2018 SONS Freshmen - 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	10	16	44	209	454	249
	1%	2%	5%	21%	46%	25%
Attending a university with world-class researchers is important to me	7	9	37	200	400	326
	1%	1%	4%	20%	41%	33%
The emphasis on research at UC Berkeley detracts from the quality of teaching on this campus	51	182	168	204	227	142
	5%	19%	17%	21%	23%	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	19	34	111	267	331	219
	2%	4%	11%	27%	34%	22%
The prestige of this campus when you apply for a job	6	11	72	250	359	283
	1%	1%	7%	26%	37%	29%
Having access to a world-class library collection	13	75	167	290	248	187
	1%	8%	17%	30%	25%	19%
Being able to attend plays, concerts, lectures, and other cultural events	22	80	146	284	269	178
	2%	8%	15%	29%	28%	18%

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	540
	52%
As a quiet place to study	498
	48%
For help in learning to do academic research	534
	51%
To find scholarly articles	533
	51%
For help in organizing my research	520
	50%
As a place to work on group projects	497
	48%
For printing, copying and scanning	512
	49%
To find books	503
	48%
Other (please specify) [Contact OPA for more information]	5
	1%

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	279	33%
2	180	21%
3	151	18%
4	115	13%
5	77	9%
6	44	5%
7	13	2%

- Individual help by appointment

Response	Number	Percent
1	171	20%
2	213	25%
3	144	17%
4	151	18%
5	119	14%
6	46	5%
7	11	1%

- Take an hour-long class in library research methods

Response	Number	Percent
1	58	7%
2	65	8%
3	90	11%
4	98	12%
5	139	16%
6	362	43%
7	39	5%

- Use a virtual chat widget

Response	Number	Percent
1	70	8%
2	78	9%
3	109	13%
4	163	19%
5	214	25%
6	196	23%
7	18	2%

- Email

Response	Number	Percent
1	192	22%
2	175	20%
3	182	21%
4	142	17%
5	91	11%
6	64	8%
7	13	2%

- Phone

Response	Number	Percent
1	95	11%
2	143	17%
3	161	19%
4	169	20%
5	176	21%
6	105	12%
7	8	1%

- Other [Contact OPA for more information]

Response	Number	Percent
1	12	5%
2	7	3%
3	17	7%
4	15	7%
5	27	12%
6	22	10%
7	132	57%

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	9	1%
Rarely	30	3%
Occasionally	132	14%
Somewhat often	179	19%
Often	338	35%
Very often	279	29%

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	8	1%
Not very important	10	1%
Somewhat important	69	7%
Important	163	17%
Very important	316	33%
Essential	382	40%

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	226	23%
Somewhat likely	325	34%
Neither likely nor unlikely	183	19%
Somewhat unlikely	151	16%
Very unlikely	80	8%

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	309	524	128
	32%	55%	13%
From UC Berkeley advisors	69	640	246
	7%	67%	26%
From friends	142	609	206
	15%	64%	22%
From fellow UC Berkeley students	173	592	186
	18%	62%	20%
From former teachers, instructors, or counselors	96	665	187
	10%	70%	20%

What do you plan to do about a major?

Response	Number	Percent
I have declared a major	245	25%
I will declare a major as soon as possible	487	51%
I plan to take my time and explore options	233	24%

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	35	307	640
	4%	31%	65%
Acquire a well-rounded general education	19	185	778
	2%	19%	79%
Explore and discover my personal identity	31	200	748
	3%	20%	76%
Achieve a high GPA	29	298	652
	3%	30%	67%
Form (a) romantic relationship(s)	236	411	336
	24%	42%	34%
Establish meaningful friendships	11	148	823
	1%	15%	84%
Be in a position to make a lot of money after finishing my education	47	346	589
	5%	35%	60%
Explore new ideas	13	232	739
	1%	24%	75%
Enjoy my college years before assuming adult responsibilities	33	250	699
	3%	26%	71%
Develop an in-depth understanding of a specific field of study	14	178	789
	1%	18%	80%
Integrate spirituality into my life	342	303	335
	35%	31%	34%
Establish social networks that will help further my career	18	218	744
	2%	22%	76%

