College adaptation and transition: The Academic Life Experiences Questionnaire

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the process for college students of transition and adaptation to the university and to present the Academic Life Experiences Questionnaire (ALEQ; L. S. Almeida & J. A. G. Ferreira, 1997). This questionnaire has been developed as a screening instrument and is conceptualized to describe the college student transition and adaptation as a dynamic process of interaction between the individual (with certain psychological and cognitive characteristics) and the academic and environmental demands. The ALEQ was administered to a sample of 1,273 1st-yr students from different majors of Minho University. The results on the 17 scales of the instrument show good psychometric properties. The internal consistency coefficients ranged from 0.69 to 0.88. A factor analysis conducted reveals 5 factors explaining 72% of the variance. The 5 factors were designed as: (a) personal dimensions; (b) adaptation to college major; (c) context dimensions; (d) academic learning process; and (e) family and financial management.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17575/rpsicol.v14i2.510