A study conducted by researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles reveals that current freshmen around the country entered college last fall less concerned with partying and more anxious about job prospects and paying for school. The annual study, titled “The American Freshman: National Norms Fall 2014,” was released last week and delves into various aspects of student life, including experience with drugs and alcohol, anxiety and financial concerns. According to the report, only 11 percent of current freshmen report having spent six hours or more per week partying in high school, a decrease from 23 percent 10 years ago.
Managing director at UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute Kevin Eagan said the purpose of the study is to provide participating colleges with baseline information so they can develop programs beneficial to the well-being of students.
The study, which surveyed 153,000 students at 227 four-year colleges, also found that current freshmen are less happy than freshmen 20 or 30 years ago, with 12 percent reporting feeling less mentally healthy than their peers. Eagan said that current incoming freshmen are more susceptible to stress.
“The declining rates of partying in high school, in conjunction with increased rates of studying, unhappiness and anxiety, indicate that students aren’t able to find a good medium to channel their energy,” he said.
Students are less occupied with social matters, Eagan added, and more worried about paying for college and finding a well-paying job after graduation. He also said that he thought that students who had less experience with drinking before college are less likely to engage in risky drinking behavior while at college.
Presidential fellow on wellness Maria Sperduto ’14 echoed Eagan’s thoughts, saying that the College aims to take a holistic approach to student wellness rather than just focusing on alcohol intake. She is currently working with Dartmouth Thrive, a College-wide program that aims to help students succeed in and out of the classroom and assists with their personal development.
“It’s not just alcohol, it’s about your social, emotional and physical well-being,” Sperduto said. “They’re all related in terms of decision making and doing your best.”
She also said that the program aims to help students maximize leadership and to take control of their interactions. Though the College does not yet have a freshmen-specific wellness program, she said that it is making plans to further help assimilate freshmen. Though the 2014 Dartmouth Student Health Survey did not publish statistics specifically related to incoming freshmen, the report relays higher than average numbers for binge drinking on campus, which is defined as five or more drinks at a sitting.
In 2014, 49 percent of Dartmouth students said that they engaged in what they considered to be high-risk drinking behavior on campus, compared to 34 percent of students nationwide. Additionally, 11 percent of students at the College reported being diagnosed with and receiving treatment for anxiety, up from nine percent in 2010.
Alana Donohue ’18, who is from New York City, said she felt prepared for Dartmouth’s drinking scene because of her metropolitan upbringing.
“I was exposed to a vibrant social culture at such a young age,” she said. “Alcohol is just more prevalent, and we didn’t have the fear of drinking and driving, so drinking seemed more normal and less taboo.”
Kimmi Bolsinger ’18 said she does not feel that binge drinking is a freshman-specific problem.
“I think that freshmen definitely feel excited when they first get to college because they have so much freedom, but cases of binge drinking due to a lack of experience do not really seem to be the concern,” Bolsinger said.
She also said Dartmouth has done a good job assimilating her into college life. Though she said she is not especially close with her freshman faculty advisor, she said that he is diligent about checking up on her and has been very helpful in terms of class selection.
“He also helped me figure out how to get into a different math class during my first term which was extremely helpful,” she said, “While I haven’t met with him since then, he seems to be really invested in the well-being of the students that he is advising.”
