Lakeland freshmen were as studious in most areas as seniors in high school as their counterparts were nationwide last year, according to a survey conducted by The Mirror.

The Mirror used questions from a survey conducted last fall by UCLA’s Cooperative Institutional Research Program based on the responses of about 204,000 first-time, full-time college students at 270 colleges and universities nationwide. The UCLA survey included a wide variety of questions, including ones about religious and political affiliation. The Mirror survey was sent to all Lakeland freshmen, asked only questions regarding students’ academic-related habits as high school seniors, and the results were kept confidential.

According to the national study’s results, some of which were published in a Jan. 26 article in “USA Today,” compared to previous years, more high school seniors “are taking notes in class, doing homework, and taking classes that have more demanding coursework…to better prepare themselves for being a college student. In addition, fewer students are reporting that they drank alcohol, partied, or showed up late to class.”

This is a trend that led the researchers to believe that this entering class of freshmen has a better chance of succeeding academically. “What we’re seeing, perhaps, is a little more seriousness about what you’re called to do in college,” said Director of UCLA’s Cooperative Institutional Research Program, John Pryor.

It is not possible to draw conclusions from the results of The Mirror survey, since only 67 of nearly 200 freshmen students responded.

The Mirror asked two major questions from the national survey. The first was, “In deciding to go to college, how important to you was each of the following reasons?” Freshmen nationwide said “Getting a better job” and “Learning about things that interest me” were the most important in students’ decision to go to college. Lakeland freshmen said “Getting a better job” and “Getting specific training for a career” were the top two reasons to go to college, at 85 and 84 percent, respectively. Lakeland freshmen also voted “Being a more cultured person” the least important reason, with only 34 percent saying it was very important.

The second major question was, “During your last year in high school, how many hours did you spend during a typical week doing the following activities?” In the national survey, 40 percent of freshmen said they studied or did homework six or more hours per week. Only 24 percent of Lakeland freshmen said they studied or did homework six or more hours per week. The Mirror results showed that 45 percent of Lakeland freshmen spent some time partying during their senior year, much lower than the national percentage of 65 percent. The Mirror results also showed that 65 percent of Lakeland freshmen spent six or more hours per week playing sports or exercising and 45 percent spent six or more hours per week working for pay. Volunteer work came in as the activity done least—only two percent reported volunteering for six or more hours per week.