The Effect of Personality and Precollege Characteristics on First-Year Activities and Academic Performance

The relationship between students' gender, personality traits, predicted first-year grades, and quality of effort put forth in academic and personal/social activities with academic achievement and critical thinking was examined for 265 first-year science and engineering undergraduates enrolled at a selective doctoral-extensive university. Results show that some personality traits influence the quality of effort expended with academic and personal/social activities as well as end-of-first-year grades and a measure of critical thinking.