These include previous qualifications, sex, race, age, social status etc. These characteristics interact
with the student’s goals (e.g. to complete and successfully pass a course/degree) and commitments (to
the course and to the institution) to influence integration. This in turn, combined with the influence of
any contextual factors (e.g. accommodation, employment and family commitments, finances), and
factors particular to the university (e.g. timetable, teaching environment, curriculum) impacts the
subsequent re-evaluation of goals and commitment, which is the primary determinant of persistence.