2005 University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey

This year's survey has three parts:

I. Time use and overall satisfaction II. Your background III. Rotating module: academic engagement

PART I: TIME USE and OVERALL SATISFACTION

Time Allocation

1. During your TYPICAL 7-day (168 hour) week during the academic semester, how many hours do you spend doing the following?

  0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 >30
Attend class or labs                
Study and other academic activities outside of class *                

*completing reading or writing assignments or independent lab work, conducting research online or in the library, doing homework or lab work, analyzing data, rehearsing, or other academic activities, preparing for class or tests

  0 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 >30
Work for pay on campus                
Work for pay off campus                

2. Again during a TYPICAL 7-day (168 hour) week in this academic semester, how many hours do you spend doing the following?

  0 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-12 >12
Commute to school and to work              
Fulfill family responsibilities              
Perform community service or volunteer activities              
Participate in physical exercise, fitness activities or recreational sports              
Participate in student clubs or groups such as publications, cultural groups or student government              
Attend movies, concerts, sports or other events              
Party              
Exchange email or instant messages              
Other socializing, talk with friends              
Play video or computer games, shopping online, visiting chat rooms or surfing the Internet (non-academic)              
Watch TV              

3.

4.

5. Do you have a car with you here at Cal this semester?

6. Some students experience difficulties while attending college. A few of the potentially difficult areas are listed below. To what extent, if any, are you experiencing trouble in the following areas?

  No Trouble A little trouble Some trouble A lot of trouble
Time management        
Managing finances        
Maintaining good physical health and fitness        
Handling stress        
Achieving a high enough gpa        
Establishing meaningful friendships        

Skill Development

7. Please rate your level of proficiency in the following areas: 1) When you started at UC and 2) Now.

  When you started at Cal Current
Ability to write clearly and effectively  
Research skills  
Oral presentation skills  
Ability to effectively express my views in discussions with others  
Analytical and critical thinking skills  
Quantitative skills  
Understanding of culturally diverse viewpoints  
Interpersonal skills  
Leadership skills  
Understanding of a specific field of study  
Being an informed citizen  
Ability to appreciate the cultural arts  
Internet skills  
Desktop computer skills  

Future Plans

8. What do you plan to do when you graduate from Cal?

9. What is the HIGHEST academic degree or credential that you plan to eventually earn?

Satisfaction with Academic and Overall Experience

10. Have you formally declared a major?

10a. If you have declared a major, what is the BEST thing about your major so far?

10b. And what is the WORST thing so far?

11. How satisfied are you with each of the following aspects of your educational experience?

IF YOU ARE A DECLARED MAJOR, please answer the following questions about your MAJOR.

IF YOU ARE A DOUBLE MAJOR, please answer for the major you declared first (or, if you declared them at the same time, the one you consider your PRIMARY major).

IF YOU HAVE NOT YET DECLARED A MAJOR, please answer them for your OVERALL educational experience at Cal.

  Very dissatisfied Dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Somewhat satisfied Satisfied Very satisfied
Advising by faculty on academic matters (courses, requirements, etc.)            
Advising by faculty on other matters (careers, life plans, etc.)            
Advising by staff on academic matters (courses, requirements, etc.)            
Advising by staff on other matters (careers, life plans, etc.)            
Accessibility of faculty outside of class            
Availability of courses needed for graduation            
Access to small classes            
Opportunities for research experience            
Quality of faculty instruction            
Quality of teaching by TA's            

12. Thinking back on this academic year, how often have you done each of the following?

  Never Rarely Occasionally Somewhat often Often Very often
Had a class in which the professor knows your name            
Had a class in which the professor (rather than the teaching assistant) grades or evaluates your work            
Gained a deeper understanding of different perspectives through conversations with students of the SAME race or ethnicity than your own            
Gained a deeper understanding of different perspectives through conversations with students of a DIFFERENT race or ethnicity than your own            
Gained a deeper understanding of different perspectives through conversations with students whose political opinions were very different from yours            
Gained a deeper understanding of different perspectives through conversations with students whose religious beliefs were very different from yours            

13. How satisfied are you with each of the following aspects of your educational experience?

  Very dissatisfied Dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Somewhat satisfied Satisfied Very satisfied
Value of the education you are getting given how much you have to pay for it            
Availability of courses for general education or breadth requirements            
Your overall UC GPA            
Ability to get into a major that you want            
Overall academic experience            
Overall social experience            
Overall UC experience            

14. Indicate your level of agreement with each of the following statements:

  Strongly disagree Disagree Somewhat disagree Somewhat agree Agree Strongly agree
I feel that I belong at this campus            
Knowing what I know now, I would still choose to enroll at Berkeley            

PART II. YOUR BACKGROUND

15. What language did you learn to speak first?

15a.

16.

17.

18.

Parental Education

19. What is the highest degree earned by your mother?

20. What is the highest degree earned by your father?

21.

22.

23.

PART III. ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT

24. Whether you have already declared a major or are still deciding what major to pursue, please tell us what factors are most important to you in deciding on your major?

  Not important Not very important Somewhat important Important Very Important Essential
Intellectual curiousity            
Leads to a high paying job            
Prepares me for a fulfilling career            
Parental desires            
Easy requirements            
Allows time for other activities            
Prestige            
Couldn’t get into my first choice of major            

Coursework

25. College students have different orientations to their coursework. Indicate your level of agreement with the following statements:

  Strongly disagree Disagree Somewhat disagree Somewhat agree Agree Strongly agree
My main concern in my classes is getting good grades            
I prefer course material that arouses my curiousity, even if it is difficult to learn            
I want to get better grades in school than most other students get            
The most satisfying thing in a course is trying to understand the content as thoroughly as possible            
I prefer course material that really challenges me so I can learn new things            
When I can, I choose assignments that I can learn from even if they don't guarantee a good grade            
I want to do well in school because it is important to show my ability to others            

26. Here are some more statements about your coursework. Please indicate your level of agreement with each.

  Strongly disagree Disagree Somewhat disagree Somewhat agree Agree Strongly agree
One of the best parts of my college experience is finding a class that's really interesting            
It is very important for me to do well in school because I do not want to disappoint my parents            
I enjoy thinking about how to tackle a challenging assignment            
I feel I have a good understanding of what I need to do to master a new topic            
I am good at planning strategies to learn new material            
When faced with an assignment that is unlike anything I have ever done, I have no idea where to start            

27.

28.

29.

30. There are many reasons why students don't spend as much time on their course work as they think they should. To what extent are the following the reasons why you have not spent more time on your course work this academic year?

  Not a reason in my case One of the reasons A major reason The most important reason
Coursework just not that interesting to me        
Coursework not particularly relevant to my career goals        
My ability to concentrate is not that good        
My study habits and time management skills are not that good        
My social life competes too much with studying for my time and attention        
My job (paid employment) competes too much with studying for my time        
My involvement with campus activities competes too much with studying for my time        
My involvement with social issues or political causes competes too much with studying for my time        
My friends (peers) don't spend enough time studying, so it's hard for me to do so        

Academic Engagement

31. Thinking back on this academic year, how often have you done each of the following?

  Never Rarely Occasionally Somewhat often Often Very often
Put together ideas or concepts from different courses when completing assignments            
Developed your own point of view about an issue and used facts and examples to support your viewpoint            
Examined how others gathered and interpreted data and assessed the soundness of their conclusions            
Worked harder than you ever thought you could to meet an instructor’s standards or expectations            
Reconsidered your own position on a topic through closely examining the arguments of others            
Asked a question in class because you a curious to learn more about a topic            
Asked a question in class to impress the instructor        <