PREDICTING COLLEGE STUDENTS' FIRST YEAR SUCCESS: SHOULD SOFT SKILLS BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION TO MORE ACCURATELY PREDICT THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF COLLEGE FRESHMEN?

Abstract

This study presents a survey developed to measure the skills of entering college freshmen in the areas of responsibility, motivation, study habits, literacy, and stress management, and explores the predictive power of this survey as a measure of academic performance during the first semester of college. The survey was completed by 334 incoming freshmen at a large university in Tennessee. Analyses showed that the survey was a reliable measure ( = .72). Reliability indices for the individual constructs were mixed: Responsibility ( = .54), coping with stress ( = .44), study habits/skills ( = .72), motivation ( = .38), and literacy ( = .71). To determine the construct validity of the survey as an assessment measure predictive of college academic performance during the first semester of college, we conducted correlations with ACT score and high school GPA. The total score on the survey showed significant correlation with both HS GPA (r (248) = .28, p < .01) and ACT (r (249) = .17, p < .01) demonstrating that the survey is likely tapping into some of the same skills as other measures highly regarded as estimating college readiness. In addition, analyses were conducted to consider whether the skills measured by the survey contributed to the variance in first semester college GPA above and beyond high school GPA and highest ACT score. The total score on the survey predicted variance above and beyond high school GPA and ACT score (1.2%). Finally, analyses conducted to determine which soft skill was the strongest predictor of first semester college GPA revealed that responsibility was the construct most highly correlated with first term college GPA.