COLLEGE STUDENTS SHUN POLITICS; POLL OF FRESHMEN SHOWS LESS SUPPORT FOR SEX, BEER.

Byline: Sharline Chiang Daily News Staff Writer

Nationwide, college freshmen are losing interest in political issues, are less likely to choose law as a career and less engaged in academics, according to an annual UCLA study of 469 colleges released Monday.

The survey also shows students are volunteering more, increasingly opposed to abortion and casual sex, and drinking less beer.

Researchers say the lack of political interest may be fueled by the political turmoil in the wake of the Lewinsky-Clinton scandal.

``They tell us that the issues aren't relevant to their lives,'' said Linda Sax, survey director. ``The issues of 30 years ago - the draft, the civil rights movement - these were things that the students could grasp onto.''

The study was conducted in the fall of 1998 by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles' Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. Data was culled from two- and four-year colleges across America.

A record-low 25.9 percent of freshmen said ``keeping up to date with political affairs'' was very important, compared to 26.7 percent in 1997 and a high of 57.8 percent in 1966.

Los Angeles college students found results pretty much on target.

``Some students say they're not getting involved in politics because they probably feel that this is something that we don't really have a voice in,'' said Tameika Hall, 23, a junior and deaf studies major at California State University, Northridge.

Hall said students opt to volunteer at the community level because they can see the difference they're making. Also, many high schools and junior highs now require students to get involved.

The UCLA survey shows a record number of freshmen - 74.2 percent - compared with 73.1 percent in 1997 and a low of 62 percent in 1989 - report volunteering in their last year of high school. Researchers lament another finding, however - of those that have volunteered, only 18.9 percent said they expect to continue in college.

Volunteerism aside, making money still matters, students said.

Some 74 percent said being ``well off financially'' is very important, compared to 44 percent in 1966.

``I would definitely agree with that. I think that's mainly because the people who went to the college in the '60s were idealists and these in the '90s are realists,'' said UCLA freshman Thomas Soteros-McNamara, 18, a political science major. ``Society reinforces that the haves and have-nots (are separated) by higher education. Students realize their livelihood and future relies on it.''

Other findings showed:

An all-time high 60.3 percent of students said they ``came late to class'' frequently or occasionally compared to a low of 49.2 percent in 1966.

A record-low 3 percent of students aspire to be lawyers, compared to a high of 5.4 percent in 1989.

A record-low 51.6 percent said they drink beer frequently or occasionally, compared with a high of 75.2 in 1981.

A record low of 50.9 percent said they support the legalization of abortion, compared to 53.5 percent in 1997 and 64.9 percent in 1990.

A record low of 39.6 percent of freshmen said they agreed ``if two people really like each other, it's all right for them to have sex even if they've known each other for a very short time.'' In 1987, students responded positively at a rate of 51.9 percent.

Responding to the survey's first questions on computer usage, about 83 percent said they use the Internet for research or homework.