2017 SONS Freshman - 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	12	15	41	203	400	228
	1%	2%	5%	23%	45%	25%
Attending a university with world-class researchers is important to me	9	12	44	195	349	292
	1%	1%	5%	22%	39%	32%
The emphasis on research at UC Berkeley detracts from the quality of teaching on this campus	42	163	156	192	208	132
	5%	18%	18%	22%	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	23	35	87	248	283	223
	3%	4%	10%	28%	32%	25%
The prestige of this campus when you apply for a job	11	7	41	216	347	278
	1%	1%	5%	24%	39%	31%
Having access to a world-class library collection	16	68	139	244	231	201
	2%	8%	16%	27%	26%	22%
Being able to attend plays, concerts, lectures, and other cultural events	24	83	158	229	232	172
	3%	9%	18%	26%	26%	19%

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	480
	50%
As a quiet place to study	471
	49%
For help in learning to do academic research	476
	49%
To find scholarly articles	488
	51%
For help in organizing my research	470
	49%
As a place to work on group projects	485
	50%
For printing, copying and scanning	484
	50%
To find books	468
	49%
Other (please specify) [Contact OPA for more information]	7
	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	283	36%
2	173	22%
3	135	17%
4	87	11%
5	65	8%
6	44	6%
7	9	1%

- Individual help by appointment

Response	Number	Percent
1	150	19%
2	213	27%
3	147	19%
4	131	17%
5	103	13%
6	42	5%
7	7	1%

- Take an hour-long class in library research methods

Response	Number	Percent
1	59	8%
2	53	7%
3	76	10%
4	97	12%
5	129	16%
6	334	42%
7	40	5%

- Use a virtual chat widget

Response	Number	Percent
1	59	8%
2	98	12%
3	110	14%
4	144	18%
5	204	26%
6	153	19%
7	22	3%

- Email

Response	Number	Percent
1	172	22%
2	141	18%
3	178	22%
4	131	16%
5	109	14%
6	63	8%
7	7	1%

- Phone

Response	Number	Percent
1	71	9%
2	109	14%
3	139	18%
4	180	23%
5	168	21%
6	116	15%
7	10	1%

- Other [Contact OPA for more information]

Response	Number	Percent
1	17	8%
2	11	5%
3	7	3%
4	15	7%
5	11	5%
6	27	13%
7	119	58%

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	10	1%
Rarely	34	4%
Occasionally	137	15%
Somewhat often	172	19%
Often	282	31%
Very often	262	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	7	1%
Not very important	16	2%
Somewhat important	47	5%
Important	140	16%
Very important	285	33%
Essential	379	43%

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	202	23%
Somewhat likely	285	32%
Neither likely nor unlikely	159	18%
Somewhat unlikely	150	17%
Very unlikely	90	10%

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	272	485	127
	31%	55%	14%
From UC Berkeley advisors	80	591	209
	9%	67%	24%
From friends	164	536	176
	19%	61%	20%
From fellow UC Berkeley students	172	534	172
	20%	61%	20%
From former teachers, instructors, or counselors	111	612	154
	13%	70%	18%

What do you plan to do about a major?

Response	Number	Percent
I have declared a major	213	24%
I will declare a major as soon as possible	456	51%
I plan to take my time and explore options	218	25%

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	46	280	587
	5%	31%	64%
Acquire a well-rounded general education	17	192	705
	2%	21%	77%
Explore and discover my personal identity	36	190	686
	4%	21%	75%
Achieve a high GPA	34	296	582
	4%	33%	64%
Form (a) romantic relationship(s)	218	375	319
	24%	41%	35%
Establish meaningful friendships	12	146	755
	1%	16%	83%
Be in a position to make a lot of money after finishing my education	42	291	581
	5%	32%	64%
Explore new ideas	11	236	665
	1%	26%	73%
Enjoy my college years before assuming adult responsibilities	40	228	644
	4%	25%	71%
Develop an in-depth understanding of a specific field of study	8	166	737
	1%	18%	81%
Integrate spirituality into my life	376	246	292
	41%	27%	32%
Establish social networks that will help further my career	13	226	672
	1%	25%	74%

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	167	134	120	139	163	176
	19%	15%	13%	16%	18%	20%
Finding affordable housing while I'm a student at UC Berkeley	112	80	129	184	184	210
	13%	9%	14%	21%	21%	23%
Getting into my first choice of major	164	88	114	134	158	239
	18%	10%	13%	15%	18%	27%
Being able to maintain a high GPA	18	18	96	164	241	358
	2%	2%	11%	18%	27%	40%
Getting the academic advising I need	67	103	161	203	185	180
	8%	12%	18%	23%	21%	20%
Getting the career and professional advising I need	59	91	159	200	195	189
	7%	10%	18%	22%	22%	21%
Getting the psychological counseling I might need	188	195	167	155	96	92
	21%	22%	19%	17%	11%	10%
Getting along with my roommate(s)	216	159	160	147	124	92
	24%	18%	18%	16%	14%	10%
Being able to balance academic and social activities	47	51	153	214	220	211
	5%	6%	17%	24%	25%	24%
Being able to make the kind of friends I want	71	66	137	182	206	233
	8%	7%	15%	20%	23%	26%
Being away from family and friends; being 'homesick'	154	175	155	181	126	107
	17%	20%	17%	20%	14%	12%
Being able to maintain good health	72	118	158	191	184	173
	8%	13%	18%	21%	21%	19%
Being able to cope with expectations of parents and family	132	137	155	191	149	133
	15%	15%	17%	21%	17%	15%
Being overwhelmed with all the things I'm expected to do my first semester	73	70	135	197	214	209
	8%	8%	15%	22%	24%	23%
Regretting my decision to attend UC Berkeley	310	154	135	131	79	89
	35%	17%	15%	15%	9%	10%

