Chapter 9: Why Pursue a College Education?: The Influence of Early Reflection and Goal Orientation on Adjustment During the First Semester

Students planning to attend a small private liberal arts college were mailed the College Goals Questionnaire (CGQ), which assessed their underlying reasons for choosing to attend college. The CGQ asked students to choose the four goals that were most important to them and then to respond to a series of items that assessed the degree to which they reflected on these goals, and the degree to which these goals were autonomous (freely and voluntarily chosen) or controlled by expectations. The Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ; Baker, & Siryk, 1989) was administered to these students twice during the first semester. At the start of the second semester a subset of students were interviewed along with their same-sex closest friends. Regression analyses showed a similar pattern across the three assessments. Students who reflected on their goals showed better academic adjustment, and students who felt controlled reported poorer emotional adjustment. These results suggest that this sampling of students may have a motivational advantage if they are actively engaged in the process of setting long-term goals when planning for college.