2018 SONS FPF - Part 3: Random Module

Academic Experience
Student Life and Development
Items of Special Interest (Advising and Course Selection)
Items of Special interest (AP Experiences)

Academic Experience

We would like to hear more about your perception of being an undergraduate at a research university. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements.

	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Disagree somewhat	Agree somewhat	Agree	Strongly agree
UC Berkeley has a strong commitment to undergraduate education	0	2	4	33	64	37
	0%	1%	3%	24%	46%	26%
Attending a university with world-class researchers is important to me	0	3	4	25	58	49
	0%	2%	3%	18%	42%	35%
The emphasis on research at UC Berkeley detracts from the quality of teaching on this campus	2	29	24	32	31	21
	1%	21%	17%	23%	22%	15%

How important to you are the following aspects of being an undergraduate at a research university like UC Berkeley?

	Not important at all	Not very important	Somewhat important	Important	Very important	Essential
The prestige of this campus/faculty when you apply to grad school	1	5	13	44	42	35
	1%	4%	9%	31%	30%	25%
The prestige of this campus when you apply for a job	1	2	10	36	50	41
	1%	1%	7%	26%	36%	29%
Having access to a world-class library collection	1	3	22	38	42	34
	1%	2%	16%	27%	30%	24%
Being able to attend plays, concerts, lectures, and other cultural events	2	6	12	51	34	35
	1%	4%	8%	36%	24%	25%

How do you expect to use the library and library staff while you are at UC Berkeley? (Check all that apply)

	Selected
To find data and statistical information	85
	57%
As a quiet place to study	83
	55%
For help in learning to do academic research	81
	54%
To find scholarly articles	95
	63%
For help in organizing my research	84
	56%
As a place to work on group projects	77
	51%
For printing, copying and scanning	82
	55%
To find books	91
	61%
Other (please specify) [Contact OPA for more information]	0
	0%

If you were seeking help in doing library research, which ways would you prefer to communicate? Rank the following in order of preference from 1 (strongest preference) to 6 or from 1 to 7 if you select 'Other' below.

- Individual help at a library reference desk

Response	Number	Percent
1	41	32%
2	23	18%
3	34	26%
4	8	6%
5	15	12%
6	6	5%
7	2	2%

- Individual help by appointment

Response	Number	Percent
1	30	23%
2	31	24%
3	12	9%
4	29	22%
5	19	15%
6	8	6%
7	1	1%

- Take an hour-long class in library research methods

Response	Number	Percent
1	7	5%
2	11	9%
3	14	11%
4	15	12%
5	20	16%
6	56	43%
7	6	5%

- Use a virtual chat widget

Response	Number	Percent
1	10	8%
2	12	9%
3	12	9%
4	27	21%
5	34	26%
6	30	23%
7	4	3%

- Email

Response	Number	Percent
1	26	20%
2	26	20%
3	32	24%
4	22	17%
5	15	12%
6	9	7%
7	1	1%

- Phone

Response	Number	Percent
1	17	13%
2	26	20%
3	25	19%
4	27	21%
5	23	17%
6	12	9%
7	2	2%

- Other [Contact OPA for more information]

Response	Number	Percent
1	2	5%
2	2	5%
3	1	3%
4	1	3%
5	3	8%
6	7	18%
7	23	59%

While attending UC Berkeley, how often would you like to interact with students from a country or state outside of your own in class (e.g., through section discussions, study groups or class projects)?

Response	Number	Percent
Never	1	1%
Rarely	7	5%
Occasionally	13	9%
Somewhat often	28	20%
Often	40	29%
Very often	49	36%

How important is it to you to graduate in four years or, if you are a transfer student, in two years?

Response	Number	Percent
Not important	2	2%
Not very important	1	1%
Somewhat important	6	5%
Important	23	17%
Very important	40	30%
Essential	61	46%

If changes to course availability and other factors made it possible to earn your degree in 3 years, what is the likelihood you would attempt to graduate in 3 years?

Response	Number	Percent
Very likely	44	32%
Somewhat likely	37	27%
Neither likely nor unlikely	27	20%
Somewhat unlikely	17	12%
Very unlikely	12	9%

Regarding choice of a major, what advice have you received?

	Decide on a major as soon as possible	Take your time; explore options	No advice given
From your family	43	79	15
	31%	58%	11%
From UC Berkeley advisors	8	108	21
	6%	79%	15%
From friends	26	79	29
	19%	59%	22%
From fellow UC Berkeley students	28	83	25
	21%	61%	18%
From former teachers, instructors, or counselors	17	100	19
	13%	74%	14%

What do you plan to do about a major?

