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Study shows students who pay for education do better academically
he February issue of the “American Sociological Review” tapped into a study that was released saying that students whose parents pay for their education don’t do as well academically as students who pay for it on their own. However, it also said that students who are provided for are more likely to finish college and earn a degree than students who are footing their own bill.
Dr. Laura Hamilton, a sociology professor at the University of California Merced, researched and wrote for this journal article. She sought out inspiration from her experiences as an educator. Hamilton’s findings stem from an analysis of data from the U.S. National Center for Educational Statistics. “Students with parental support are best described as staying out of serious academic trouble, but dialing down their academic efforts,” Hamilton said at the journal’s release.
As evidence for the previous statement, Hamilton cited another study that said the average college student spends 41 hours per week socializing, and 28 hours per week in class or working on homework. This time is less than the time a high school student spends in classroom during the week.
In reaction to the information released, Michaela Lehane, a first-year at Elizabethtown College said “I don’t think that it is true, because my parents are paying for my education and I still work hard. As an education major, I have to maintain a 3.0 grade point average in order to stay in the major. However, I also just want to be successful in college and in life.”
This is true for many majors at Etown. Many students are trying to maintain a certain grade point average in order to continue in their programs or to maintain scholarships. This not only applies to academics, but to extracurricular activities at the College as well, including athletics and leadership positions on campus.
First-year Cole Goodman said, “Just because a student’s parents pay for their education doesn’t mean that they will not do well in college. I think it has more to do with a student’s motivation to succeed.”
Personally, I think that the study has some merit in saying that students who pay for themselves do well. These students most likely have to work while also attending college so they likely have better time management skills. They also realize the value of a dollar and how money is being spent for every class. As a result, they will be less likely to miss classes, and we all know that in college, attending every class helps our own success stories.
However, I do agree with what both Lehane and Goodman had to say. Other factors drive students to succeed during their time at college. I know I want to succeed in college by maintaining good grades because I have always been that way. I want to prove that the money that is being invested in my undergrad education is not being wasted. From personal experience, I believe that what you learn in college will help you out in your professional career so I try to pay attention to everything that I am being taught, because I can use it later in life
A student’s success with his or her GPA doesn’t just depend on who pays the bill, but also what type of personality the student has and whether or not they personally want to succeed in life.