Among the challenges students face while pursuing a degree,staying focused and motivated lay at the top, according to a surveyreleased this month.
During Freshman Orientation 2002, more than 700 incomingstudents were surveyed. They completed writing samples describingobstacles they expected to face, how they planned to overcome thoseobstacles and how Ball State could assist them.
Senior Analyst Sherry Woosley and graduate-student StevenGraunke from Ball State's Office of Academic Assessment andInstitutional Research reviewed and organized the students'responses.
Woosley said most of the respondents cited maintaining focus andmotivation as their biggest obstacles to a degree.
Most students emphasized the need to improve and maintain solidstudy habits and complete their assignments to obtain a degree, shesaid.
Woosley said students also discussed how Ball State couldprovide study resources such as study groups, computers and tutors.In addition, students mentioned the importance of good advising andan available and caring faculty.
Woosley said she thinks Ball Sate has good resources andfaculty, which provides for students' requests.
Donald Whitaker, director of the academic assessment office,said the responses show that students are concerned about theiracademic abilities and performances.
"We were pleased that incoming students would see these asissues they need to deal with," he said.
"We wanted to see what they were focused on, looking at andlooking for," she said.
According to Whitaker, the office plans to continue the writingsamples next year.
"It helps us to understand as a university what the goals andaspirations of our students are," he said.
Woosley said she believes the study will continue to help.
"My hope is that it shows the importance of academic issues onour campus and of providing support (for students)," she said.
Ball State was recently recognized nationally for having anoutstanding freshman program.
"We certainly do as much as we possibly can," he said.
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