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	188	160	136	192	141	151
	19%	17%	14%	20%	15%	16%
Finding affordable housing while I'm a student at UC Berkeley	118	99	135	215	191	210
	12%	10%	14%	22%	20%	22%
Getting into my first choice of major	185	96	110	170	171	235
	19%	10%	11%	18%	18%	24%
Being able to maintain a high GPA	25	36	87	192	278	346
	3%	4%	9%	20%	29%	36%
Getting the academic advising I need	62	105	173	261	186	178
	6%	11%	18%	27%	19%	18%
Getting the career and professional advising I need	58	88	169	241	204	202
	6%	9%	18%	25%	21%	21%
Getting the psychological counseling I might need	163	193	193	203	106	103
	17%	20%	20%	21%	11%	11%
Getting along with my roommate(s)	224	225	140	170	104	103
	23%	23%	15%	18%	11%	11%
Being able to balance academic and social activities	55	64	157	276	215	200
	6%	7%	16%	29%	22%	21%
Being able to make the kind of friends I want	79	102	120	228	213	221
	8%	11%	13%	24%	22%	23%
Being away from family and friends; being 'homesick'	164	185	191	183	123	120
	17%	19%	20%	19%	13%	12%
Being able to maintain good health	88	125	156	233	194	170
	9%	13%	16%	24%	20%	18%
Being able to cope with expectations of parents and family	147	126	174	212	159	145
	15%	13%	18%	22%	17%	15%
Being overwhelmed with all the things I'm expected to do my first semester	72	88	150	216	212	227
	8%	9%	16%	22%	22%	24%
Regretting my decision to attend UC Berkeley	305	203	135	135	83	104
	32%	21%	14%	14%	9%	11%

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	199	21%
(5)	358	37%
(4)	284	30%
(3)	83	9%
(2)	25	3%
(1) Hostile	11	1%

Response	Number	Percent
(6) Caring	168	18%
(5)	280	29%
(4)	280	29%
(3)	155	16%
(2)	50	5%
(1) Impersonal	25	3%

Response	Number	Percent
(6) Intellectual	488	51%
(5)	311	33%
(4)	117	12%
(3)	29	3%
(2)	6	1%
(1) Not intellectual	6	1%

Response	Number	Percent
(6) Appreciative of diversity	356	37%
(5)	308	32%
(4)	195	20%
(3)	68	7%
(2)	18	2%
(1) Unappreciative of diversity	12	1%

Response	Number	Percent
(6) Safe	105	11%
(5)	174	18%
(4)	270	28%
(3)	253	27%
(2)	110	12%
(1) Dangerous	39	4%

Response	Number	Percent
(6) Too hard academically	144	15%
(5)	372	39%
(4)	354	37%
(3)	82	9%
(2)	4	0%
(1) Too easy academically	5	1%

Response	Number	Percent
(6) Competitive	397	41%
(5)	353	37%
(4)	160	17%
(3)	39	4%
(2)	8	1%
(1) Not Competitive	3	0%

Response	Number	Percent
(6) Affordable	65	7%
(5)	151	16%
(4)	271	28%
(3)	240	25%
(2)	155	16%
(1) Not affordable	75	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	430	45%
2	246	26%
3	154	16%
4	73	8%
5	46	5%

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

Response	Number	Percent
1	140	15%
2	105	11%
3	98	10%
4	121	13%
5	485	51%

- 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	103	11%
2	160	17%
3	202	21%
4	315	33%
5	168	18%