Response	Number	Percent
I have declared a major	8	6%
I will declare a major as soon as possible	78	57%
I plan to take my time and explore options	51	37%

Student Life & Development

Indicate how important each of the following college goals is to you.

	Not important	Somewhat important	Very important
Be in a position to give back to my community after finishing my education	3	44	98
	2%	30%	68%
Acquire a well-rounded general education	3	25	117
	2%	17%	81%
Explore and discover my personal identity	5	24	116
	3%	17%	80%
Achieve a high GPA	6	40	99
	4%	28%	68%
Form (a) romantic relationship(s)	26	62	56
	18%	43%	39%
Establish meaningful friendships	1	21	122
	1%	15%	85%
Be in a position to make a lot of money after finishing my education	10	41	94
	7%	28%	65%
Explore new ideas	2	36	107
	1%	25%	74%
Enjoy my college years before assuming adult responsibilities	3	30	110
	2%	21%	77%
Develop an in-depth understanding of a specific field of study	1	24	119
	1%	17%	83%
Integrate spirituality into my life	51	30	63
	35%	21%	44%
Establish social networks that will help further my career	3	29	111
	2%	20%	78%

On the scale from 1 to 6 below, please indicate how concerned you are about each of the following:

	(1) Not at all concerned	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6) Very concerned
Financing my education at UC Berkeley	20	21	17	29	24	33
	14%	15%	12%	20%	17%	23%
Finding affordable housing while I'm a student at UC Berkeley	12	11	16	26	38	36
	9%	8%	12%	19%	27%	26%
Getting into my first choice of major	8	13	16	27	37	41
	6%	9%	11%	19%	26%	29%
Being able to maintain a high GPA	3	7	8	24	42	59
	2%	5%	6%	17%	29%	41%
Getting the academic advising I need	10	7	23	43	35	23
	7%	5%	16%	31%	25%	16%
Getting the career and professional advising I need	5	12	15	51	37	21
	4%	9%	11%	36%	26%	15%
Getting the psychological counseling I might need	23	33	27	25	18	15
	16%	23%	19%	18%	13%	11%
Getting along with my roommate(s)	43	28	23	24	17	6
	31%	20%	16%	17%	12%	4%
Being able to balance academic and social activities	9	8	22	39	39	25
	6%	6%	16%	28%	28%	18%
Being able to make the kind of friends I want	13	12	20	32	35	28
	9%	9%	14%	23%	25%	20%
Being away from family and friends; being 'homesick'	27	22	18	35	22	17
	19%	16%	13%	25%	16%	12%
Being able to maintain good health	15	16	24	32	32	23
	11%	11%	17%	23%	23%	16%
Being able to cope with expectations of parents and family	21	14	18	38	25	26
	15%	10%	13%	27%	18%	18%
Being overwhelmed with all the things I'm expected to do my first semester	11	9	13	35	41	33
	8%	6%	9%	25%	29%	23%
Regretting my decision to attend UC Berkeley	44	31	21	21	16	8
	31%	22%	15%	15%	11%	6%

Based on your experience and observation, rate the general climate for students at UC Berkeley along the following dimensions:

Campus climate is...

Response	Number	Percent
(6) Friendly	23	16%
(5)	54	38%
(4)	44	31%
(3)	17	12%
(2)	3	2%
(1) Hostile	2	1%

Response	Number	Percent
(6) Caring	16	11%
(5)	49	34%
(4)	46	32%
(3)	27	19%
(2)	3	2%
(1) Impersonal	2	1%

Response	Number	Percent
(6) Intellectual	79	56%
(5)	38	27%
(4)	16	11%
(3)	5	4%
(2)	2	1%
(1) Not intellectual	1	1%

Response	Number	Percent
(6) Appreciative of diversity	53	37%
(5)	48	34%
(4)	22	15%
(3)	12	8%
(2)	5	4%
(1) Unappreciative of diversity	3	2%

Response	Number	Percent
(6) Safe	21	15%
(5)	17	12%
(4)	35	25%
(3)	35	25%
(2)	24	17%
(1) Dangerous	8	6%

Response	Number	Percent
(6) Too hard academically	22	16%
(5)	55	39%
(4)	51	36%
(3)	14	10%
(2)	0	0%
(1) Too easy academically	0	0%

Response	Number	Percent
(6) Competitive	68	48%
(5)	47	33%
(4)	24	17%
(3)	4	3%
(2)	0	0%
(1) Not Competitive	0	0%

Response	Number	Percent
(6) Affordable	4	3%
(5)	27	19%
(4)	40	28%
(3)	39	27%
(2)	22	15%
(1) Not affordable	11	8%

