Part 1: Early Experiences - SONS Transfers 2010

Time Use, Academic and Personal Development, Academic Engagement, Campus Climate, Satisfaction, and Evaluation of the Educational Experience

1.  Please rate the start of your Berkeley experience by completing the following statement. Overall, I am off to ...

a really fantastic start! 252 21%
a very good start. 430 36%
a good start. 338 29%
just an OK start. 132 11%
not a good start. 31 3%

2.  What has gone surprisingly well, much better than expected? (Please be as brief as reasonably possible because answers may not exceed 500 characters in length.)

[Contact OPA for more information] (N=1069)

3.  What has not gone well? What has caused you problems, anxiety or disappointment?  (Please be as brief as reasonably possible because answers may not exceed 500 characters in length.) 

[Contact OPA for more information]   (N=1046)

Time Allocation

4. During your last year before transferring, how many hours did you spend in a typical week (7 days) on the following activities?

 01-56-1011-1516-2021-2526-30More than 30
Attending classes, discussion sections or labs 12 49 199 346 315 145 56 51
1% 4% 17% 29% 27% 12% 5% 4%
Studying and other academic activities outside of class 16 208 278 264 195 88 60 61
1% 18% 24% 23% 17% 8% 5% 5%
Paid employment (include paid internships) 351 101 135 136 155 107 76 99
30% 9% 12% 12% 13% 9% 7% 9%
Of your total hours spent working for pay, about how many hours were related to your academic interests? 660 169 116 78 56 32 16 33
57% 15% 10% 7% 5% 3% 1% 3%

During your last year before transferring, how many hours did you spend in a typical week (7 days) on the following activities?

 01-56-1011-1516-2021-2526-30More than 30
Attending movies, concerts, sports, or other entertainment events 197 742 142 57 16 6 4 7
17% 63% 12% 5% 1% 1% 0% 1%
Performing community service or volunteer activities 369 540 144 66 25 12 3 8
32% 46% 12% 6% 2% 1% 0% 1%
Participating in physical exercise, recreational sports, or physically active hobbies 130 602 267 103 41 16 6 7
11% 51% 23% 9% 3% 1% 1% 1%
Participating in spiritual or religious activities 720 341 63 23 12 8 1 3
61% 29% 5% 2% 1% 1% 0% 0%
Participating in student clubs or organizations 474 436 154 55 16 12 4 6
41% 38% 13% 5% 1% 1% 0% 1%
Pursuing a recreational or creative interest (arts/crafts, reading, music, hobbies, etc.) 164 563 240 116 51 19 5 10
14% 48% 21% 10% 4% 2% 0% 1%
Socializing with friends 38 461 347 182 84 28 11 23
3% 39% 30% 16% 7% 2% 1% 2%
Partying 581 422 105 30 19 3 3 4
50% 36% 9% 3% 2% 0% 0% 0%
Spending time with family 230 360 227 143 76 44 19 62
20% 31% 20% 12% 7% 4% 2% 5%
Using the computer or smart phone for non-academic purposes (games, shopping, e-mail/instant messaging, etc.) 68 366 323 189 99 50 26 49
6% 31% 28% 16% 8% 4% 2% 4%
Watching TV 397 455 182 63 37 18 8 7
34% 39% 16% 5% 3% 2% 1% 1%
Commuting to school and to work 93 633 269 105 33 17 6 9
8% 54% 23% 9% 3% 1% 1% 1%

5.  During your last year before transferring, what was the average number of hours per night you slept on weeknights?

0-2 4 0%
3-4 33 3%
5-6 414 35%
7-8 604 51%
9-10 109 9%
11+ 13 1%

6. In your last year of attendance before transferring to Berkeley, what was your enrollment status for the majority of the year?

Full-time load 1064 90%
Part-time load 113 10%

Academic and Personal Development

Current skill level

1. Please rate your current level of proficiency in the following areas.

 Very poorPoorFairGoodVery goodExcellent
Analytical and critical thinking skills 0 16 135 337 406 238
0% 1% 12% 30% 36% 21%
Ability to be clear and effective when writing 2 48 176 351 333 222
0% 4% 16% 31% 29% 20%
Ability to read and comprehend academic material 3 15 158 346 395 209
0% 1% 14% 31% 35% 19%
Foreign language skills 63 190 252 249 192 181
6% 17% 22% 22% 17% 16%
Understanding of a specific field of study 2 23 115 410 392 184
0% 2% 10% 36% 35% 16%
Quantitative (mathematical and statistical) skills 18 87 279 344 261 139
2% 8% 25% 30% 23% 12%
Ability to speak clearly and effectively in English 5 35 131 236 290 430
0% 3% 12% 21% 26% 38%
Ability to understand international perspectives (economic, political, social, cultural) 6 38 161 341 334 248
1% 3% 14% 30% 30% 22%
Leadership skills 15 59 209 368 298 178
1% 5% 19% 33% 26% 16%
Computer skills 12 36 222 375 301 178
1% 3% 20% 33% 27% 16%

Please rate your current level of proficiency in the following areas.

