Demographic risk factors, study patterns, end campus involvement as related to student success among Guilford Technical Community College students

Community College Review, Summer, 2003 by Carol Schmid, Patricia Abell

On a normal weekend, when there were no tests or papers due, 58% of the prospective graduates spent time studying, while 42% felt they did all right without studying. In comparison, 56% of nonreturning students spent time studying, while 42% felt they did all right without studying, and only 41% of current students spent time studying, while 58% felt they did all right without studying. Table 3 shows of those prospective graduates who did study, 31% studied 5 hours or less on a normal weekend, and 69% studied 10 hours or less. In comparison, 45% of nonreturning students and 44% of current students studied 5 hours or less, and 84% and 76%, respectively, studied 10 hours or less.

Table 3 shows that the two most popular study patterns were 1) weekly study with reviews before exams (graduates--43%, nonreturning students--35%, current students--32%) and 2) cramming before exams and some study during the week (graduates--29%, nonreturning students--28%, current students--38%) Other patterns were studying almost every day (16%, 19%, 12% respectively), primarily cramming before exams (7%, 7%, 14% respectively) and studying every day (6%, 7%, 4% respectively).

In addition to effort put into classes, consistent study instead of cramming is also more likely to pay off in terms of graduation from GTCC. Over one third of GTCC graduates studied 11 or more hours per week. It is interesting to note that nonreturning students studied more than the cross section of current GTCC students captured in the Faces of the Future study.

Consistent study rather than cramming is more likely to bring success in terms of GTCC program completion. Table 3 shows GTCC graduates were the most likely of the three groups to study consistently during the week and to review before exams. As we will see in the next section, they were also more likely to use other resources such as study groups and faculty help outside class. Study time alone is only one factor in student success. Studying with peers in study groups and systematic study appear to interact with hours studied to produce students who are more likely to complete programs at GTCC.

Student Involvement

Coley found some significant differences in student involvement in college life, depending on the type of institution the student first attended (Coley, 2000). Community college students were less likely than other four-year students to participate in study groups, to speak to faculty outside class, and to participate in school clubs. According to Tinto and Russo (1994), student involvement is difficult to achieve at most community colleges. Literature on student retention and attrition suggests that contact with faculty and students outside class is a crucial factor in a student's decision to remain in college (Chickering and Gamson, 1987; Glennen, Farren, and Vowell, 1996).

As shown in the national data in Table 4, community college students were less likely in the 1995-96 study by the Educational Testing Service to participate in college life than were students at public four-year schools. Seventy-seven percent of the national sample of public four-year college students participated in study groups as compared to 46% of the national sample of community college students. The percentage of four-year public college students participating in school clubs was also much greater than that of their community college counterparts (49% versus 18%) (Coley, 2000).