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	172	19%
(5)	304	34%
(4)	280	31%
(3)	121	13%
(2)	16	2%
(1) Hostile	11	1%

Response	Number	Percent
(6) Caring	147	16%
(5)	238	27%
(4)	281	31%
(3)	156	17%
(2)	57	6%
(1) Impersonal	20	2%

Response	Number	Percent
(6) Intellectual	455	51%
(5)	284	32%
(4)	123	14%
(3)	31	3%
(2)	3	0%
(1) Not intellectual	4	0%

Response	Number	Percent
(6) Appreciative of diversity	333	37%
(5)	312	35%
(4)	160	18%
(3)	71	8%
(2)	16	2%
(1) Unappreciative of diversity	6	1%

Response	Number	Percent
(6) Safe	75	8%
(5)	151	17%
(4)	267	30%
(3)	220	25%
(2)	142	16%
(1) Dangerous	33	4%

Response	Number	Percent
(6) Too hard academically	138	15%
(5)	335	37%
(4)	337	37%
(3)	80	9%
(2)	10	1%
(1) Too easy academically	1	0%

Response	Number	Percent
(6) Affordable	59	7%
(5)	111	12%
(4)	253	28%
(3)	234	26%
(2)	172	19%
(1) Not affordable	65	7%

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	397	45%
2	223	25%
3	128	14%
4	79	9%
5	60	7%

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

Response	Number	Percent
1	122	14%
2	96	11%
3	126	14%
4	116	13%
5	428	48%

- 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	100	11%
2	123	14%
3	205	23%
4	297	34%
5	162	18%

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

Response	Number	Percent
1	162	18%
2	240	27%
3	229	26%
4	185	21%
5	71	8%

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

Response	Number	Percent
1	106	12%
2	204	23%
3	207	23%
4	209	24%
5	161	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	77	221	314	189	80
	2%	9%	25%	35%	21%	9%
Ability to apply disciplinary knowledge in a global context	12	56	212	328	202	84
	1%	6%	24%	37%	23%	9%
Comfort working with people from other cultures	5	10	100	274	310	194
	1%	1%	11%	31%	35%	22%

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	28	3%
Disagree	12	1%
Disagree somewhat	19	2%
Agree somewhat	209	24%
Agree	374	42%
Strongly agree	249	28%

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	142	17%
2	142	17%
3	166	20%
4	154	18%
5	102	12%
6	76	9%
7	55	7%

- Choosing classes

Response	Number	Percent
1	230	27%
2	180	22%
3	147	18%
4	102	12%
5	68	8%
6	66	8%
7	45	5%

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

Response	Number	Percent
1	90	11%
2	135	16%
3	121	15%
4	131	16%
5	154	18%
6	116	14%
7	89	11%

- Financial aid and scholarships

Response	Number	Percent
1	107	13%
2	89	11%
3	87	10%
4	103	12%
5	118	14%
6	133	16%
7	199	24%

- Understanding Campus Resources

Response	Number	Percent
1	46	6%
2	46	6%
3	79	10%
4	77	9%
5	150	18%
6	211	25%
7	226	27%

- Selecting a major

Response	Number	Percent
1	107	13%
2	134	16%
3	105	13%
4	114	14%
5	99	12%
6	115	14%
7	161	19%

- Academic support

Response	Number	Percent
1	121	14%
2	110	13%
3	135	16%
4	153	18%
5	145	17%
6	113	14%
7	61	7%

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	333
	36%
Golden Bear Advising interactive activities (e.g. completing assignments/quizzes, uploading class schedule, direct messaging with advisors, chatroom conversations)	307
	34%
Other online resources (e.g., department website, Facebook, online Berkeley Academic Guide)	424
	46%
College advisor in your home College (e.g., Letters & Science, College of Engineering)	253
	28%
Major advisor	205
	22%
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)	72
	8%
Faculty member	81
	9%
Another student	405
	44%
Parent, Guardian, or family member	373
	41%
Friend(s)	410
	45%
No resource/person	29
	3%
Other (please specify) [Contact OPA for more information]	7
	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	125	15%
Golden Bear Advising interactive activities	55	7%
Other online resources	203	24%
College advisor in your home College	67	8%
Major advisor	65	8%
Co-curricular Advisors/Student Services Support Staff	15	2%
Faculty member	16	2%
Another student	96	12%
Parent, Guardian, or family member	81	10%
Friend(s)	53	6%
No resource/person	52	6%
Other [Contact OPA for more information]	8	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	51	6%
Dissatisfied	63	8%
Somewhat dissatisfied	109	13%
Somewhat satisfied	289	35%
Satisfied	248	30%
Very satisfied	78	9%

