One of the most significant changes in education over the past few decades has been the importance of earning a college degree. The National Center for Education Statistics (2014) reports that from 1997 to 2011, the total enrollment of 18 to 24 year olds in postsecondary degree-granting institutions had increased by 49%. Furthermore, the number of 18 to 24 year olds in postsecondary degree-granting institutions is projected to increase by an additional 9% by 2022 (Hussar & Bailey, 2014). With this substantial increase in college enrollment comes many concerns, including what factors will contribute to a student’s overall success. Whether or not a student lives in a college’s residence halls can have an impact in their complete experience
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While residential students tended to obtain higher grade point averages (GPAs) in college, the difference between them is statistically insignificant. Research from Dr. D. Gianoutsos and Dr. Vicki Rosser (2014) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas found that the cumulative GPA for residential students was 2.86 while commuter students had a 2.71 after the Fall 2007 semester. This gap, while still small, is much larger than what was true before these students entered college. In high school, commuter students actually held a higher grade point average at 3.30, while residential students had a 3.26 (Gianoutsos & Rosser, 2014). Various dynamics have contributed to residential students obtaining higher GPAs. Residential students appear to be more motivated and/or able to continue their college education. For students completing their first academic year, residential students accumulated 28.40 credits, 82% of which were retained and 31.9% of which obtained sophomore status. Commuter students, on the other hand, accumulated 26.39 credits, 71% of which were retained and 20.1% of which obtained sophomore status (Gianoutsos & Rosser, 2014). There appear to be several factors that influence the academic success of residential students compared to commuter students. Colleges and universities should see these statistics …show more content…
For the purposes of this study, residential status was to refer to whether the participant lived on-campus in the school’s residence halls or if the participant lived elsewhere. Cumulative GPA was measured by calculating the total number of quality points earned divided by the total number of graded credits the participant earned since their first semester at their school. Furthermore, a brief survey was distributed to the participants regarding their involvement on campus. The survey consisted of ten questions which asked about demographic information such as gender, age, and major, in addition to questions regarding their participation in athletics, intermural sports, Greek Life, and school-sponsored clubs and organizations. Athletics were to refer to any sport offered by the school that was sanctioned by the NCAA, while intermural sports were considered organized sports clubs not sanctioned by the NCAA. School-sponsored clubs and organizations referred to any organization on campus that had a staff advisor, president, and approval by the school’s Student Government Association. Finally, participants who were commuters were asked to indicate how many days a week they were on campus and how long it took them to commute to campus from their place of residence, as well as how long it took them to
While residential students tended to obtain higher grade point averages (GPAs) in college, the difference between them is statistically insignificant. Research from Dr. D. Gianoutsos and Dr. Vicki Rosser (2014) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas found that the cumulative GPA for residential students was 2.86 while commuter students had a 2.71 after the Fall 2007 semester. This gap, while still small, is much larger than what was true before these students entered college. In high school, commuter students actually held a higher grade point average at 3.30, while residential students had a 3.26 (Gianoutsos & Rosser, 2014). Various dynamics have contributed to residential students obtaining higher GPAs. Residential students appear to be more motivated and/or able to continue their college education. For students completing their first academic year, residential students accumulated 28.40 credits, 82% of which were retained and 31.9% of which obtained sophomore status. Commuter students, on the other hand, accumulated 26.39 credits, 71% of which were retained and 20.1% of which obtained sophomore status (Gianoutsos & Rosser, 2014). There appear to be several factors that influence the academic success of residential students compared to commuter students. Colleges and universities should see these statistics …show more content…
For the purposes of this study, residential status was to refer to whether the participant lived on-campus in the school’s residence halls or if the participant lived elsewhere. Cumulative GPA was measured by calculating the total number of quality points earned divided by the total number of graded credits the participant earned since their first semester at their school. Furthermore, a brief survey was distributed to the participants regarding their involvement on campus. The survey consisted of ten questions which asked about demographic information such as gender, age, and major, in addition to questions regarding their participation in athletics, intermural sports, Greek Life, and school-sponsored clubs and organizations. Athletics were to refer to any sport offered by the school that was sanctioned by the NCAA, while intermural sports were considered organized sports clubs not sanctioned by the NCAA. School-sponsored clubs and organizations referred to any organization on campus that had a staff advisor, president, and approval by the school’s Student Government Association. Finally, participants who were commuters were asked to indicate how many days a week they were on campus and how long it took them to commute to campus from their place of residence, as well as how long it took them to