Boredom: The Academic Plague of First Year Students

Abstract

Academic boredom is a rarely studied phenomenon which negatively affects desired academic integration and persistence of first year college students. Responses to a questionnaire administered to 252 full-time freshmen who are enrolled in at least one remedial course indicate that academic boredom exists and may be related to the following factors: (a) a conflict between student expectations and reality, and (b) unmet student need for a high degree of classroom stimulation. Academic boredom, which may serve to mask deep-seated fears of failure, triggers a cycle of self-defeating behaviors that may, in fact, lead to academic failure or withdrawal. Colleges and universities can confront academic boredom through recommended programs and policies.