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	113	14%
No	726	87%

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	199	24%
Parental desires	13	2%
Recommendation of continuing UC Berkeley student	31	4%
Recommendation of another new UC Berkeley student	3	0%
Academic Advisor	39	5%
Co-curricular Advisor/Student Services Support Staff	5	1%
I thought/had heard a course was not as rigorous or demanding	4	1%
Reputation of professor	7	1%
Course(s) fulfilled a general or breadth requirement (e.g., Reading and Composition, American Cultures, Foreign Languages, etc.)	131	16%
Course(s) fulfilled a major requirement	329	39%
The course fit my schedule	23	3%
Prepares me for my major	57	7%

Second:

Response	Number	Percent
I found the subject generally interesting	91	11%
Parental desires	7	1%
Recommendation of continuing UC Berkeley student	50	6%
Recommendation of another new UC Berkeley student	14	2%
Academic Advisor	45	5%
Co-curricular Advisor/Student Services Support Staff	4	1%
I thought/had heard a course was not as rigorous or demanding	14	2%
Reputation of professor	17	2%
Course(s) fulfilled a general or breadth requirement (e.g., Reading and Composition, American Cultures, Foreign Languages, etc.)	279	33%
Course(s) fulfilled a major requirement	135	16%
The course fit my schedule	90	11%
Prepares me for my major	89	11%

Third:

Response	Number	Percent
I found the subject generally interesting	159	19%
Parental desires	8	1%
Recommendation of continuing UC Berkeley student	42	5%
Recommendation of another new UC Berkeley student	7	1%
Academic Advisor	39	5%
Co-curricular Advisor/Student Services Support Staff	5	1%
I thought/had heard a course was not as rigorous or demanding	22	3%
Reputation of professor	37	4%
Course(s) fulfilled a general or breadth requirement (e.g., Reading and Composition, American Cultures, Foreign Languages, etc.)	132	16%
Course(s) fulfilled a major requirement	85	10%
The course fit my schedule	182	22%
Prepares me for my major	115	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	39	86	117	240	264	89
	5%	10%	14%	29%	32%	11%
Availability of courses to fulfill prerequisite requirements	37	87	91	251	285	84
	4%	10%	11%	30%	34%	10%
Ability to get into the lectures or seminars (i.e., primary courses) you wanted	82	121	157	201	203	69
	10%	15%	19%	24%	24%	8%
Ability to get into the discussion sections or labs (i.e., secondary courses) you wanted	73	121	156	222	203	57
	9%	15%	19%	27%	24%	7%
Variety of courses available	15	24	61	232	337	162
	2%	3%	7%	28%	41%	20%
Access to small classes	63	105	166	251	194	52
	8%	13%	20%	30%	23%	6%

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	522	62%
No	276	33%
Don't know	51	6%

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	168	20%
No	610	72%
Don't know	72	9%

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

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	482	93%
No	20	4%
Don't know	19	4%

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

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	146	87%
No	14	8%
Don't know	8	5%

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	176	21%
No	680	79%

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

Response	Number	Percent
Yes	193	23%
No	663	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	28	14%
I could not gain access into ANY of the R&C 1a courses offered across the various departments on campus	55	28%
I did not like the times of the remaining courses that had available seats	9	5%
I decided to wait until another semester for reasons not listed above	24	12%
I will be using exam credit (e.g., AP, A-level English, International Baccalaureate Higher Level English Language A1 or A2) instead	14	7%
I did not know my AP score	3	2%
I have not yet passed the Analytical Writing Paper Exam (AWPE)	23	12%
I don't know	12	6%
Other, please specify: [Contact OPA for more information]	28	14%

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)	221	43%
I had a preference for an R&C 1b course in a particular department, but it was already full	45	9%
I could not gain access into ANY of the R&C 1b courses offered across the various departments on campus	69	14%
I did not like the times of the remaining courses that had available seats	17	3%
I decided to wait until another semester for reasons not listed above	94	18%
I will be using exam credit (e.g., AP, A-level English, International Baccalaureate Higher Level English Language A1 or A2) instead	12	2%
I did not know my AP score	6	1%
I don't know	23	5%
Other, please specify: [Contact OPA for more information]	25	5%

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	556	66%
No	287	34%

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	108	329	389
	13%	40%	47%
From UC Berkeley advisors	195	141	488
	24%	17%	59%
From friends	110	406	311
	13%	49%	38%
From fellow UC Berkeley students	130	323	372
	16%	39%	45%
From former teachers, instructors, or counselors	114	287	417
	14%	35%	51%

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

Response	Number	Percent
I am taking all the credit that I can and enrolling in advanced courses	426	58%
I am taking some credit but not all that I could	231	32%
I am taking the entry courses at UC Berkeley instead of the credit	63	9%
Other, please specify: [Contact OPA for more information]	10	1%

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