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

Response	Number	Percent
1	155	16%
2	250	26%
3	268	28%
4	205	22%
5	71	8%

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

Response	Number	Percent
1	111	12%
2	199	21%
3	241	25%
4	232	24%
5	166	18%

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	14	65	243	355	197	86
	2%	7%	25%	37%	21%	9%
Ability to apply disciplinary knowledge in a global context	14	57	232	360	207	90
	2%	6%	24%	38%	22%	9%
Comfort working with people from other cultures	4	13	95	300	305	243
	0%	1%	10%	31%	32%	25%

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	30	3%
Disagree	11	1%
Disagree somewhat	32	3%
Agree somewhat	200	21%
Agree	442	46%
Strongly agree	245	26%

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	188	19%
2	177	18%
3	161	16%
4	166	17%
5	142	14%
6	95	10%
7	55	6%

- Choosing classes

Response	Number	Percent
1	218	22%
2	208	21%
3	179	18%
4	131	13%
5	120	12%
6	78	8%
7	50	5%

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

Response	Number	Percent
1	115	12%
2	156	16%
3	159	16%
4	168	17%
5	151	15%
6	127	13%
7	108	11%

- Financial aid and scholarships

Response	Number	Percent
1	131	13%
2	116	12%
3	118	12%
4	105	11%
5	123	13%
6	163	17%
7	226	23%

- Understanding Campus Resources

Response	Number	Percent
1	46	5%
2	56	6%
3	83	9%
4	125	13%
5	174	18%
6	242	25%
7	256	26%

- Selecting a major

Response	Number	Percent
1	137	14%
2	128	13%
3	118	12%
4	126	13%
5	104	11%
6	141	14%
7	229	23%

- Academic Support

Response	Number	Percent
1	151	15%
2	144	15%
3	167	17%
4	161	16%
5	168	17%
6	135	14%
7	56	6%

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	428
	40%
Golden Bear Advising interactive activities (e.g. completing assignments/quizzes, uploading class schedule, direct messaging with advisors, chatroom conversations)	398
	37%
Other online resources (e.g., department website, Facebook, online Berkeley Academic Guide)	511
	47%
College advisor in your home College (e.g., Letters & Science, College of Engineering)	287
	27%
Major advisor	261
	24%
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)	69
	6%
Faculty member	83
	8%
Another student	513
	48%
Parent, Guardian, or family member	438
	41%
Friend(s)	497
	46%
No resource/person	43
	4%
Other (please specify) [Contact OPA for more information]	5
	1%

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

Response	Number	Percent
Golden Bear Advising online content	77	8%
Golden Bear Advising interactive activities	81	8%
Other online resources	207	21%
College advisor in your home College	77	8%
Major advisor	100	10%
Co-curricular Advisors/Student Services Support Staff	21	2%
Faculty member	10	1%
Another student	158	16%
Parent, Guardian, or family member	105	11%
Friend(s)	79	8%
No resource/person	62	6%
Other [Contact OPA for more information]	7	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	35	4%
Dissatisfied	62	6%
Somewhat dissatisfied	127	13%
Somewhat satisfied	332	34%
Satisfied	320	33%
Very satisfied	109	11%

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	105	11%
No	881	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	213	22%
Parental desires	9	1%
Recommendation of continuing UC Berkeley student	64	7%
Recommendation of another new UC Berkeley student	11	1%
Academic Advisor	57	6%
Co-curricular Advisor/Student Services Support Staff	1	0%
I thought/had heard a course was not as rigorous or demanding	2	0%
Reputation of professor	3	0%
Course(s) fulfilled a general or breadth requirement (e.g., Reading and Composition, American Cultures, Foreign Languages, etc.)	159	16%
Course(s) fulfilled a major requirement	349	36%
The course fit my schedule	34	4%
Prepares me for my major	69	7%

Second:

