The available research on first-year college outcomes remains highly segmented (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005) and surprisingly incomplete (Upcraft, Gardner, Barefoot, & Associates, 2005). Although research has established the importance of the first year of college for students’ learning and cognitive development (Osterlind 1996, 1997; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005), the importance of the first college year in influencing the development of the psychosocial outcomes for students is much less clear. Although one might logically conclude that the first college year is essential as the foundation for growth in both cognitive and psychosocial areas, little empirical evidence is available to support such a conclusion with respect to psychosocial change.
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