Academic success is an important issue as employers are looking for individuals with a postsecondary education. But there are many important indicators of success besides grades. We conceptualized academic success at postsecondary as grade point average, acquisition of knowledge and skills, and overall satisfaction and examined how each conceptualization was predicted by student characteristics (perceived academic ability and drive to achieve) and experiences (academic and social integration). Using a 1-year longitudinal design, we found that perceived academic ability had a positive direct effect on grade point average and acquisition of knowledge and skills but not satisfaction, whereas drive had no direct relationships with the outcomes. Academic integration positively predicted all three indicators of success grades, but social integration was not associated with grades. Indirect effects were also noted. Our discussion highlights actions that postsecondary institutions can take to support students and considers how researchers should conceptualize student success.
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