Overcome the Adjustment Barriers: The Impact of China’s Orientation Programs on First-year College Students’ Academic and Social Adjustment

  • Wei Bao ,
  • Yuanhao He ,
  • Feng He
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  • 1. Center for Higher Education Development Research, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
    2. Institution of Education, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
    3. Institute of Economics of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
    4. Future Education Center at Peking University, Beijing 100871 , China
    5. Graduate School of Peking University, Beijing 100871, China

Online published: 2024-12-24

Copyright

, 2025, Copyright reserved © 2025.

Abstract

The college orientation programs serve as a crucial bridge to help first-year students adjust to the college environment, develop self-cognition and social cognition, and integrate into college life. Considering the prevalent academic and social adjustment barriers among Chinese freshmen, and based on the international comparison of the orientation programs, the study evaluates the impact of the orientation programs on first-year students’ adjustment using a nationwide survey data. The study demonstrates that implementing long-term orientation programs, which deliver discipline-based introduction, study skills courses, and mental health services, has positive impact on both academic and social adjustment. However, due to the lack of support for disadvantaged freshmen, the compensatory impact of orientation programs is supposed to strengthen. The findings provide scientific insights for improving orientation programs to ensure the quality of talent cultivation.

Cite this article

Wei Bao , Yuanhao He , Feng He . Overcome the Adjustment Barriers: The Impact of China’s Orientation Programs on First-year College Students’ Academic and Social Adjustment[J]. Journal of East China Normal University(Educational Sciences), 2025 , 43(1) : 49 -66 . DOI: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5560.2025.01.004

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