Description

The Student Adjustment to College Questionnaire (SACQ) is a psychometric tool designed to assess students’ adjustment to college life. Developed by Robert W. Baker and Bohdan Siryk, it is widely used to understand the challenges and experiences of students during their transition to higher education.

Objective

The objective of the SACQ is to provide a comprehensive measurement of students’ college adjustment, focusing on four key dimensions:
Academic Adjustment: Assesses how well students are adapting to academic demands.
Social Adjustment: Evaluates students’ ability to socially integrate and build relationships.
Personal-Emotional Adjustment: Measures students’ personal and emotional well-being.
Institutional Attachment: Assesses the degree to which students feel connected to their educational institution.

Analysis

Analysis of SACQ responses involves evaluating answers to a series of statements that reflect the above dimensions. Responses are scored on a nine-point Likert scale (from 1 = Strongly Disagree to 9 = Strongly Agree). The statements explore various aspects of student life, such as stress management, forming friendships, academic performance, and overall well-being.

Scoring

Scoring the SACQ involves calculating total scores for each of the four dimensions, as well as an overall adjustment score. These scores can be categorized to indicate students’ levels of adjustment to college:
Low Adjustment: Indicates difficulties in adjusting to academic, social, emotional, or institutional demands of college.
Moderate Adjustment: Indicates some challenges, but also satisfactory adaptation in certain areas.
High Adjustment: Reflects good adjustment across various college demands and overall well-being.

References

Baker, R. W., & Siryk, B. (1984). Measuring adjustment to college. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 31(2), 179–189.
Credé, M., & Niehorster, S. (2012). Adjustment to college as measured by the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire: A quantitative review of its structure and relationships with correlates and consequences. Educational Psychology Review, 24(1), 133–165.
Feldt, R. C., & Woelfel, C. (2009). Five-factor personality domains, self-efficacy, career-outcome expectations, and career indecision. College Student Journal, 43(2), 429–437.
Gerdes, H., & Mallinckrodt, B. (1994). Emotional, social, and academic adjustment of college students: A longitudinal study of retention. Journal of Counseling & Development, 72(3), 281–288.