 Very poorPoorFairGoodVery goodExcellent
Internet skills 3 12 95 287 385 340
0% 1% 8% 26% 34% 30%
Library research skills 7 67 229 429 278 114
1% 6% 20% 38% 25% 10%
Other research skills 9 58 230 426 277 117
1% 5% 21% 38% 25% 10%
Ability to prepare and make a presentation 10 58 216 336 330 174
1% 5% 19% 30% 29% 15%
Interpersonal (social) skills 11 52 194 333 309 227
1% 5% 17% 30% 27% 20%
Current ability level

2. Similarly, please rate your abilities on the following dimensions.

 Very poorPoorFairGoodVery goodExcellent
Ability to appreciate, tolerate and understand racial and ethnic diversity 2 10 49 189 388 492
0% 1% 4% 17% 34% 44%
Ability to appreciate the fine arts (e.g., painting, music, drama, dance) 8 36 116 236 323 410
1% 3% 10% 21% 29% 36%
Ability to appreciate cultural and global diversity 2 11 73 223 348 471
0% 1% 6% 20% 31% 42%
Understanding the importance of personal social responsibility 2 13 61 192 380 480
0% 1% 5% 17% 34% 43%
Self awareness and understanding 2 9 47 217 379 469
0% 1% 4% 19% 34% 42%

Community College Climate for Diversity

3. Indicate how strongly you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about the institution you attended before transferring to Berkeley (i.e., transfer college).

 Strongly disagreeDisagreeSomewhat disagreeSomewhat agreeAgreeStrongly agree
I felt free to express my political beliefs. 11 17 65 260 444 330
1% 2% 6% 23% 39% 29%
I felt free to express my religious beliefs. 10 26 68 253 441 327
1% 2% 6% 22% 39% 29%
Students were respected regardless of their economic or social class 3 24 71 221 424 383
0% 2% 6% 20% 38% 34%
Students were respected regardless of their gender 2 16 34 175 460 439
0% 1% 3% 16% 41% 39%
Students were respected regardless of their race or ethnicity 6 17 73 218 415 396
1% 2% 6% 19% 37% 35%
Students were respected regardless of their religious beliefs 7 17 71 229 427 374
1% 2% 6% 20% 38% 33%
Students were respected regardless of their political beliefs 8 17 77 251 413 354
1% 2% 7% 22% 37% 32%
Students were respected regardless of their sexual orientation 12 23 85 247 373 375
1% 2% 8% 22% 33% 34%
Students were respected regardless of their disabilities 5 13 48 218 431 397
0% 1% 4% 20% 39% 36%

Academic Engagement

4. How frequently during your last year of attendance before transferring to Berkeley did you do each of the following?

 NeverRarelyOccasionallySomewhat oftenOftenVery often
Turned in a course assignment late 626 392 70 22 11 5
56% 35% 6% 2% 1% 0%
Went to class without completing assigned reading 224 416 305 106 49 26
20% 37% 27% 9% 4% 2%
Went to class unprepared 275 505 223 69 38 16
24% 45% 20% 6% 3% 1%
Skipped class 490 446 128 36 16 9
44% 40% 11% 3% 1% 1%
Raised your standard for acceptable effort due to the high standards of a teacher 83 144 292 212 247 140
7% 13% 26% 19% 22% 13%
Extensively revised a paper at least once before submitting it to be graded 45 97 192 196 287 306
4% 9% 17% 17% 26% 27%
Sought academic help from a teacher or tutor when needed 106 172 241 194 216 189
9% 15% 22% 17% 19% 17%
Worked on class projects or studied as a group with other classmates outside of class 88 220 318 202 181 114
8% 20% 28% 18% 16% 10%
Helped a classmate better understand the course material when studying together 50 90 299 222 263 198
4% 8% 27% 20% 23% 18%

5. How frequently did you engage in these activities in your last year of attendance before transferring to Berkeley?

 NeverRarelyOccasionallySomewhat oftenOftenVery often
Took a small research-oriented class with a teacher 669 177 136 66 44 27
60% 16% 12% 6% 4% 2%
Communicated with a teacher by e-mail or text messaging 31 133 349 221 216 167
3% 12% 31% 20% 19% 15%
Talked with the teacher outside of class about issues and concepts derived from a class 88 165 285 221 193 162
8% 15% 26% 20% 17% 15%
Interacted with teachers during lectures 28 125 247 225 214 278
3% 11% 22% 20% 19% 25%
Worked with a teacher on an activity other than coursework (e.g., student organization, school committee, cultural activity) 371 218 219 112 92 102
33% 20% 20% 10% 8% 9%

