University of Puerto Rico
Mayagüez Arts and Sciences Faculty
Report on the First Year Academical Experiences
of the Students of The Geology Department

May 2021 By:
Ernesto X. Balay Pomales, M.S., P.G.
Instructor

 

A report is hereby presented on the results based on the First Year Academic Experience questionnaire filled out by the students of the Department of Geology. Seventeen students out of a total of a hundred and twenty-five from the undergraduate program answered this questionnaire which makes up 13.6%. This report includes a collection of all of the responses given by the students using a modified version of the original questionnaire.

 

The Geology Department students who responded to this questionnaire include freshmen through seniors, all from the undergraduate program. These students come from various towns on the island and one of the students is from the United States. A total of thirteen females responded to the questionnaire, versus four males. Of these seventeen students, the majority did not use financial aid, were not working, and are staying in housing.

 

Most students classify their first year of college as a good experience, although they agree that the events that most affected them were the strike and Hurricane María. On the other hand, the academic performance of these students was affected by the lack of ability and skill for math classes and other subjects from which they dropped out, such as chemistry, agriculture and computers. The reason for withdrawing from some of these courses was that they proved to be too difficult, including other factors such as economic problems and stress. None of the seventeen students fell on probation in their first year, so most of them did not decide to drop out completely in their first year.

 

Among the situations that caused the most stress to the students, the highest score was having to balance time between studies, family, work, friends, and understanding the academic language used by teachers and the language included in exams. In order to cope with these difficulties, students talked to friends, took tutorials and talked to professors for guidance.

 

In general, students invest more time in their studies from 16 to 20 hours and from 6 to 10 hours attending to personal and family matters. Among the factors that helped these students to continue their first year, family support and the determination to continue their studies in order to develop as professionals in the future stand out. Finally, among the advice that the students could give to other incoming students is that they have to make a balance in time management, but above all, they have to persevere.

 

Below are the totals of the answers chosen in parentheses for each option, including comments and opinions of the seventeen students who answered the questionnaire.

 

Sociodemographic Information:

  1. What is your year of study?
    • First (4)
    • Second (5)
    • Third (4)
    • Fourth or more (4)

 

  1. Entrance Departament Geology (17)

 

  1. Department to which you belong Geology (17)

 

  1. Program Subgraduado

 

  1. Town or place of origin

 

The students who answered the questionnaire come from the following municipalities or localities: Aguadilla, Añasco (2), Arecibo, Bayamón, Cayey, Dorado, Guaynabo, Hatillo, Houston TX, Isabela, Juana Díaz, Juncos, San Germán, San Sebastián, Quebradillas and Trujillo Alto.

 

  1. Which gender do you identify with?
    • Femenine (13)
    • Masculine (4)
    • Other (0)

 

We want to know what has been or is your first year experience at RUM:

 

  1. In your first year / semester, did you receive financial assistance? (Pell scholarship, Study and Work, another scholarship by economic necessity)
    • Sí (2)
    • No (15)

  1. Did you work during your first year/semester of study?
    • Yes (3)
    • No (14)

 

  1. During your first year at RUM you lived in…
    • lodging or apartment near RUM (14)
    • the residence of your relatives (3)

 

  1. How would you rate your first year experience at the University?
    • Excellent
    • Good (12)
    • Regular (4)
    • Poor (1)

 

  1. In your first year of study at RUM, did you face any unexpected situations? Explain

 

  • No – (8)
  • Not having the capacity and skills for pre-calculations
  • Anxiety and poor university orientation
  • The financial aid did not fully cover me for the cost of attending, since I am a transfer student from the states, I could not afford to pay for the books. Also, a teacher never confirmed my attendance, so there is a mess with the school saying my attendance is not confirmed; this affects the amount of money I receive in aid.
  • Getting used to making new friends.
  • Strike
  • Because of Hurricane Maria I had to move from my house and I lost many books. In addition, the teachers wanted me to take classes in classrooms where the fungus was evident.
  • I signed up for the wrong department and I really didn’t want to study that.
  • I had to move out of my lodging because of the ground tremors. In addition, I got a ticket because I had to park in a green area outside the university because they wouldn’t let me park inside the campus grounds.

