University of Tokyo

Abstract
Survey Number 0664
Survey Title 44th Fact-finding Survey on Student Life, 2008
Depositor National Federation of University Co-operative Associations
Restriction of Use For detailed information, please refer to 'For Data Users' at SSJDA website.

- Apply to SSJDA. Depositor's approval required.
Educational Purpose Available for both research and instructional purposes.
Period of Data Use Permission One year
Access to Datasets Download
Nesstar Not available
Summary The “Fact-finding Survey on Student Life” has been conducted every October since 1963 with the objective of clarifying the state of university students’ lifestyles, especially, financial life, and the views and behavior of university students, to enhance the lives of university students through the implementation of the results in the activities and operations of university Co-operatives. The 2008 survey is the 44th survey.

This survey was conducted in October-November 2008, a period when the effects of the global financial crisis were just starting to be felt in Japan, in the midst of concerns over food safety that emerged the previous year, and uncertainties in economic life such as the steeply rising price of food and other daily necessities. The impacts of these changes are apparent in survey findings such as a decline in the value of allowances paid by parents to students living away from home, and uncertainties around graduate employment.

Moreover, students born and raised in the Heisei period began entering university, bringing changes in the overall university student profile, including matters such as what students consider important in university life and the people they confide in.
Data Type quantitative research
quantitative research: micro data
Universe Undergraduate students in national/prefectural/municipal and private universities
Unit of Observation Individual
Sample Size Number of responses: 9,999 people

(The survey was conducted with the participation and cooperation of around 19,057 students from 79 University Co-ops across Japan, but in order to gain an more accurate grasp of changes year on year, the data summary and analysis in the report uses a sample of 9,999 respondents (response rate of 35.7%) obtained from 35 University Co-ops designated every year.)
Date of Collection 2008-10 ~ 2008-11
October to November 2008
Time Period 2008 ~ 2008
Spatial Unit Japan
Japan
Sampling Procedure Probability: Simple random
Probability: Stratified
Probability: Stratified: Proportional
Random sampling (Sampling was performed using the student lists or similar of each University Co-op.)
Mode of Data Collection Self-administered questionnaire: Paper
Self-administered mail survey (by hand in some cases)
Co-ops sent out and collected the questionnaire forms, and forwarded completed forms to the National Federation of University Co-operative Associations. Responses collected were computer-processed by an external provider contracted to the National Federation of University Co-operative Associations.
Investigator National Federation of University Co-operative Associations
DOI 10.34500/SSJDA.0664
Sponsors (Funds)
Related Publications (by the Investigator) Questionnaire
Related Publications (based on Secondary Analysis) List of related publications (based on Secondary Analysis)
Documentation
Major Survey Items (1) Attributes
- Major, year in school, age, gender, marital status, university entrance exams, type of residence/layout and size/bathroom, mode of transportation to commute to school, commuting time

(2) University life, daily life and activities
- University life: number of days per week attending university/time of arriving and leaving university/number of classes attended, whether respondent likes university, fullness of student life, important aspects of university life, whether the current university was the respondent’s first choice, reason for choosing the current university, about classes, facilities and environment of the university currently attending, level of satisfaction with relationships with people and atmosphere at the university
- Employment: planned path, worries, behaviors attuned to graduate employment,action taken to obtain preferred occupation/occupation type, decisions on preferred occupation/occupation type

(3) Daily life
- Reading and buying books: Time spent reading per day,number of books purchased in the past one month (for study and research, other than for study and research, magazines) 
- Student club activities: association/membership status, number of clubs joined, content of activities, expectations for and reasons for joining clubs
- Situation of hospitalization/receiving outpatient services: whether respondent has been admitted to hospital or been an outpatient in the last six months due to illness or accident and injuries (whether or not experienced, total number of times outpatient services were received, total number of times hospitalized),accident and details of injury

- Daily meals: timing of meals in one day/location/content/purchase expenses
- Eating habits: concerns related to eating habits, expectations for University Co-ops regarding eating habits
- Worries in daily life, people to confide in (existence of such people, closest confidant, need for somebody to confide in)

(4) Consumption behavior
- Possession and use of personal computers: possession, timing and source of purchase of own computer, timing of gaining proficiency in computer operation (Internet and word processor, spreadsheet, database,image processing)
- Travel abroad: experience of studying abroad and traveling abroad before starting university, studying abroad and traveling abroad as a university student/number of times/agent used)
- Driver’s license: whether respondent has a driver’s license, when respondent got a driver’s license,how respondent applied to a driving school, plan to get a driver’s license
- Loyalty programs: use of loyalty points in everyday shopping and services, selection of stores based on loyalty programs, provider of loyalty programs used, reasons for accumulating points

(5) Content of Co-op activities, evaluation and use of Co-ops
- Co-op books division: number of visits and purchases in the last month, evaluation of books division, comparison with off-campus outlets (11 items), score for books division, off-campus outlets that were compared with Co-op
- Co-op retail division: number of visits and purchases in the last month, evaluation of retail division, comparison with off-campus outlets (10 items), score for retail division, off-campus outlets that were compared with Co-op
- Thoughts on the Co-op’s activities: general representatives’ meetings, suggestion cards/product request cards, reflection of suggestion questionnaire results, awareness of Co-op officials’ activities, intention to participate in running of the Co-op, Co-op news, awareness of mutual aid activities, anti-nuclear and peace-related activities, Co-op’s environmental conservation activities, awareness/participation in “reading marathons,” awareness that Co-op is a non-profit organization, Co-op’s profit-sharing with members and university, existence of association, satisfaction with Co-op currently, overall view of Co-op

(6) Economic life
- Living conditions: living conditions currently and into the future, impacts on economic life recently, impact of recent consumer price rises on living conditions, areas where impact is felt especially, actual sense of economic disparity, income-related measures, areas to conserve/increase spending
- Scholarship: whether received
- Part-time (arubaito) job: current part-time (arubaito) job (existence, number of days worked in a week, average hours worked per day, hourly wage, starting time),part-time (arubaito) work experience in the last six months /income/ main purpose of spending income
- State of living expenses: living expenses for one month (breakdown of income and expenditure), use of “meal card”, “meal coupon,” and “healthy meal ticket”
- Special expenses over the past half-year (details, amount, amount incurred personally), special expenses envisaged over the next half-year (details, overall amount)
- Occupation and annual income of father and mother, parents’ area of residence
Date of Release 2010/05/20
Topics in CESSDA Click here for details

Consumption and consumer behaviour
Higher and further education
Youth
Topics in SSJDA Education/Learning
Society/Culture
Version 1 : 2010-05-20
Notes for Users Please be aware that the summary of this dataset does not match the figures shown in the report, for the following reasons:
(a) Information on the weightings and universities used in the report are not included in this dataset.
(b) The number of cases in this dataset is 19,057, which does not match the number of respondents to the survey.