Abstract
M.Ed.
The literature-study that was undertaken indicated that
first-year students have problems in adapting to university-
life. Extensive research has been done regarding
the academic adaptation of first-year students. The social
adaptation has been mentioned in various literature
sources as a problem although intensive research on this
subject has thus far not been done. The first objective
of this study was directed towards gaining more clarity
on the social adaptations that first-year students living
in university residences have to make at university. A
second objective was to determine the responsibilities
these first-year students had to take in their social
adaptation process, to ensure that they make the correct
decisions. Thirdly, the male and female students°
responses were compared regarding the above issues. A
questionnaire was used to obtain data on the three objectives
mentioned above. These objectives were analysed by
making use of Hotelling's T 2 -test and Student's t-test.
The results obtained in this study indicated the following:
Male first-year students were more self-assured and
had a greater need to socialise with people of the opposite
sex.
Female first-year students were uncertain about themselves
and did not have the need to socialise with
people of the opposite sex.
Thus, first-year male students tended to adapt better
socially in the first few weeks at university than was
the case with female first-year students.
First-year female students showed a higher degree of
social responsibility.
Male first-year students showed a higher tendency
towards personal responsibility.
In total, only a limited amount of responsibility was
shown by first-year students during their social adaptation
at a university.