more than half took most of their courses from a vocational-technical school or from a community or junior college. On average, transfer students participated less in educational activities than nontransfer students and interacted less with faculty. The study also found about half the students that took complementary courses from other institutions did so to complete their degree requirements sooner.
Junior Dan Waltz transferred from Harding University in Circe, Ark., after his freshman year. In addition to coming to IU, Waltz has taken summer courses at IU-Purdue University Indianapolis because he said the classes are easier. He said he believes attending more than one university helps students broaden their educational base and meet different groups of people. Unlike the majority of transfer students, Waltz had no problems getting involved at IU. He was accepted into a fraternity and the Kelley School of Business and has been active in both.
Shawn Milligan, on the other hand, left IU for Westminster College near St. Louis. Milligan transferred because Westminster is a smaller school that offers smaller class environments, which he believes gives students more personal attention. After the transfer, it took a while for Milligan to find a core group of friends. He said he had a hard time meeting people at first because his peers were already established in certain circles. Now Milligan is involved in campus life with a steady group of friends in a fraternity. He is satisfied with his choice to transfer to a school that better suits his needs.
Higher education experts are concerned with the number of students taking classes from multiple institutions. Jillian Kinzie, the associate director of the NSSE Institute, said transfer students are not as likely to be involved in extracurricular activities, group study sessions or contacting professors. These students are more likely to see the campus environment as less supportive of their education, Kinzie said.
"We have reason to be concerned about transfer students who might not be benefiting as much from their undergraduate experience as their nontransfer peers," she said. "Multi-institute attendance may speed a degree, but it also may offer students a disjointed experience."

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USCTKE · #2 11-11-2005, 08:19 PM

I have attended three schools (I guess you could say) took a few college classes through a Technical school back home when I was still in high school, went to a small four-year college and now transferred to USC to finish out my final three years (or maybe two depending on how motivated I can get)

irishpipes · #3 11-11-2005, 08:27 PM

I went to 4 schools - 3 for undergrad and 1 for my masters.

AOX81 · #4 11-11-2005, 08:40 PM

I went to two schools.

Phigirl04 · #5 11-11-2005, 09:01 PM

I have continously gone to the same school but I also take classes online through a community college so that I can finish faster. My school only allows you to take so many credits at a time.

honeychile · #6 11-11-2005, 09:24 PM

Many articles on saving money on college coach parents to send their kids to community colleges & such to get the core classes, then go for the higher priced 4-year college.

Betarulz! · #7 11-11-2005, 11:12 PM

I'd like to see the study and look at the methodology, and what they define "attended". If it's simply having credits from more than one institution, than this isn't that surprising. If it's actually more specific than that, then I'm kind of shocked.

For a survey like this, just looking at credits earned would be the easiest way to define attendance, but for the conclusions they're drawing, that would be the hardest to make conclusions about. For example, I had credits that I earned in HS from two community colleges in KC. One class I didn't actually go to, but credit for taking part in a project, and the other was through my HS, so I got dual credit. But I never actually set foot in a class room on the campus of either institution, so I would hardly say I "attended" those colleges.

honeychile · #8 11-11-2005, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Betarulz!
I'd like to see the study and look at the methodology, and what they define "attended". If it's simply having credits from more than one institution, than this isn't that surprising. If it's actually more specific than that, then I'm kind of shocked.

For a survey like this, just looking at credits earned would be the easiest way to define attendance, but for the conclusions they're drawing, that would be the hardest to make conclusions about. For example, I had credits that I earned in HS from two community colleges in KC. One class I didn't actually go to, but credit for taking part in a project, and the other was through my HS, so I got dual credit. But I never actually set foot in a class room on the campus of either institution, so I would hardly say I "attended" those colleges.

That's how I feel - I had 12 credits from high school that I would hardly count as going to a second institution!

Although, my derailed plan of action did include me transferring to a second college after my freshman year! I graduated from high school when I was 16, and my parents (rightly!) thought I wasn't mature enough to go away to the school to which I had a full scholarship. So, I was going to Pitt for one (1) year, then transferring to William & Mary. Oh, well - the best laid plans of mice and men...!

Glitter650 · #9 11-12-2005, 12:00 AM

I went to 4 schools to complete my Undergrad degree... =)

RACooper · #10 11-12-2005, 12:05 AM

Okay first it's "have" not "half"...

But I have attended two schools for my undergrad - one prior to my miltary service/break and another afterwards (after I sobered-up and scrapped together the cash).

Erik P Conard · #11 11-12-2005, 01:20 AM

Hutchinson Community College
Emporia State University
University of Kansas
Kansas State University
Utah State University
University of Illinois
Pittsburg State University
Universidad Nacional de Mexico
University of Oklahoma
University of Colorado
--guess that is all

PhoenixAzul · #12 11-12-2005, 01:36 AM

I dunno, I've never thought about transferring. I love it here at Otterbein. It is the perfect size, location, involvement, program for me. I guess I'll have attended 2 universities though, since I'm leaving for study abroad at Belfast Institute for Further and Higher Education in 4 weeks, and staying for 6 months.

I'm looking forward to graduate school though.

KillarneyRose · #13 11-12-2005, 04:29 AM

My brother-in-law, who spent the first 23 or so years of his life being shiftless and lazy, finally got his Bachelors from the fifth college he attended.

If I recall correctly, college number one was the Virginia Military Institute where he lasted a whopping 3 days.

He's since cleaned up his act, thank goodness.

Senusret I · #14 11-12-2005, 05:38 AM

Just one for me, thanks.

PsychTau2 · #15 11-12-2005, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by hoosier

Junior Dan Waltz transferred from Harding University in Circe, Ark.,
_

It's S-E-A-R-C-Y, AR.

Holy geez...that's the worst attempt at spelling Searcy I've ever seen!! Did this writer not ask the student how to spell Searcy or did the student not know how to spell Searcy?

On another note...I'd like to see how they defined attended, among other things. The ISSE is a scantron type survey given out at campuses who choose to participate (there's a fee, I believe). I don't know exactly how this data is gathered on the form...that may affect the interpretation of it.

PsychTau

BTW: It was just one college for me too.