As you start your first semester at UC Berkeley, please rank your concerns in these five general areas. One (1) is first or the area of most concern. (Rank the following from 1 to 5)

- Being successful academically (e.g., understanding material, GPA, getting into the major I want)

Response	Number	Percent
1	63	44%
2	39	27%
3	19	13%
4	12	8%
5	10	7%

- Financing my education at UC Berkeley (e.g., money for expenses, being able to work, finding affordable housing)

Response	Number	Percent
1	23	16%
2	19	13%
3	17	12%
4	23	16%
5	61	43%

- Making good choices, finding direction for my life (e.g., what I want to do after college, making the right career choice)

Response	Number	Percent
1	14	10%
2	29	20%
3	29	20%
4	44	31%
5	27	19%

- Balancing things, finding time for everything (e.g., balancing academic and social life, not being overwhelmed)

Response	Number	Percent
1	30	21%
2	26	18%
3	47	33%
4	27	19%
5	13	9%

- Making friends, having a personal life (e.g., not being lonely, having a good relationship)

Response	Number	Percent
1	10	7%
2	27	19%
3	37	26%
4	37	26%
5	32	22%

As a beginning UC Berkeley student, how would you rate your competencies below?

	Very poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Very good	Excellent
Understanding of the complexities of global issues	1	9	45	43	27	17
	1%	6%	32%	30%	19%	12%
Ability to apply disciplinary knowledge in a global context	1	8	45	47	26	16
	1%	6%	32%	33%	18%	11%
Comfort working with people from other cultures	1	1	18	31	46	45
	1%	1%	13%	22%	32%	32%

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Opportunities to develop my leadership skills while at UC Berkeley are important to me.

Response	Number	Percent
Strongly disagree	11	8%
Disagree	0	0%
Disagree somewhat	5	4%
Agree somewhat	26	18%
Agree	57	40%
Strongly agree	45	31%

Items of Special Interest (Advising and Course Selection)

What type of advising do you expect and hope to receive from an advisor? Please rank from 1 to 7, in order of what is personally important to you, assigning a 1 to the option you feel is most important.

- Career and Professional advising

Response	Number	Percent
1	21	18%
2	20	17%
3	14	12%
4	16	14%
5	21	18%
6	21	18%
7	5	4%

- Choosing classes

Response	Number	Percent
1	29	25%
2	19	16%
3	27	23%
4	16	14%
5	11	9%
6	10	9%
7	6	5%

- Enrichment opportunities (e.g., Study abroad, research)

Response	Number	Percent
1	9	8%
2	16	14%
3	18	15%
4	19	16%
5	20	17%
6	22	19%
7	14	12%

- Financial aid and scholarships

Response	Number	Percent
1	24	20%
2	9	8%
3	12	10%
4	12	10%
5	14	12%
6	15	13%
7	32	27%

- Understanding Campus Resources

Response	Number	Percent
1	8	7%
2	10	9%
3	8	7%
4	16	14%
5	14	12%
6	25	21%
7	37	31%

- Selecting a major

Response	Number	Percent
1	11	9%
2	23	20%
3	18	15%
4	21	18%
5	13	11%
6	13	11%
7	19	16%

- Academic Support

Response	Number	Percent
1	16	14%
2	21	18%
3	21	18%
4	18	15%
5	25	21%
6	12	10%
7	5	4%

Did you use any of the following resources/people when selecting courses for your first semester? Please select all that apply.

	Selected
Golden Bear Advising online content	34
	26%
Golden Bear Advising interactive activities (e.g. completing assignments/quizzes, uploading class schedule, direct messaging with advisors, chatroom conversations)	28
	21%
Other online resources (e.g., department website, Facebook, online Berkeley Academic Guide)	52
	39%
College advisor in your home College (e.g., Letters & Science, College of Engineering)	47
	36%
Major advisor	18
	14%
Co-curricular Advisors/Student Services Support Staff (e.g., advising staff working in offices such as the Educational Opportunity Program, the Berkeley International Office, the Transfer Center)	12
	9%
Faculty member	9
	7%
Another student	42
	32%
Parent, Guardian, or family member	53
	40%
Friend(s)	44
	33%
No resource/person	5
	4%
Other (please specify) [Contact OPA for more information]	0
	0%

Who provided the most useful guidance in the selection of your courses for the current term?

