Effect of Major Selection Motivation Major Satisfaction of Health Related Departments on Their School Life Adjustment

Purpose: This study assessed the effects of major selection and major satisfaction levels on university life adaptation among health students. Methods: This study included 300 first- and second-grade college students attending classes for physical therapy, occupational therapy, and dental hygiene at K University in Busan Metropolitan City. We assessed their motivations regarding major selection and its influence on their adaptation to school life through a mobile questionnaire applied for 6 weeks between October 30 and December 9, 2018. Data from 200 respondents were included in the analysis after excluding data deemed to have been provided insincerely and questions without responses. Correlation and multi-cycle analyses were performed using SPSS version 25.0 to test the data collected. Results: The choice and satisfaction with the major selected were significantly associated with college life. Outdoor motivation was among the factors that less affected academic, social, and personal-emotional adaptation, which are sub-factors of university life adaptation. Among the factors that less affected the satisfaction level, curriculum satisfaction and awareness satisfaction affected academic adaptation; general satisfaction, curriculum satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction affected social adaptation; relationship satisfaction and awareness satisfaction affected personal-emotional adaptation; and curriculum satisfaction and relationship satisfaction affected environmental adaptation. Conclusion: The results of this study confirmed that the choice and satisfaction with majors were an important variable in predicting adaptation to college life. Thus, increasing the adaptation of university students requires educational services related to major satisfaction and social awareness, as well as a trust-based system for maintaining emotional ties.