UA freshmen make switch from high school to college smoothly, surveys show

University of Arizona freshmen are making the transition into university life better than most new college students in the country, according to the results of recent surveys.

Ninety-three percent of University of Arizona freshmen say they transitioned well into college life, according to a recent poll conducted by Health Promotion and Preventive Services at the Campus Health Center.

When compared with a recent survey conducted by UCLA researchers of 3,680 freshmen from 50 four-year colleges across the country, fewer UA freshmen had experienced depression than freshmen at other universities.

Six percent of first-year UA students said they had felt depressed for the nine-month period, according to the 2000 campus wellness survey, while more than 16 percent of freshmen nationwide said they had felt depressed at some point during the year.

Carolyn Collins, director of Health Promotion and Preventive Services, said UA freshmen are "doing pretty well."

"I think the vast majority (of freshmen) are not depressed," Collins said.

UA freshmen tended to have a more positive attitude toward college across the board than students across the country, a statistic that may reflect the recent increase in the university's freshmen retention rate - which measures the number of freshmen who return for their sophomore year - from 76 percent to 79 percent.

"A goal of the institution is to increase the rate," said Sylvia Mioduski, director of the Freshman Year Center.

She said that it is in the better interest of the student to stay at one institution throughout his or her academic career.

"There are a collection of strategies the university has implemented to help students," Mioduski said. "Getting involved is a critical factor for students. Going from the known to the unknown can be overwhelming."

Student opinions about the social transition from high school to college also varied, with some students saying they had an easier time than others.

"It was difficult moving from a place where everyone knows you to a place where nobody does," said Mike Neish, an undeclared freshman.

But another freshman said that the sense of community he found at the university helped make the transition unstressful.

"It's been easy," said Ed Bloom, a freshman majoring in psychology and English, about the jump. "There's a sense of belonging between students and faculty."

Collins said Campus Health had conducted a less formal convenience poll, in which 93 percent of freshmen said they were able to adjust to their new environment, 80 percent said they were on target with course work and 74 percent claimed to manage stress well.

Aaron Land, an undeclared freshman, recognized the effort on the part of the university to reach out to students, but said it's ultimately up to the student to decide whether to use it.

"If you want it, it's there," he said.

The 2001 Campus Wellness Survey also found that UA freshmen have similar eating and health habits to other students, even though some first-year students say they have experienced trouble adjusting to a life without mom's home-cooking.

"I wouldn't call Park Student Union a place conducive to good nutrition,"

said Jessica Cornwell, a freshman majoring in English. "All the food is fatty and fried."

Still, 59 percent of freshmen said they ate fresh fruits and vegetables an average of three or four days a week, compared to 62 percent of the student body-at-large. Forty-two percent of freshmen said they try to eliminate fat from their diet compared to 44 percent of all other students.