 

  1. During your first year at RUM, did you withdraw from any courses?
    • No (11)
    • Yes, from what course(es)? Agriculture, Chemistry 1, Math 3171, Geology and COMP 3010

 

  1. If you withdrew from a course in your first year, what was the reason? Check all that apply.
    • It was very difficult(2)
    • My grades were too low
    • I wasn’t interested
    • I did not understand the way the teacher was teaching the class.
    • I did not devote enough time to it.(1)
    • I did not have the necessary skills to pass the course.
    • Other (please explain briefly)
      Frustration, injustices, economic problems and a lot of stress.

 

  1. At the end of your first year, did you fall on probation?
    • Yes, due to my grade average
    • Yes, due to lack of academic progress
    • Yes, due to my grade average and lack of academic progress.
    • I did not fall under probation(17)

 

  1. During your first year at RUM, did you consider dropping out altogether?
    • Yes (3)
    • No (14)

 

  1. If you considered dropping out of college, what were the reason(s) and what motivated you to stay in school?
    Loneliness, frustration, stress, economic problems, difficulty and academic burden.

 

  1. During your first year, did any of these situations cause you too much stress? Check all that apply
    • Your grades. (1)
    • Number of assignments to perform. (2)
    • The cost of tuition. (2)
    • The cost of books. (2)
    • The cost of lodging. . (1)
    • My housing conditions. (1)
    • Having enough money to buy food. (2)
    • Feeling isolated. (2)
    • Manage time appropriately. (2)
    • Balance all areas of my life (studies, family, work, time with friends). (12)
    • To be able to determine what is expected of me. (0)
    • Not having the expected skills at this level. (1)
    • Difficulty in understanding academic language (teacher’s vocabulary and in exams). (7)
    • Mega sections. (2)
    • After hours exams. (1)
    • Other, explain. (0)

 

  1. During your first year at the University, what actions did you take to orient yourself, solve problems, or address any other situation? Check all that apply.
    • I visited the academic advisor of my department. (7)
    • I spoke to professors or instructors. (7)
    • I visited the professional counselor of my Faculty. (0)
    • I visited the psychologists of the RUM. (2)
    • I talked to my friends. (10)
    • I participated in tutorials. (10)
    • I did other things not related to RUM service such as meditating, listening to music, exercising. (13)
    • Other, explain briefly.
      Attendance at time management talks and joining societies that provided assistance. 

 

  1. How often did you use the following services? N = Never, O = Occasionally, F = Frequently

 

RESPONSES N O F
Economic Assistance 4 9 4
Medical Services 12 5 0
Psicologic Services 15 1 1
Professional Counseling 14 2 1
Academic Counseling in your department 8 8 1
Student Procurator 16 1 0
“Come Colegial” 10 6 1
Tutoring / Rumbo X 9 6 2
Spanish Editing Center, (CRE) 8 5 4
English Writing Center (EWC) 10 5 2
General Library 1 3 13
Reasonable Accommodation 15 0 2
The University Guard for on-campus protection 13 4 1
Other 0 0 0

 

  1. Mark the point on the scale that best represents the quality of your relationship with the following groups of people in your department:

 

Students of the department:

Unfriendly 1 (0) 2 (1) 3 (3) 4 (6) 5 (7) Friendly
Little support 1 (1) 2 (0) 3 (3) 4 (6) 5 (7) A lot of support
Rejected (a) 1 (1) 2 (1) 3 (3) 4 (7) 5 (5) Accepted (a)

 

PROFESSORS of the department:

Limited availability 1 (0) 2 (1) 3 (1) 4 (5) 5 (10) Available
Limited Support 1 (1) 2 (1) 3 (0) 4 (6) 5 (9) A lot of Support
Low empathy 1 (1) 2 (1) 3 (0) 4 (5) 5 (10) Empathetic

 

 

