This study was created to examine the difference in means between a University of South Carolina sophomore students' level of involvement and levels of self-efficacy, meaning-in-life, and intent to re-enroll. Sophomore college students have less support than in their first year while struggling to develop purpose and declare a major. During this period of uncertainlty, sophomores may experience 'prolonged indecisiveness, poor academic course selection, low levels of academic and co-curricular engagement and integration, behavioral problems, and increased time to degree completion' (Schaller, 2010). To alleviate the symptoms of these problems, sophomores can develop self-efficacy and meaning-in-life. A modified version of Laurie Schriener's Sophomore Experience Survey was sent to all 4,016 second-year students at the University of South Carolina, Columbia campus. Three hundred forty seven (8.64%) students responded, self-reported to be sophomores, and completed the entire survey. Section C of the survey measured Self-Efficacy, Section E measured Meaning-in Life, and one question from Section E measured intent to re-enroll. A one-way analysis of variance was used to test the null hypothesis at a .05 level of significance. Results indicated that students involved in on-campus organizations, regardless of religious status, had higher levels of self-efficacy. Students in religious on-campus organizations had the highest levels of meaning-in-life, followed by students involved in non-religious on-campus organizations and then students not involved in on-campus organizations. The one-way analysis of variance revealed that there was no difference in means between the level of involvement and intent to re-enroll.
","abstract_html":"<p>This study was created to examine the difference in means between a University of South Carolina sophomore students' level of involvement and levels of self-efficacy, meaning-in-life, and intent to re-enroll. Sophomore college students have less support than in their first year while struggling to develop purpose and declare a major. During this period of uncertainlty, sophomores may experience 'prolonged indecisiveness, poor academic course selection, low levels of academic and co-curricular engagement and integration, behavioral problems, and increased time to degree completion' (Schaller, 2010). To alleviate the symptoms of these problems, sophomores can develop self-efficacy and meaning-in-life. A modified version of Laurie Schriener's Sophomore Experience Survey was sent to all 4,016 second-year students at the University of South Carolina, Columbia campus. Three hundred forty seven (8.64%) students responded, self-reported to be sophomores, and completed the entire survey. Section C of the survey measured Self-Efficacy, Section E measured Meaning-in Life, and one question from Section E measured intent to re-enroll. A one-way analysis of variance was used to test the null hypothesis at a .05 level of significance. Results indicated that students involved in on-campus organizations, regardless of religious status, had higher levels of self-efficacy. Students in religious on-campus organizations had the highest levels of meaning-in-life, followed by students involved in non-religious on-campus organizations and then students not involved in on-campus organizations. The one-way analysis of variance revealed that there was no difference in means between the level of involvement and intent to re-enroll.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Hatfield, Lauren Michelle"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"M.Ed.","degree_level":"Campus Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Educational Leadership and Policies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Julie Rotholz"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:37:49Z","subjects":["Education","Educational Administration and Supervision","Higher Education Administration","Campus organizations","Religion","Sophomore"],"languages":[],"rights":["© 2011, Lauren Michelle Hatfield"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1417","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Julie Rotholz"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Hatfield, Lauren Michelle"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Educational Leadership and Policies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Campus Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.Ed."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Education","Educational Administration and Supervision","Higher Education Administration","Campus organizations","Religion","Sophomore"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© 2011, Lauren Michelle Hatfield"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1417"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This study was created to examine the difference in means between a University of South Carolina sophomore students' level of involvement and levels of self-efficacy, meaning-in-life, and intent to re-enroll. Sophomore college students have less support than in their first year while struggling to develop purpose and declare a major. During this period of uncertainlty, sophomores may experience 'prolonged indecisiveness, poor academic course selection, low levels of academic and co-curricular engagement and integration, behavioral problems, and increased time to degree completion' (Schaller, 2010). To alleviate the symptoms of these problems, sophomores can develop self-efficacy and meaning-in-life. A modified version of Laurie Schriener's Sophomore Experience Survey was sent to all 4,016 second-year students at the University of South Carolina, Columbia campus. Three hundred forty seven (8.64%) students responded, self-reported to be sophomores, and completed the entire survey. Section C of the survey measured Self-Efficacy, Section E measured Meaning-in Life, and one question from Section E measured intent to re-enroll. A one-way analysis of variance was used to test the null hypothesis at a .05 level of significance. Results indicated that students involved in on-campus organizations, regardless of religious status, had higher levels of self-efficacy. Students in religious on-campus organizations had the highest levels of meaning-in-life, followed by students involved in non-religious on-campus organizations and then students not involved in on-campus organizations. The one-way analysis of variance revealed that there was no difference in means between the level of involvement and intent to re-enroll.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Battling the Sophomore Slump: Involvement and Religious Participation"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Julie Rotholz"],"dc:creator":["Hatfield, Lauren Michelle"],"dc:description.abstract":["This study was created to examine the difference in means between a University of South Carolina sophomore students' level of involvement and levels of self-efficacy, meaning-in-life, and intent to re-enroll. Sophomore college students have less support than in their first year while struggling to develop purpose and declare a major. During this period of uncertainlty, sophomores may experience 'prolonged indecisiveness, poor academic course selection, low levels of academic and co-curricular engagement and integration, behavioral problems, and increased time to degree completion' (Schaller, 2010). To alleviate the symptoms of these problems, sophomores can develop self-efficacy and meaning-in-life. A modified version of Laurie Schriener's Sophomore Experience Survey was sent to all 4,016 second-year students at the University of South Carolina, Columbia campus. Three hundred forty seven (8.64%) students responded, self-reported to be sophomores, and completed the entire survey. Section C of the survey measured Self-Efficacy, Section E measured Meaning-in Life, and one question from Section E measured intent to re-enroll. A one-way analysis of variance was used to test the null hypothesis at a .05 level of significance. Results indicated that students involved in on-campus organizations, regardless of religious status, had higher levels of self-efficacy. Students in religious on-campus organizations had the highest levels of meaning-in-life, followed by students involved in non-religious on-campus organizations and then students not involved in on-campus organizations. The one-way analysis of variance revealed that there was no difference in means between the level of involvement and intent to re-enroll.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1417"],"dc:rights":["© 2011, Lauren Michelle Hatfield"],"dc:subject":["Education","Educational Administration and Supervision","Higher Education Administration","Campus organizations","Religion","Sophomore"],"dc:title":["Battling the Sophomore Slump: Involvement and Religious Participation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Educational Leadership and Policies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Campus Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.Ed."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:37:49Z"}