College Success: A Transitional Course for Freshmen

A special transitional course (College Success) developed for college freshmen at the State University of New York College at Cortland is described in this report. Designed to meet standard problems of transition from high school to college and deal with detected deficits in learning and studying skills, it offers small group experience on issues related to effective learning, orientation, advisement, and personal development. Typical psychological orientations that college personnel use in understanding student behaviors are discussed. Six psychological orientations applied to first-year students are psychoanalytic, biological, cognitivist, cognitive developmental, humanistic-existentialist, and behaviorist views. The elements of College Success based on learning theory for first-year students are noted (academic skill development, notes, vocabulary, learning and memory, test taking, brainstorming, recordkeeping, problem solving and decision making, academic social behaviors, advisement, orientation, and conduct of the course). The development of College Success with attention to innovation theory is discussed. Results show the course is successful according to grade point average, academic dismissal, and student and instructor feedback. Such freshman seminar courses can change the focus of incoming students by making them better prepared. (SM)