What are the factors behind the good and bad academic standing of students in college? Why do some students have higher grades than others? College life consists of a variety of activities including interactions with friends, student clubs, family, part-time work, research, etc. Such activities influence a student’s academic performance either positively or negatively through the construction of the daily habits of the student. This essay discusses psychological, socio-economic, and environmental factors affecting the academic performance of students.
A student’s mental and physical well-being contributes to his psychological condition that impacts his academic performance. Students should have clear goals for their studying and be ready for self-discipline. Academic performance increases with students’ ability to force themselves to study regularly, attend lectures, and have extra classes. For example, a student whose psychological condition is stable can focus on his or her studies and be productive compared to a mentally unstable student. This is because a student with mental issues is usually confused about his life and actions, so spends more time on concentrating his studies. Moreover, a student who successfully manages his time and has useful study habits is more likely to have higher academic results. Therefore, psychological factor plays a vital role in students’ academic performance.
Socio-economic factors, such as a student’s financial condition, romantic relationships, club responsibilities, involvement in sports, etc., influence the grades of students. When despite studies, a student has other social and economic concerns, his academic performance may be changed in different ways. For instance, Muluk (2017) investigated that students working part-time require a longer time to finish their studies than those who do not have part-time jobs. Some students dedicate their time to earning money rather than studying, thus getting lower grades on exams and group works. One more example of a socio-economic factor affecting academic performance is related to sports activities. An empirical analysis of the panel dataset of undergraduate students who studied at a Spanish University between 2008 and 2014 has found a positive relationship between students’ academic results in GPA and their sports events engagement (Muñoz-Bullón et al., 2017). For a student, being active in sports is beneficial, as he or she gets better physical as well as mental health. In addition, sport makes students more self-disciplined and aware of their actions. Therefore, students increase their ability to study, as a result, have good academic results.
Other crucial factors affecting a student’s academic performance are environmental factors that include stress from external sources like dating and family or work issues. Stress negatively affects the academic performance of students because it makes them anxious. For example, Jonathan (2017) found a significant correlation between dating and undergraduate grades. Students with regular dating have lower grades than the ones without constant romantic relationships. As such, stress from the outside environment influences the academic performance of students.
Overall, college life is full of different activities that have either positive or negative impacts on the academic performance of students. What students do and how they react to the events in college influence their academic results. As such, psychological, socio-economic, and environmental factors affect students’ academic performance. Psychological factor includes both the mental and physical health of a student and the ability to set goals and discipline himself or herself. Socio-economic factors consist of a student’s societal interactions and financial conditions. Environmental factors are highly associated with stress from the outside world, such as romantic relationships, organizational issues, family dramas, etc.
References
Muluk, S. (2017). Part-time job and students’ academic achievement. Jurnal Ilmiah Peuradeun, 5(3), 361-372.
Muñoz-Bullón, F., Sanchez-Bueno, M. J., & Vos-Saz, A. (2017). The influence of sports participation on academic performance among students in higher education. Sport Management Review, 20(4), 365-378.
Nwosu Jonathan, C. (2017). Dating and academic performance: An empirical analysis among Babcock University’s undergraduate students in Ogun state. British Journal of Education, 5(11), 112-118.