Complexities in Understanding the Experience of Sophomore Students

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Complexities in Understanding the Experience of
Sophomore Students

• Presented by
• Molly A. Schaller, Ph.D.
• University of Dayton

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Our Time Together

• A developmental model to understand the sophomore
  year.
• A look at the range of issues facing sophomores
  at different types of institutions.
• An opportunity to prioritize issues on our own
  campus.
• A look at possible approaches.

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Stages of the Sophomore Year Schaller (2005)

• Stages have tone and content
• Students may experience multiple stages at one
  time
• Major content areas Relationships, Self,
  Academics
• Random Exploration exuberance, lack reflection
• Focused Exploration frustration,
• reflection begins
• Tentative Choices relief,
• some lingering anxiety action begins
• Commitment confidence

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Random Exploration(often seen in first year)

• Traditional Students
• Peer relationships
• Students often dramatically
• expand their communities to include
• many different types of people (Parks, 2000).
• Self or behavior
• Expanding notion of what is appropriate or
  acceptable
• Academics
• Inability to balance time demands, unfocused

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Random Exploration

• Financial Issues
• short term or limited view of the financial
  impact facing the student (use of credit or
  loans, denial of the end of first year aid)
• Developmental Education
• not facing major or academic issues in ways to
  prepare for major choice
• Transfer Preparation
• because of survival mode, are not considering
  transfer options

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Transition Theory

• Transition into college has been completed.
• This transition is primarily external.
• Bridges (1980) calls this first step of
  transition the Ending Process.
• Services are frontloaded to assist in the
  transition in to college.
• Sophomores begin to experience the Neutral
  Zone.

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Neutral Zone(Bridges, 1980)

• Period of great insight.
• Sophomores have gathered
• a good deal of new information
• about self, peers, the world.
• Loevinger (1976) called this the conscientious
  stage as students come to be self-evaluative,
  self-critical, responsible.

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Stages of the Sophomore Year Schaller (2005)

• Stages have tone and content
• Students may experience multiple stages at one
  time
• Major content areas Relationships, Self,
  Academics
• Random Exploration exuberance, lack reflection
• Focused Exploration frustration, reflection
  begins
• Tentative Choices relief, some lingering anxiety
  action begins
• Commitment confidence

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Focused Exploration

• Traditional Students
• Relationships
• become aware of the disconnect that exists
  between self and other, search for new ways to be
  in relationship or new relationships
• Self
• identify frustrations with self and past decision
  making, yearn for finding ways to feel good about
  self and future
• Academics
• pressure begins to build so students become
  active in the decision making process

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Focused Exploration

• Financial Issues
• Pressure of finances increases and relates to
  academic choice/major selection
• For some becomes reason to drop out
• Quarter versus semester?
• Relationships
• Changes in home and balancing demands of school
  particularly spouse and children
• Expectations of those who are not college educated

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Focused Exploration

• New Definition of Self
• Dramatic change from past notion both
  liberating and frightening
• May be more able to identify failures with few
  successes doors closing with few opening

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Stages of the Sophomore Year Schaller (2005)

• Stages have tone and content
• Students may experience multiple stages at one
  time
• Major content areas Relationships, Self,
  Academics
• Random Exploration exuberance, lack reflection
• Focused Exploration frustration, reflection
  begins
• Tentative Choices relief, some lingering anxiety
  action begins
• Commitment confidence

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Tentative Choices

• Traditional Students
• Relationships
• Begin to define healthy relationships and
  select accordingly OR settle for what is
  available
• Self
• Find clarity about self, begin to align behavior
  with values or views of self
• Academics
• Make a decision and begin to feel good about that
  or those choices

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Tentative Choices

• Relationships at home
• Become comfortable with changes that must be
  made for self survival
• Self as Successful
• If are committed to academics develop clarity
  about ability and are thus renewed
• Academics
• Quick move to TC because of limited (perceived)
  choices
• Pressure of , success or ability can all cause
  this quick move

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Sophomore Year Range
Random Exploration
Focused Exploration
Tentative Choices
Commitment
First Year Range
Junior and Senior Year Range
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Academics
Sophomore Year Range
Random Exploration
Focused Exploration
Tentative Choices
Commitment
First Year Range
What are the implications of a quick move to
tentative choices, especially in relationship to
academic/major selection?
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Application to Your Work

• What are the range of issues facing your
  students?
• How do you begin to prioritize them?
• How does that prioritization play a part in
  program design or outreach?

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Programming

• Sophomore programs must be based on assessment of
  your students needs and experiences.
• ALL programs should have academic, career
  development and personal development components
• MANY programs should have financial aid components

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Some Lessons

• In the CC setting, calling self a sophomore can
  be a powerful label.
• In light of developmental education, helping
  students maintain energy may be very important.
• Transfer preparation cannot wait, but timing is
  key and should be assessed.
• Designing timing for all pressures is important.

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• Molly A. Schaller, Ph.D.
• University of Dayton
• Molly.Schaller_at_notes.udayton.edu