Kate Cossa, Matthew Drilling, Abby Hahn, Katy Leichsenring The Senior Year Experience: Satisfaction, Sex, and Socioeconomic Status Kate Cossa, Matthew Drilling, Abby Hahn, Katy Leichsenring RESEV 550 Iowa State University Purpose Methods Discussion The purpose of this study was to determine if university satisfaction, sex, or socioeconomic status played a significant role in students feeling prepared for post-graduate life and how a senior year experience course might prove beneficial in fostering preparedness. A 16 question survey was distributed to juniors and seniors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The survey included questions to gather basic demographic information and to assess satisfaction with current experiences and views on life after graduation. 278 students responded to the survey. Among respondents, 69.8% were female, 29.5% were male, and .7% identified as other. Participants ranged in age from 19 to 55 with the majority being age 21 (43.5%). Students were also asked to self-report their socioeconomic status and 78.5% identified as middle class while 5.8% identified as upper class, 12.0% identified as lower class, and 3.6% preferred not to answer. Men are more likely than women to feel confident in their interview skills, understand how to make a budget, and feel prepared to be independent after graduating. Women, on the other hand, are more likely to be satisfied with their overall experience at Iowa State University. In terms of university satisfaction, those who are more satisfied with their college experience are more likely to stay connected with the university after graduation and feel more prepared for post-graduate responsibilities. This lends itself to establishing alumni connections and establishing a university support system. Students who genuinely enjoyed the time they spent at the university are more likely to stay connected and perhaps contribute to the university in the future. While the study did not find any statistically significant correlations with socioeconomic status, many correlations suggested a negative relationship. This indicates that participants who identified as upper class are more likely to feel confident in their skills and more prepared to take on post-graduate responsibilities. Finally, it is important to note the areas that students believe would be most beneficial to incorporate into a senior year experience course. The survey indicated that financial planning, job or graduate school search option, interview skills, and resume and cover letter building are the most desired topics to discuss. These topics serve as a great starting point for a senior year experience course or even options for workshops. Review of Literature What is a senior year experience? “A variety of initiatives in the academic and cocurricular domain that, when implemented in a coordinated effort, can promote and enhance learning, satisfaction, and a successful transition during the final quarter of the baccalaureate educational experience” (Gardner, 1999, p. 7). According to the National Resouce Center: First-Year Experience and Students in Transition (2011), discipline-based capstone courses are the most widely executed type of senior year experience and a majority of the courses are housed with an academic department. The primary goal of a capstone course is to allow seniors the opportunity to synthesize their academic major coursework and the role it will play in their career path. Moreover, this type of opportunity would present students with a change to delve more specifically into their personal career plans, preparation, and professional development (Henscheid, 2008a; Henscheid 2008b). Suggested themes from the literature include: Leadership Career Planning Job Search and Transition Planning Alumni Development Preparation for Graduate School Linking Academic Experiences Practical Life Skills – Financial Planning, Household Repairs, etc. Relationship Building Community and Civic Engagement Employers say that recent college graduates are ready for entry-level positions, but there is now a need to prepare them for careers beyond their first job (Henscheid, 2008a). “The paradox is that although the knowledge acquired in college is critical to graduates’ success, the process in school is very different from the process of succeeding at work” (Gardner et al., 1998, p. 100). Results References Evans, N. J., Forney, D. E., Guido, F. M., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010). Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Gardner, J. N. (1999). The senior year experience. About Campus, 4(1), 5-9. Gardner, J. N., Van der Veer, G., & Associates (1998). The senior year experience: Facilitating integration, reflection, closure, and transition. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Inc. Henscheid, J. M. (2008a). Institutional efforts to move seniors through and beyond college. New Directions for Higher Education, 144, 79-87. Henscheid, J. M. (2008b). Preparing seniors for life after college. About Campus, 13(5), 20-25. National Resource Center: First-Year Experience and Students in Transition (2011). 2011 national survey of senior capstone experiences [executive summary]. Retrieved from http://www.sc.edu/fye/research/surveys/survey_instruments/pdf/ Executive_Summaries_2011_National_Survey_SeniorCapstoneExperiences(1).pdf