Response	Number	Percent
Golden Bear Advising online content	7	6%
Golden Bear Advising interactive activities	5	4%
Other online resources	27	23%
College advisor in your home College	23	20%
Major advisor	2	2%
Co-curricular Advisors/Student Services Support Staff	9	8%
Faculty member	5	4%
Another student	8	7%
Parent, Guardian, or family member	16	14%
Friend(s)	5	4%
No resource/person	10	9%
Other [Contact OPA for more information]	1	1%

How satisfied are you with the amount of individualized guidance you received from the people you consulted with in selecting your courses?

Response	Number	Percent
Very dissatisfied	2	2%
Dissatisfied	11	9%
Somewhat dissatisfied	10	8%
Somewhat satisfied	42	35%
Satisfied	46	38%
Very satisfied	9	8%

Since being admitted, have you ever received advice from two different offices or staff members at UC Berkeley that was contradictory or in conflict?

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	11	14%
No	108	89%

Please provide a brief explanation of what happened (when you received advice from two different offices or staff members at UC Berkeley that was contradictory or in conflict)

[Contact OPA for more information]

Select the top three factors that most influenced how you selected courses for your first semester.

First:

Response	Number	Percent
I found the subject generally interesting	43	36%
Parental desires	0	0%
Recommendation of continuing UC Berkeley student	3	3%
Recommendation of another new UC Berkeley student	2	2%
Academic Advisor	5	4%
Co-curricular Advisor/Student Services Support Staff	2	2%
I thought/had heard a course was not as rigorous or demanding	1	1%
Reputation of professor	1	2%
Course(s) fulfilled a general or breadth requirement (e.g., Reading and Composition, American Cultures, Foreign Languages, etc.)	37	31%
Course(s) fulfilled a major requirement	14	12%
The course fit my schedule	5	4%
Prepares me for my major	6	5%

Second:

Response	Number	Percent
I found the subject generally interesting	17	14%
Parental desires	1	1%
Recommendation of continuing UC Berkeley student	6	5%
Recommendation of another new UC Berkeley student	1	1%
Academic Advisor	9	8%
Co-curricular Advisor/Student Services Support Staff	1	1%
I thought/had heard a course was not as rigorous or demanding	2	2%
Reputation of professor	6	5%
Course(s) fulfilled a general or breadth requirement (e.g., Reading and Composition, American Cultures, Foreign Languages, etc.)	35	30%
Course(s) fulfilled a major requirement	15	13%
The course fit my schedule	18	15%
Prepares me for my major	7	6%

Third:

Response	Number	Percent
I found the subject generally interesting	17	15%
Parental desires	2	2%
Recommendation of continuing UC Berkeley student	2	2%
Recommendation of another new UC Berkeley student	2	2%
Academic Advisor	8	7%
Co-curricular Advisor/Student Services Support Staff	1	1%
I thought/had heard a course was not as rigorous or demanding	6	5%
Reputation of professor	8	7%
Course(s) fulfilled a general or breadth requirement (e.g., Reading and Composition, American Cultures, Foreign Languages, etc.)	21	18%
Course(s) fulfilled a major requirement	13	11%
The course fit my schedule	22	19%
Prepares me for my major	15	13%

What other factors did you consider when setting up your course schedule for the current term?

[Contact OPA for more information]

How satisfied are you with each of the following, based on your experiences with accessing courses for the current semester?

	Very dissatisfied	Dissatisfied	Somewhat dissatisfied	Somewhat satisfied	Satisfied	Very satisfied
Availability of courses for general education or breadth requirements	5	5	6	27	61	14
	4%	4%	5%	23%	52%	12%
Availability of courses to fulfill prerequisite requirements	5	9	13	31	43	17
	4%	8%	11%	26%	36%	14%
Ability to get into the lectures or seminars (i.e., primary courses) you wanted	5	5	14	30	46	16
	4%	4%	12%	26%	40%	14%
Ability to get into the discussion sections or labs (i.e., secondary courses) you wanted	5	5	12	35	43	18
	4%	4%	10%	30%	36%	15%
Variety of courses available	8	8	15	24	45	16
	7%	7%	13%	21%	39%	14%
Access to small classes	2	6	10	22	54	24
	2%	5%	9%	19%	46%	20%

Items of Special Interest (AP Experiences)

At UC Berkeley, there are "common-good" courses that are identified as serving the broad student community as well as being critical to students' intellectual development, academic success, and timely graduation. These common-good courses include Reading and Composition (both 1a and 1b), lower division "gateway" courses in Math & Science (Chemistry, Statistics, Math, Physics, and Biology), and Foreign Language Instruction.

