Relationships between learning strategies, stress, and study success among first-year veterinary students during an educational transition phase

Abstract

We investigated the relationships between stress, learning strategies, and study success among first-year veterinary students at the very beginning of their veterinary studies. The study was carried out during the first course on macroscopic anatomy (osteology), which students have in the past found to be exceptionally stressful. Students (N=45) completed a questionnaire concerning their self-reported views on stress and learning strategies, which were compared with their self-reported written-test scores. Participants who had previously gained university credits did not have significantly better test scores, but they achieved the learning goals with significantly less stress than other participants. Previous experience of university study helped students not only to adjust to a new type of course content and to achieve the learning goal of the osteology course, but also to cope with the stress experienced from taking concurrently running courses. Of the respondents who specifically named factors relating to self-regulation and modification of their learning strategy, all had gained prior credits. These students were able to use their study time efficiently and adjust their schedules according to the course demands.