Student Expectations: Matching the Dream with Reality

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Student ExpectationsMatching the Dream with
Reality

• Jennifer Endres
• Undergraduate Adviser, College of Liberal Arts
• John Mabey
• Graduate Adviser, College of Education and Human
  Development
• Danielle Tisinger
• Pre-College Programs Director, College of
  Continuing Education

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Three Perspectives, One Dilemma

• Pre-College
• Undergraduate
• Graduate

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Why Are We Discussing This?

• Students operate in a manner consistent with
  their expectations
• People not only see things from their point of
  view, but also see what they expect to see
• We can be more effective as educators if we know
  what those expectations are

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What Do We Mean by Expectations?

• What our past experiences have taught us to
  realistically anticipate
• Not hopes!
• Predictions of future events or feelings

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What Does the Research Say?

• Expectations are a filter
• Expectations predispose students to seek certain
  kinds of activities
• Psychological Contract Theory (Rousseau, 1995)

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Goals of This Presentation

• Discuss expectations student have at three
  distinct educational levels
• Propose possible ways to match their expectations
  with reality

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Pre-College Expectations

• Relationships
• Academics
• Careers

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Pre-College Who they are

• High school students who have earned college
  credit while still in high school
• Academically advanced

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Pre-College Relationships

• I need my parents to help me through these
  experiences.

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Pre-College Relationships

• I tend to be better than most of my peers, but I
  can take the advice of those at my level and know
  that it is good and trustworthy.

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Pre-College Relationships

• I have high school teachers and counselors
  watching over me at every step, so nothing can go
  wrong.
• My college advisers will watch over me like my
  high school counselors do, but they will give me
  the freedom to do whatever I want because Im in
  college.

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Pre-College Academics

• Ive been smarter than everyone in my class my
  whole life
• College classes will be more difficult than high
  school classes, but with hard work, I will be
  able to get As in every class I take
• If Im interested in a subject, Ill be able to
  jump right in taking classes or working in a
  research lab in that area
• Im taking pre-college classes so that I can get
  ahead and graduate from college early

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Pre-College Careers

• There is one right career for me and college will
  prepare me to get a job in that career
• I dont yet know exactly what I want to do, but
  college is designed to funnel me into my dream
  job
• After college, I will be able to step into my
  dream job without having to work my way up the
  corporate ladder (even if I dont yet know what
  my dream job is)

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Undergraduate Expectations

• Relationships
• Academics
• Careers

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Undergrad Relationships

• Ill meet so many new people
• Ill never see the same person twice on campus
• OR
• I will be best friends with my roommate

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Undergrad Relationships

• I cant wait to get away from my parents!
• OR
• I dont know what Ill do being away from my
  parents!

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Undergrad Relationships

• My teachers
• will guide me through my education
• OR
• wont know me at all
• Ill need my adviser only when Im applying to
  graduate school or am looking for a career

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Undergrad Academics

• College will be easy, just like high school was
• If I dont have homework for a class, there is
  nothing for me to do
• I can take any class at any time
• I have to find a major that directly relates to
  the career that I think I want to pursue
• I dont have to work as hard if I am taking a
  class online

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Undergrad Careers

• Ill prepare for my career during my
  undergraduate education
• If I have to declare a major by the time I am a
  junior, that means I need to determine my career
  by then, too
• If I dont know what I want to major in, I wont
  be ready for any career

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Graduate Expectations

• Relationships
• Careers
• Faculty Careers
• Online Learning

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Graduate Relationships

• Ill meet so many people, just like in college!

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Graduate Careers

• My program dictates my career.

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Graduate Faculty Careers

• Faculty have it all!

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Graduate Online Learning

• Online means easy, right?

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Recommendations Matching Dreams with Reality
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Relationships

• Network with colleagues both professionally and
  socially
• Connect with individuals outside your discipline

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Academics

• Survey students each year to find out what they
  are anticipating for the coming year
• Set expectations early for participation in
  campus activities as well as proper balance
  between academic and extracurriculars

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Careers and Faculty Careers

• Skills can be transferable across a variety of
  different occupations
• Talk with faculty about the diversity of
  opportunities within the profession

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Timing

• Begin educating students a stage or two ahead of
  where they are
• Realistically evaluate personal and professional
  responsibilities
• Decide how your schedule needs to change in order
  to accommodate the demands of the program

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Online Learning

• Seek technological assistance immediately if
  needed
• Effective time management is key

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Dont Lose Heart!

• Expectations are always in flux!
• One of the goals of higher education is to
  stretch students to revise earlier views and
  challenge them to rethink previously held truths.
• Design an educational environment and activities
  that will engage the student and produce outcomes
  important to us as well as our students.

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Clear Expectations will Lead to Meeting
Institutional Goals

• When student expectations and experiences are
  well aligned, students are more likely to be
  satisfied with their experience (Braxton,
  Hossler, and Vesper, 1995)

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Thank You!

• Jen Endres
• jrude_at_class.cla.umn.edu
• John Mabey
• mabey001_at_umn.edu
• Danielle Tisinger
• dtisinge_at_umn.edu