Response	Number	Percent
I found the subject generally interesting	212	22%
Parental desires	9	1%
Recommendation of continuing UC Berkeley student	64	7%
Recommendation of another new UC Berkeley student	11	1%
Academic Advisor	57	6%
Co-curricular Advisor/Student Services Support Staff	1	0%
I thought/had heard a course was not as rigorous or demanding	2	0%
Reputation of professor	3	0%
Course(s) fulfilled a general or breadth requirement (e.g., Reading and Composition, American Cultures, Foreign Languages, etc.)	159	16%
Course(s) fulfilled a major requirement	349	36%
The course fit my schedule	34	4%
Prepares me for my major	69	7%

Third:

Response	Number	Percent
I found the subject generally interesting	148	15%
Parental desires	15	2%
Recommendation of continuing UC Berkeley student	57	6%
Recommendation of another new UC Berkeley student	15	2%
Academic Advisor	57	6%
Co-curricular Advisor/Student Services Support Staff	10	1%
I thought/had heard a course was not as rigorous or demanding	30	3%
Reputation of professor	42	4%
Course(s) fulfilled a general or breadth requirement (e.g., Reading and Composition, American Cultures, Foreign Languages, etc.)	157	16%
Course(s) fulfilled a major requirement	100	10%
The course fit my schedule	196	21%
Prepares me for my major	131	14%

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	35	51	100	315	374	93
	4%	5%	10%	33%	39%	10%
Availability of courses to fulfill prerequisite requirements	36	48	83	306	396	95
	4%	5%	9%	32%	41%	10%
Ability to get into the lectures or seminars (i.e., primary courses) you wanted	76	104	134	294	288	74
	8%	11%	14%	30%	30%	8%
Ability to get into the discussion sections or labs (i.e., secondary courses) you wanted	74	113	146	283	275	74
	8%	12%	15%	29%	29%	8%
Variety of courses available	25	29	59	267	400	184
	3%	3%	6%	28%	42%	19%
Access to small classes	69	92	199	308	231	65
	7%	10%	21%	32%	24%	7%

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	542	55%
No	369	38%
Don't know	70	7%

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	164	17%
No	740	76%
Don't know	76	8%

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

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	487	91%
No	30	6%
Don't know	20	4%

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

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	137	84%
No	15	9%
Don't know	12	7%

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	290	29%
No	698	71%

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

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	221	22%
No	768	78%

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	31	15%
I could not gain access into ANY of the R&C 1a courses offered across the various departments on campus	52	24%
I did not like the times of the remaining courses that had available seats	9	4%
I decided to wait until another semester for reasons not listed above	39	18%
I will be using exam credit (e.g., AP, A-level English, International Baccalaureate Higher Level English Language A1 or A2) instead	10	5%
I did not know my AP score	13	6%
I have not yet passed the Analytical Writing Paper Exam (AWPE)	4	2%
I don’t know	30	14%
Other, please specify: [Contact OPA for more information]	26	12%

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)	302	48%
I had a preference for an R&C 1b course in a particular department, but it was already full	53	9%
I could not gain access into ANY of the R&C 1b courses offered across the various departments on campus	41	7%
I did not like the times of the remaining courses that had available seats	25	4%
I decided to wait until another semester for reasons not listed above	134	22%
I will be using exam credit (e.g., AP, A-level English, International Baccalaureate Higher Level English Language A1 or A2) instead	4	1%
I did not know my AP score	25	4%
I don’t know	5	1%
Other, please specify: [Contact OPA for more information]	35	6%

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	602	61%
No	379	39%

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	129	350	480
	14%	37%	50%
From UC Berkeley advisors	193	164	598
	20%	17%	63%
From friends	117	448	388
	12%	47%	41%
From fellow UC Berkeley students	153	388	410
	16%	41%	43%
From former teachers, instructors, or counselors	118	341	494
	12%	36%	52%

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

Response	Number	Percent
Not applicable	167	-
I am taking all the credit that I can and enrolling in advanced courses	428	53%
I am taking some credit but not all that I could	264	33%
I am taking the entry courses at UC Berkeley instead of the credit	95	12%
Other, please specify: [Contact OPA for more information]	16	2%

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