Inside Iowa State: Iowa State University

INSIDE IOWA STATE
March 15, 2002

Freshman goal: To be 'well off'

by Inside Staff
The chase has changed -- from bliss to bullish markets.

According to a recent survey, nearly three-fourths (73.9 percent) of ISU freshmen see a major life goal as "being very well off financially." Thirty years ago, 70 percent of their Iowa State counterparts viewed their main future focus as "developing a meaningful philosophy of life."

These dichotomies are highlighted in the report of the 36th annual national survey of college and university freshmen, conducted by the cooperative Institutional Research Program at the University of California, Los Angeles. (Iowa State has participated in the survey since 1971.) ISU freshmen were surveyed during orientation last summer.

Like their current national peers, ISU freshmen selected their university or college based on its academic reputation and the potential for landing good jobs when they graduate. High on ISU students' lists (No. 3 choice) was Iowa State's "reputation for social activities." Nationally, the third choice was institutional size.

ISU freshmen enrolled with slightly more clarity on a career choice. More than 26 percent listed "engineering" in that category, followed by "undecided" at about 11 percent and "business executive" around 6 percent. Nationally, "undecided" ranked first at about 15 percent, followed by "business executive" at around 8 percent and engineering at just over 7 percent.

Nationally, more freshmen noted a greater concern about financing their educations; 64 percent expressed some (52 percent) or "major" (12 percent) concern about paying for school, while 69 percent of ISU students expressed some (60 percent) or major (9 percent) concern about paying school bills.

Following are other data from the survey:

Student rated self above average or in top 10 percent as compared with average person his or her age in:

	U.S.	ISU
Academic ability	67.9	77.6
Computer skills	34.2	44.4
Creativity	56.7	56.9
Drive to achieve	70.9	72.1
Spirituality	39.3	36.9
Writing ability	45.9	48.6

In the past year, student:

	U.S.	ISU
Used the Internet for homework	74.5	78.1
Participated in organized demonstrations	47.5	42.6
Performed volunteer work	82.6	83.2
Smoked cigarettes	8.6	7.2
Drank wine or liquor	53.7	51.3
Voted in student election	24.5	19.2

During last year of H.S., spent 20 hours or more/week:

	U.S.	ISU
Working for pay	18.0	15.1
Watching TV	3.4	1.9
In sports or exercise	10.0	7.3
Socializing with friends	19.4	13.0

Highest degree student plans to obtain (at any school)?

	U.S.	ISU
Bachelor's	23.3	40.3
Master's	43.1	35.3
Ph.D.	17.3	14.2
M.D., D.O., D.D.S., D.V.M	8.8	6.5
J.D.	4.7	2.0

Student characterizes his/her political views as:

	U.S.	ISU
Liberal or far left	29.9	24.5
Middle-of-the-road	49.5	51.5
Conservative or far right	20.7	24.0

Student agrees strongly or somewhat:

	U.S.	ISU
Abortion should be legal	55.0	50.0
Death penalty should be abolished	32.2	30.3
It's important to have laws prohibiting homosexual relationships	24.9	29.7
Affirmative action in college admissions should be abolished	49.0	51.3
If two people really like each other, it's all right for them to have sex, even if they've known each other a very short time	42.2	43.4
Federal government should do more to control handgun sales	80.8	72.7
Same-sex couples should be able to marry legally	57.9	51.1

Source: ISU Office of Institutional Research