6. During your last year of attendance before transferring to Berkeley, how often did you do each of the following?

 NeverRarelyOccasionallySomewhat oftenOftenVery often
Contributed to a class discussion 16 95 259 190 229 332
1% 8% 23% 17% 20% 30%
Brought up ideas or concepts from different classes during class discussions 54 161 283 209 184 233
5% 14% 25% 19% 16% 21%
Asked an insightful question in class 38 154 296 213 187 234
3% 14% 26% 19% 17% 21%
Found a course so interesting that you did more work than was required 63 147 316 217 185 193
6% 13% 28% 19% 17% 17%
Chose challenging courses, when possible, even though you might lower your GPA by doing so 58 136 264 213 224 226
5% 12% 24% 19% 20% 20%
Made a class presentation 45 168 324 229 198 150
4% 15% 29% 21% 18% 13%

7.  On average, how much of your assigned course reading did you complete in your last year of attendance before transferring to Berkeley?

0-9% 13 1%
10-19% 4 0%
20-29% 24 2%
30-39% 11 1%
40-49% 45 4%
50-59% 46 4%
60-69% 71 7%
70-79% 135 13%
80-89% 236 23%
90-100% 439 43%

Note: A smaller group of students were asked to respond to question 7 using a slightly different scale than the one above. Below are responses for this small group of students:

7.  On average, how much of your assigned course reading did you complete in your last year of attendance before transferring to Berkeley?

0-10% 2 2%
11-20% 1 1%
21-30% 4 4%
31-40% 1 1%
41-50% 3 3%
51-60% 7 7%
61-70% 8 8%
71-80% 15 15%
81-90% 10 10%
91-100% 50 50%

8. What do you anticipate you will be doing within a year after you graduate?

Enroll in graduate or professional school 600 53%
Work full-time 251 22%
Work part-time 16 1%
Be self-employed 12 1%
Study or work abroad 70 6%
Join armed forces 5 0%
Work in an internship or volunteer position 61 5%
Take a year off 10 1%
Do something else 6 1%
Other 6 1%
I have no idea at this point 89 8%

9.  In what career field do you hope to eventually work after you've completed your education?

Architecture 21 2%
Business 165 15%
Communications/Arts/Entertainment 82 7%
Education/Teaching 117 10%
Electrical Engineering/Computers 62 6%
Engineering 60 5%
Environmental/Natural Resources 39 3%
Government/Nonprofit/Social Services 106 9%
Law 113 10%
Medicine 103 9%
Other Health-Related Field 43 4%
Research 72 6%
Other 58 5%
I have no idea whatsoever 84 7%

If other, please elaborate (N=6) 

10.  What is the HIGHEST academic degree or credential that you plan to eventually earn?

Bachelor's degree (BA, BS, etc.) 65 6%
Teaching credential 6 1%
Business master's (MBA) 123 11%
Other professional master's (MEd, MPP, MPH, MFA, MLIS, MSN, MSW, M.ARCH, etc.) 69 6%
Academic master's (MA, MS, etc.) 159 14%
Law degree (LLB or JD) 114 10%
Medical doctorate other than MD (DO, DDS, DVM, etc.) 21 2%
Medical doctor (MD) 52 5%
Doctorate (PhD, EdD, etc.) 310 28%
Multiple doctoral degrees (MD/PhD) 70 6%
I don't know yet 136 12%

If other, please elaborate (N=52) 

11. Indicate the following research and creative activities that you completed at the institution that you attended before transferring to Berkeley (i.e., transfer college).

 Yes, did thatNo
A research project, creative activity, or paper as part of your coursework 980 143
87% 13%
At least one independent study course 324 796
29% 71%
Worked in lab with course credit (e.g., lab assistant) 471 644
42% 58%
Work on creative projects under the direction of a teacher with course credit_ 489 631
44% 56%
Work on creative projects under the direction of a teacher as a volunteer without course credit 289 829
26% 74%

Overall Satisfaction and Agreement

12. Please rate your level of satisfaction with the following aspects of your college education before transferring to Berkeley (i.e., transfer college).

