A questionnaire was developed and tested in 1980-81 to determine any differences between University of Saskatchewan students who were required to discontinue their studies and students who successfully completed their first year. A list of factors considered to contribute to student failure was developed, and the format involved a personalized statement followed by a request to the student to indicate whether the statement had represented a major problem, a minor problem, or not a problem to them personally. In all, 1,171 student completed the questionnaire, and this number represented 80 percent of first-year students. The most frequently cited problem by students in every college early in their first year was the much heavier workload compared with grade 12. For the most part, students who were required to discontinue showed remarkable self-criticism in their responses; they recognized inadequacies in organizing their workload, in keeping up with assignments and in self-motivation, but were not inclined to criticize counseling to any great degree. There were no significant differences between student survivors and casualties for age or year of matriculation. Items most frequently cited as problems early in the first academic year and items most frequently cited as problems in mid-March are identified, along with items least frequently cited as problems at both testing times, and items that discriminated between survivors and casualties. Comparisons among colleges are also reported. (SW)