Lebanese college students in the United States

Abstract

This study investigated the academic, personal, and social problems of a selected group of Lebanese college students in the United States. The study was conducted in the following manner: Purposes were established; the related literature was reviewed; and a survey questionnaire consisting of 60 forced-choice, Likert-type items, 13 demographic questions, and six open-ended questions was developed and distributed to 443 students selected from 1,927 by proportional random sampling.

Inferential analysis of the data tested six hypotheses. With regard to academic, personal, and social concerns, there were no overall significant differences between male and female students or between students majoring in the social sciences and those majoring in the pure and applied sciences. Higher levels of academic, personal, and social problems were reported by students who had attended public secondary schools in relation to those who had attended private secondary schools and by undergraduates in relation to graduate students. Students reported more problems in personal and social matters than in academic matters. Positive correlations were detected among the three areas of concern: problems in one area relate to problems in the other areas. Findings of the study indicate that students' levels of concern are more different than alike. The study suggests the need for pre-departure, on-site, and pre-return orientation programs and for intensive English language courses for many prospective college students before leaving Lebanon.