 Very dissatisfiedDissatisfiedSomewhat dissatisfiedSomewhat satisfiedSatisfiedVery satisfied
Grade point average for UC admission 8 24 53 185 436 413
1% 2% 5% 17% 39% 37%
Overall social experience 35 70 172 299 322 216
3% 6% 15% 27% 29% 19%
Overall academic experience 16 33 72 293 432 265
1% 3% 6% 26% 39% 24%

13. Please rate your level of agreement with the following statement.

 Strongly disagreeDisagreeDisagree somewhatAgree somewhatAgreeStrongly agree
I felt that I belonged at the college I attended 73 85 138 265 296 262
7% 8% 12% 24% 26% 23%

Evaluation of the Educational Experience

14. Thinking back over your transfer college coursework, how often were you REQUIRED to do the following?

 NeverRarelyOccasionallySomewhat oftenOftenVery often
Recognize or recall specific facts, terms and concepts 1 12 128 243 372 360
0% 1% 11% 22% 33% 32%
Explain methods, ideas, or concepts and use them to solve problems 3 30 158 244 356 324
0% 3% 14% 22% 32% 29%
Break down material into component parts or arguments into assumptions to see the basis for different outcomes and conclusions 13 71 214 304 281 229
1% 6% 19% 27% 25% 21%
Judge the value of information, ideas, actions, and conclusions based on the soundness of sources, methods and reasoning 12 67 210 274 303 242
1% 6% 19% 25% 27% 22%
Create or generate new ideas, products or ways of understanding 29 103 268 264 238 197
3% 9% 24% 24% 22% 18%

15. Thinking back on your transfer college experience, how often did you do each of the following?

 NeverRarelyOccasionallySomewhat oftenOftenVery often
Used facts and examples to support your viewpoint 1 14 97 197 348 456
0% 1% 9% 18% 31% 41%
Incorporated ideas or concepts from different courses when completing assignments 6 37 185 257 312 315
1% 3% 17% 23% 28% 28%
Examined how others gathered and interpreted data and assessed the soundness of their conclusions 22 76 223 290 271 228
2% 7% 20% 26% 24% 21%
Reconsidered your own position on a topic after assessing the arguments of others 10 64 256 289 275 218
1% 6% 23% 26% 25% 20%

16. Please answer these questions about your transfer college experience overall.

 YesNo
Were the channels of communication open between teachers and students regarding student needs, concerns, and suggestions? 1072 44
96% 4%
Were students treated equitably and fairly by the teachers? 1037 77
93% 7%
Did teachers clearly explain what constitutes plagiarism and its consequences? 1072 39
96% 4%
Did teachers provide prompt and useful feedback on student work? 1001 100
91% 9%

17. Please rate your satisfaction with each of the following statements about your transfer college experience overall.

 Very dissatisfiedDissatisfiedSomewhat dissatisfiedSomewhat satisfiedSatisfiedVery satisfied
Advising by teachers on academic matters 9 24 71 241 507 261
1% 2% 6% 22% 46% 23%
Advising by school counselors on academic matters 92 108 149 272 292 200
8% 10% 13% 24% 26% 18%
Advising by UC staff on academic matters while you attended your prior institution 35 57 132 351 349 170
3% 5% 12% 32% 32% 16%
Quality of instruction 10 13 57 244 525 265
1% 1% 5% 22% 47% 24%
Availability of courses needed for UC admission 22 47 90 215 434 305
2% 4% 8% 19% 39% 27%
Access to teachers outside of class 8 16 48 200 498 337
1% 1% 4% 18% 45% 30%
Opportunities for research experience or to produce creative products 83 152 233 293 230 113
8% 14% 21% 27% 21% 10%
Availability of Advanced Placement classes 59 111 191 325 281 106
5% 10% 18% 30% 26% 10%
Educational enrichment programs (e.g., foreign exchange program, internships) 72 138 240 292 250 102
7% 13% 22% 27% 23% 9%
Accessibility of library staff 22 47 96 270 435 240
2% 4% 9% 24% 39% 22%
Availability of library research materials 26 56 93 269 419 235
2% 5% 8% 24% 38% 21%

18. What is the SINGLE, MOST IMPORTANT thing that your transfer college could realistically have done to create a better experience for students like you?  (Please be as brief as reasonably possible because answers may not exceed 1,000 characters in length). 

[Contact OPA for more information] (N=944)

19.  How many teachers did you know well enough to ask for a letter of recommendation in support of an application for a job or for transfer admission?

Zero 67 6%
1 120 11%
2 266 24%
3 276 25%
4 or more 389 35%

20. If you were assured admittance to any major, what major would you choose?

Data not available

 21. Is that the major with which you expect to graduate?

Yes 934 84%
No 173 16%

 In which major do you expect to graduate?

Data not available

22. What factors have been or do you expect will be very important to you in deciding on your major?

 YesNo
Intellectual curiosity 1076 39
97% 3%
Leads to a high paying job 617 493
56% 44%
Prepares me for a fulfilling career 1034 81
93% 7%
Complements desire to study abroad 571 534
52% 48%
Parental desires 240 867
22% 78%
Easy requirements 196 913
18% 82%
Allows time for other activities 410 696
37% 63%
Provides international opportunities 774 336
70% 30%
Prestige 645 461
58% 42%
Interest in subject area 1100 16
99% 1%
Prepares me for graduate/professional school 936 177
84% 16%
Other 166 663
20% 80%

Please describe:  (N=126)

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