Healthy transition to college life: An examination of factors associated with successful adjustment to college life

Many college freshmen face challenges in managing their own health as they leave home for college. Living in a dormitory with abundant temptations to engage in unhealthy lifestyles, juggling school work and maintaining personal health become quite a task for many. The current study, based on an online survey conducted in a midsize, Midwestern university, examined college freshmen’s (N = 929) sense of successful adjustment to college life. Examined in the current study include the participants’ sense of adjustment to college life, academic attitudes and behaviors, attitudes and practice toward healthy diet, engagement in exercising, smoking, and drinking alcoholic beverages. Along with associations among these factors, also examined were demographic and personal predictors.

It was revealed that more than two thirds of the participants felt they were adjusting to college life well or very well; 80% reported that they try hard to be successful in college, 68.4% reported that they were doing quite well so far. However, only 56% paid attention to healthy lifestyles “most times/always” and 18.1% “rarely or never” paid attention; less than one half replied that they eat a healthy, balanced diet “most times/always” while 20.3% “rarely or never” eat a healthy, balanced diet.  Participants’ sense of successful adjustment to college life was significantly associated with their consciousness toward healthy lifestyle, level of physical activity, and drinking frequency. Implications of the findings and ways of promoting college students to adopting healthier lifestyles (e.g., healthier diet, exercising) are discussed.