As the campus continues to work toward increasing access to these common-good courses, planning for the appropriate number of students who will be enrolling in these courses is essential for proper resource allocation. Thus, we would like to get a sense of whether you, personally, have fulfilled some of these requirements through exams (e.g., AP, A-level English, International Baccalaureate Higher Level English Language A1 or A2) and, if so, if you still plan to enroll in a course at Berkeley that would also fulfill the requirement.

We also want to know if you have been able to access the classes you need.

Do you have an exam score in the appropriate subject that, if used, will fulfill your UC Berkeley Reading and Composition 1a requirement?

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	52	44%
No	56	47%
Don't know	11	9%

Do you have an exam score in the appropriate subject that, if used, will fulfill your UC Berkeley Reading and Composition 1b requirement?

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	16	13%
No	89	75%
Don't know	14	12%

Will you use your exam score to actually fulfill the Reading & Composition 1a requirement?

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	47	90%
No	2	4%
Don't know	3	6%

Will you use your exam score to actually fulfill the Reading & Composition 1b requirement?

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	11	69%
No	4	25%
Don't know	1	6%

You indicated that you have an exam score that will fulfill your UC Berkeley Reading & Composition 1a requirement, but that you will NOT use this score to fulfill the requirement. Please share with us the reason(s) why you will not use your exam score to fulfill your R&C 1a requirement and will instead enroll in one of the UCB courses that will fulfill this requirement.

[Contact OPA for more information]

You indicated that you have an exam score that will fulfill your UC Berkeley Reading & Composition 1b requirement, but that you will NOT use this score to fulfill the requirement. Please share with us the reason(s) why you will not use your exam score to fulfill your R&C 1b requirement and will instead enroll in one of the UCB courses that will fulfill this requirement.

[Contact OPA for more information]

Are you currently enrolled/planning to complete a Reading & Composition 1a course this semester?

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	50	41%
No	71	59%

Are you currently enrolled/planning to complete a Reading & Composition 1b course this semester?

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	43	36%
No	78	65%

Why did you not enroll in a Reading & Composition 1a course this semester? (Please select the primary reason)

Response	Number	Percent
I had a preference for an R&C 1a course in a particular department, but it was already full	0	0%
I could not gain access into ANY of the R&C 1a courses offered across the various departments on campus	2	8%
I did not like the times of the remaining courses that had available seats	1	4%
I decided to wait until another semester for reasons not listed above	5	21%
I will be using exam credit (e.g., AP, A-level English, International Baccalaureate Higher Level English Language A1 or A2) instead	3	13%
I did not know my AP score	1	4%
I have not yet passed the Analytical Writing Paper Exam (AWPE)	5	21%
I don’t know	4	17%
Other, please specify: [Contact OPA for more information]	3	13%

Why did you not enroll in a Reading & Composition 1b course this semester? (Please select the primary reason)

Response	Number	Percent
I have not yet satisfied the first half of the R&C requirement (R&C 1a)	44	69%
I had a preference for an R&C 1b course in a particular department, but it was already full	0	0%
I could not gain access into ANY of the R&C 1b courses offered across the various departments on campus	1	2%
I did not like the times of the remaining courses that had available seats	1	2%
I decided to wait until another semester for reasons not listed above	9	14%
I will be using exam credit (e.g., AP, A-level English, International Baccalaureate Higher Level English Language A1 or A2) instead	1	2%
I did not know my AP score	1	2%
I don’t know	5	8%
Other, please specify: [Contact OPA for more information]	2	3%

You indicated that the primary reason for not enrolling in an R&C course was because you had a preference for an R&C course offered in a particular department and that course was full. Please share with us which department(s) you were hoping to take an R&C course from and briefly describe why you prefer to take a course from that particular department:

[Contact OPA for more information]

Did you have an AP of 4 or 5 in Math, Chemistry, Biology or Physics?

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	42	34%
No	81	66%

Regarding use of AP eligibility, what advice have you received?

	Don't AP out; take the entry course at Berkeley	AP out; take a more advanced course	No advice given
From my family	12	38	69
	10%	32%	58%
From UC Berkeley advisors	16	13	87
	14%	11%	75%
From friends	11	43	63
	9%	37%	54%
From fellow UC Berkeley students	12	33	73
	10%	28%	62%
From former teachers, instructors, or counselors	15	36	65
	13%	31%	56%

If you could have used your AP scores for course credits, what did/will you do?

Response	Number	Percent
Not applicable	28	-
I am taking all the credit that I can and enrolling in advanced courses	41	44%
I am taking some credit but not all that I could	37	40%
I am taking the entry courses at UC Berkeley instead of the credit	11	12%
Other, please specify: [Contact OPA for more information]	4	4%

back to top