Supporting Student
Grades
BY CODY CROSSLEY
Difficulties Faced By First Year
College Students

Transition to independent living.

Family Problems.

Transportation.

Distance from academic resources.

Disconnect from collegiate social life.

Money issues.

Reduced access to study groups.

Difficulty maintaining GPA.
Proposal

First year college students should be required to live on campus for
their freshman year.
Benefits Of Living On Campus

Access to study groups (roommates).

Easy access to academic resources such as the library, tutors, and a
computer lab.

Decreased personal responsibilities (meals provided by college, no
home maintenance).

No need to travel far to get to classes.

Increased involvement in student life.

Increased GPA.
Studies Support The Proposal

Study found that living on campus improved students GPA by an
increase of between .19 and .97 (Araujo, Pedro, Murray, 2010).

Studies show that students who live on campus all show an
increased GPA compared to those who have never lived on
campus (Baylor, 2011).

Study at BYU found that students living off of campus were 1.7 times
more likely to fall into an academically at-risk group (McCain, 2012).
Common Misconceptions

Living on campus increased drug and alcohol use.
Research has shown the exact opposite effect. Chris Baylor
completed a study that has shown that students living on campus
were less likely to engage in drug and alcohol use than those living off
campus.

Students living on campus will party more and spend less time
studying.
While it may be true that students living on campus attend social
events more, this has been linked to an increase in students
connection with their education. This is also linked to increase use of
peers as study partners.
Conclusion

Having students live on campus their first year is a solution to the
difficulties faced by first year college students and results in higher
GPA’s and a more rewarded college experience for the student.
Works Cited

Araujo, Pedro, and James Murray. "Estimating the Effects of Dormitory Living of Student Performance."Iub.edu.
Center for Applied Economics and Policy Research, 9 Feb. 2010. Web. 28 Nov. 2014.

Baylor, Chris. "Living on Campus Could Mean Higher GPA." WEAU. WEAU, 1 Sept. 2011. Web. 25 Nov.
2014.<http://www.weau.com/home/headlines/Living_on_campus_could_mean_higher_GPA_128971513.html>.

Donovan, Richard A. "A Room Of Their Own For Commuter Students." Chronicle Of Higher Education (2006): B24.
Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 25 Nov. 2014.

Kreig, Dana Balsinki. "High Expectations For Higher Education? Perceptions Of College And Experiences Of Stress
Prior To And Through The College Career." College Student Journal 47.4 (2013): 635-643. Education Full Text (H.W.
Wilson). Web. 30 Nov. 2014.

McCain, Kristi. "Living on Campus Associated with Higher Grades for BYU Freshmen." Brigham Young University
News Release. BYU, 17 Sept. 2012. Web. 26 Nov. 2014. <http://news.byu.edu/archive12-sep-gpa.aspx>.

Murray, James, and Pedro Ajaujo. "Academic Benefits of Living On Campus." 21 June 2010. Web. 29 Nov. 2014.

Oguntoyinbo, Lekan. "Hall Sweet Home." Diverse: Issues In Higher Education 27.25 (2011): 8-10. Education Full Text
(H.W. Wilson). Web. 30 Nov. 2014.

Parker, Jeffrey, "Does Living Near Classmates Help Introductory Economics Students Get Better Grades?."Journal
Of Economic Education 43.2 (2012): 149-164. Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 30 Nov. 2014.

Turley, Ruth N. López, and Geoffrey Wodtke. "College Residence And Academic Performance: Who Benefits From
Living On Campus?." Urban Education 45.4 (2010): 506-532. Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 30 Nov. 2014.