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Abstract
The present study explored group differences among native and transfer student groups on measures of adjustment and burnout. The study examined how specific variables impact transfer student adjustment and the predictive strength of previous hours earned and GPA on transfer student adjustment. The study also explored how emotional exhaustion is impacted by academic probation status and determined if a relationship exists between college adjustment and student burnout. Three-hundred sixty five undergraduate students enrolled at a large southeastern public institution were administered The Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ; Baker & Siryk, 1989) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory- Student Survey (MBI-SS; Schaufeli et al., 2002). The results obtained in the present study suggest that when compared to native students, transfer students are experiencing more difficulty adjusting to the social and institutional demands of the university. The study also revealed that students on normal academic standing (i.e., not on academic probation) experienced elevated rates of emotional exhaustion which is considered to be the starting point for the burnout syndrome (Maslach et al., 1981; 1996). Finally, the study identified a significant relationship between adjustment and burnout. The findings suggest that better adjusted students may be less likely to experience symptoms of academic burnout. These results may be beneficial for college administrators, faculty and staff who work with undergraduate students and with transfer student populations. The results may have numerous implications for student advisement programs, college counseling centers, and for student orientation purposes.