Pages 987-988 in N. Murphy and A. Parkinson, eds. Circumpolar Health 2012: Circumpolar Health Comes Full Circle. Proceedings of the 15th International Congress on Circumpolar Health, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, August 5-10, 2012. International Journal of Circumpolar Health 2013;72 (Suppl 1):987-988
Center for Alaska Native Health Research, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
Department of Psychology, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, USA
Source
Pages 987-988 in N. Murphy and A. Parkinson, eds. Circumpolar Health 2012: Circumpolar Health Comes Full Circle. Proceedings of the 15th International Congress on Circumpolar Health, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, August 5-10, 2012. International Journal of Circumpolar Health 2013;72 (Suppl 1):987-988
Dropout rates of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) college students are among the highest of any ethnic group in the United States (1). Appropriate academic preparation and orientation to an urban, college lifestyle is extremely important for AI/AN students' academic achievement (2). Students who migrate from rural areas have protective factors that may help them succeed in the transition to college in an urban setting (1). Nevertheless, the move to attend school may distance these students from their cultures and rural villages, contributing stress that may be coped with by engaging in maladaptive behaviors, or result in dropping out of school (1). Little research exists concerning how AI/AN students themselves perceive the rural-to-urban transition often required for tertiary education. Understanding AI/AN students' perspectives on coping while transitioning to college may shed light on how to better engage with these students, and provide targets for intervention aimed at facilitating the transition to college life.