So It's Not Like the Movies? An Analysis of the Links Between Popular Culture, Motivation and Expectations in First-Year College Student

The rising concern regarding the graduation rates of university students in the United States has led to research being conducted in order to establish possible relationships between environmental factors and the high attrition rates for first-generation college students pursuing a Bachelor's degree at a four-year university. One factor to be examined is the portrayal of higher education in popular culture and the impact this has on students' perceptions, and therefore motivation and expectations, when entering into a four-year program at a university. This study seeks to empirically identify if any such connection exists between the portrayal of higher education in popular culture and student expectations and motivation during their first year of college at a four-year, public university.