Students who face life's challenges with a clear focus on agency and who feel that they are in control should also be making more progress in exploring and committing to aspects of their identity (see Schwartz et al., 2005) and have greater well-being (e.g., McLean et al., 2019). Agency is a fundamental motivational drive that is reflected in the…

We surveyed 60 undergraduates who were enrolled in a capstone course at a large research university on the west coast to explore the impacts of required internships on college student mental health. Levels of flourishing, positive emotions, negative emotions, and overall affect balance were measured in relation to each student's internship…

The sophomore resident assistant (RA) experience exists at the point where the sophomore experience and the RA position intersect. Sophomore students contend with specific transition struggles and challenges unique to their class standing as they make decisions about their sense of purpose and future career, and those who choose to become RAs face…

Despite the importance of religion in many college students' lives, little is known about how religious affiliation is associated with student growth and development. This study examines the relationship between college students' religious affiliations and well-being using a longitudinal sample of 14,527 students at 136 institutions. Analyses show…

This comparative research examined the effects of student involvement and college environment on students' learning and living experience delivered by two aspiring world-class universities in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Few studies have shown how the levels of student involvement and college environment can benefit students at world-class institution.…

A sample of 3,484 incoming first-year students at a large, mid-Atlantic University were surveyed to assess a variety of attitudinal and behavioral variables pertinent to the college experience. The current study focused on how student value system orientation, or the degree to which values are open or closed, related to key aspects of college…

Using data from a national study spanning 12 years, I examined the effects of several middle-school and high-school variables on completion versus non-completion of the bachelor's degree. All young people in the study had attended college with the purpose of attaining the bachelor's. Several variables had practically significant effects on degree…