Do you ever go out on a weekday instead of studying for a big test the next day? Well next time, rethink that decision! According to a study done at Penn State the relationship between alcohol abuse and a student's GPA is a poor one. The study began in 2008 and consisted of 28,000 students across the country. The students reported in the study were all students who had gone to a university counseling center.
Students who had gone to seek help at the counseling centers had admitted to binge drinking or the abuse of alcohol. Though the study doesn't really tell us any details it does clearly show a correlation between the two. More than 15,000 students responded to questions about binge drinking. That's more than half of the entire study! The study was a two-week long period, they had to answer questions about about how many drinks they had and had to reflect on what they had done both weeks.
The study showed an average of what students had received. Those that had not gone out received a 3.19, while those who had gone out received a 3.11. But, students who had gotten into trouble more than once received even lower. The study showed that the more incidents the binge drinking students had gotten into, the lower their GPA was. The lowest GPA found was a 2.95 and those students had gotten into trouble 10 or more times!
Yes, the GPA's might not seem very low, but this is the reason we come to school to help be successful here and in our future! It's not just affecting their grades, but their health too. Everyone should go out and have fun, but we also need to be thinking about other aspects of our college career!
http://news.psu.edu/story/172329/2009/11/16/study-inverse-relationship-between-alcohol-abuse-and-college-gpa
Wow. This is an interesting study. It may seem like a no-brainer that yes if you go out and binge drink, you would be more likely to have a lower GPA, but to see the actual findings is a good tool for prevention. Arguably, excessive alcohol consumption is the most rampant health issues on college campuses and very important to talk about. Thanks for sharing and great post.
ReplyDeleteI honestly thought the GPA would be lower for those that binge drink and go out all the time. I still think this would be a good statistic for people to use when they are talking about how important it is to study and prioritize. I agree that college is very important and that should be our number one concern, but we should also have some fun. If students split their time between studying and having fun then they will be very successful. This was a good post.
ReplyDeleteI would have thought that students who had gotten into trouble for binge drinking in the past would have taken that as a sign to stop & eventually raise their GPA, instead of it just getting worse &worse. That was very interesting to me, along with just how some students had gotten in trouble for it over 10 times!!
ReplyDeleteI feel like there will never be enough education on alcohol. This was a great post and the study that you discussed was interesting as well. Knowing that the GPA of individuals who drink was lower was not a surprise to be, but I am a little shocked that their GPA's weren't lower. I also like the background that you chose, it is really unique. Awesome post!
ReplyDeleteThis blog related to us all in some way. I know personally I do go out on the weekend and party with my friend. I don't do homework until Sunday afternoon, when I could have spread it out over the weekend so that it does not piled up. I did not know drinking affects people GPA in such a way. Now I Know that I need to be more focus on my studies than trying to party with friends.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the study. I believe that they study is basically saying the more alcohol you drink the lower your GPA. I agree with that because alcohol is not healthy for you and especially if you drink too much it can harm your brain.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that it can lower your GPA, drinking makes you tired, hung over, and not want to be productive. I think that it also effects you as you get older too. It can lead to real alcoholism which can lead to sclerosis of the liver, which can also lead to Hep C, and eventually death at a young age. My father died of alcoholism and I feel this is a very good subject to be informed about because a lot of younger people don't realize how important it is to not get caught up in that life and consequences in the long run.
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ReplyDeleteThis and the STI blog Treonia has written, I think is very important for college students. I have had a long history of alcohol abuse which is why I am still in school and why I am fixing all the mistakes I made financially and with my education. College is about having fun. There is no other way to put it. However, that does not mean school should not be a priority. I took my education for granted and now I have had to retake several classes, work long hours and days, while managing school, homework, work, relationships with friends, family, my boyfriend, and find a happy balance between all of that. Thank you for your blogs! I look forward to reading all of yours. (:
I'm glad you made this post. Last year I can say I went out every single weekend I was at EIU after homecoming week. I do feel that my grades were affected even though I had a 3.4 first semester and 3.6 second semester. I probably could have got a 4.0 goal if I didn't want to go out all the time and drink alcohol. I've definitely slowed down on drinking and don't even have a taste for it as much as I use to.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I have an assignment or test coming up, I feel guilty going out! I try to limit myself from going out! There are some weeks where I don't go out at all. Now that I have a job, time management is really important. I procrastinate a lot and sometimes put everything off until the weekends, therefore not being able to go out! It is important to make time for yourself and social life though. Its all about balance. Great post!!
ReplyDeleteMaria, good post, and I'm glad that you brought up the subject of your grades and how alcohol abuse effects it. I for one was never one to party and go out every weekend. However, I am older and have a family, but I still think that it can effect anyone. It doesn't shock me that the fact that if you drink more and party more then your grades will be affected. Your post was very interesting and informative!
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very important topic for college students. I know I am guilty of going out the night before test and I also know that it isn't a good idea. I think the study was a good way of showing the damage that can actually come from drinking instead of focusing on school.
ReplyDeleteVery good post!! I am guilty of going out the night before something is do even though I know I shouldn't. You did a great job of explaining the consequences of these actions.
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