Risks worth taking: advisors’ views on risks that college students should take more often

Willingness to face uncertainty and step out of one's comfort zone may be important, even necessary, for personal growth and success during the transition through college and into adulthood. This study explored the types of purposeful and adaptive risks that might be particularly worth taking. A sample of 50 academic advisors at a large US university identified actions that they felt students might consider risky but would benefit from taking more often. Content analysis identified a set of four thematic domains: (a) psychological, (b) self-assertion, (c) exploration, and (d) interpersonal. Respondents also suggested four ways that college staff and faculty can facilitate these growth-oriented risks - through supportive environments, conversation, activities/materials, and campus-wide programming. Results are discussed from a framework of college student development theory, and suggest ways that personal growth and academic success might be promoted in higher education environments.