ADMINISTRATORS of the department:

Of little help 1 (0) 2 (1) 3 (4) 4 (5) 5 (7) Very Helpful
Little consideration 1 (0) 2 (1) 3 (1) 4 (5) 5 (10) Considerate
Rigid 1 (2) 2 (0) 3 (1) 4 (7) 5 (7) Flexible

 

 

The INSTITUTION (RUM) in general:

Little sense of High sense of
pertinence 1 (1) 2 (2)) 3 (6) 4 (5)5) 5 (3) pertinence

 

 

  1. Currently how many hours of a typical week do you spend on the following activities: preparing for class (studying, reading, writing, rehearsing, and other activities related to your academic program)

 

HOURS PER WEEK
0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 OVER 20
(0) (2) (3) (3) (5) (4)

 

 

Working on or off campus for a salary

HOURS PER WEEK
0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 OVER 20
(9) (1) (4) (0) (3) (0)

 

 

Participating in co-curricular activities (organizations, student council, fraternities/sororities, sports, ROTC)

HOURS PER WEEK
0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 OVER 20
(6) (4) (5) (1) (0) (1)

 

 

Relaxing and socializing (watching TV, exercising, “hanging out”, talking with friends)

HOURS PER WEEK
0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 OVER 20
(1) (7) (7) (2) (0) (0)

 

 

Participating in social networks, watching online content or playing video games.

HOURS PER WEEK
0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 OVER 20
(1) (7) (4) (2) (3) (0

 

 

Attending to family and personal matters

HOURS PER WEEK
0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 OVER 20
(0) (5) (10) (2) (0) (0)

 

  1. What factors (academic, personal, social, ) helped you to continue and complete your first year at RUM? Briefly explain.
    • My family and an older sister in her 5th year.
    • The support of my family, friends and attending private consultations with my psychologist.
    • Determination and having no other option to study the program of interest since the campus is the only one that grants it.
    • My family
    • My fiance, his/her family, my mother, my friends.
    • I was greatly helped by the support I received from the administrative staff in my department, the faculty advisor, the psychological services I received (and continued to receive), and the support of my parents.
    • Meditation, lodging and good nutrition.
    • Perseverance
    • Support from my parents (academically and financially).
    • Wanting to get ahead and be someone in the future.
    • To think that I have more time to improve.
    • My mom was given more hours at work, so she was able to pay for my hospice.
    • The effort and dedication I had towards my classes, my family and my friends.
    • My own will

 

  1. What advice would you give to incoming students?
    • Manage well the time between study and social activities.
    • Let them go at their own pace, take their time, this is not a competition and take advantage of every opportunity.
    • To be oriented before.
    • Be well prepared./li>
    • If you speak English: learn really GOOD Spanish not just to get by in school but to get a job outside of school so you can pay your If you do not speak strong spanish, there’s always people on campus willing to help you find your way.
    • There is time to relax and there is time to study. You just have to keep a balance.
    • Adjusting to college life can be difficult, but we all go through it, it is always good to have a positive attitude towards situations and not be afraid to seek help.
    • Persevere.
    • Get organized.
    • Have a group of friends who support each other in what you discover as you exist in this new stage of your life, but don’t get carried away just because of what you’re doing in your life.
    • They should be well organized and seek help whenever possible to bring snacks and at least a dollar for the vending machines.
    • Honestly, to those who have asked me I have told them to buy pepper spray and flashlight in case they have to walk at night since the buses never show up.
    • Study!
    • It’s not easy, but it’s not like you’re going to have moments where you think you can’t do it anymore, that’s what I think. After meditating for a while I talk to a friend or my parents, they motivate me. Also, I visualize myself finishing my studies, since I love the program I’m in. It is important that you study what you are passionate about, because if you don’t like it, you will get bored and the burden will be greater. I know that many times you will feel left out, but there is always someone who likes to listen and help. Success the sky is the limit for those who believe it.
      Show everyone that you were able to enter the College and stay there, it is not easy, but try to do it.
    • Keep a schedule and take notes on everything.