Guidance needs of black first year students in a developing country

The guidance needs of 348 Black first year university students were investigated. The results indicate that help with academic problems (subject and course choice and study skills) should receive priority in planning university guidance services for this population group. The need for adequate financial support also proved to be a significant problem with the students. As predicted, help with making career plans did not figure as a major need, although the time variable (first week of the academic year) may have influenced the results. Contrary to a stated hypothesis, help needed with personal problems proved to be the least required service. Another important need identified was a lack of sufficient educational, occupational and personal information. Some of the recommendations made to provide adequate guidance services include sufficiently staffed guidance bureaus, the lengthening of the academic year for freshmen, non-technical information pamphlets, combining computer scoring of standardized tests with the do-it-yourself approach in order to provide reliable information and a mobile career guidance unit.