GPAs compared in residence halls
Overall grades for students living on campus see increase, report says
Jacob McCormick
Issue date: 3/16/06 Section: Campus News
The GPAs of students living on campus are on the rise, according to an annual report from the Registrar's Office.
The average GPA for students living in the 11 residence halls on campus during the fall 2005 semester was 3.134, which was an increase from the fall 2004 semester average GPA of 3.107, according to the Registrar's Office. Chancellors Hall was ranked No. 1 of all the halls, with an average GPA of 3.409.
The residence halls give students a good, studious environment where they are able to focus on their studies, Director of Housing and Residence Life Chuck Major said.
"Students are free to study and work on what they are really here for when they live in the dorms," he said.
Major said he believes some of the strongest contributors to this increase were the guidance offered for students and the planner that was handed out at the beginning of the year.
"The average GPA for students in the residence halls has been on a steady increase for the past few years," he said. "The planners we hand out give a lot of helpful study tips and hints."
For freshman Jon Lechleitner, a resident of Towers North, college is a completely different academic atmosphere than high school.
"In high school, I never really had any study skills," Lechleitner said. "In college, I feel like I have to study more because the less in-class I have, the more out-of-class work I have to do."
He said it helps to be living in a university environment because he can find classmates to study with or consult about homework.
Junior Becky Anderson, an RA in Chancellors Hall, echoed Lechleitner's sentiments.
"It helps to be around other students," she said. "There are more resources between majors and people who have taken a certain class a student might be in. It's also easier to work on group projects because most classmates are living on campus."
Anderson said there are a lot of convenient places to study and living on campus keeps her in the academic mind set.
Lechleitner said it is very easy for him to study in his dorm room, but he sometimes works in Towers' study lounge or in Davies Center.
"The study room is open all night, so it makes it very easy to study," he said. "In the dorms, everything is so close, so concentrating on school work is not that difficult."
Overall, Major believes students' study habits have helped the residence hall GPA average to increase each semester.
"Students are in a very supporting and focused environment in the residence halls," Major said. "It's a great thing considering half of the students in the halls are freshmen and it is their first year in the college atmosphere."
The average GPA for students living in the 11 residence halls on campus during the fall 2005 semester was 3.134, which was an increase from the fall 2004 semester average GPA of 3.107, according to the Registrar's Office. Chancellors Hall was ranked No. 1 of all the halls, with an average GPA of 3.409.
The residence halls give students a good, studious environment where they are able to focus on their studies, Director of Housing and Residence Life Chuck Major said.
"Students are free to study and work on what they are really here for when they live in the dorms," he said.
Major said he believes some of the strongest contributors to this increase were the guidance offered for students and the planner that was handed out at the beginning of the year.
"The average GPA for students in the residence halls has been on a steady increase for the past few years," he said. "The planners we hand out give a lot of helpful study tips and hints."
For freshman Jon Lechleitner, a resident of Towers North, college is a completely different academic atmosphere than high school.
"In high school, I never really had any study skills," Lechleitner said. "In college, I feel like I have to study more because the less in-class I have, the more out-of-class work I have to do."
He said it helps to be living in a university environment because he can find classmates to study with or consult about homework.
Junior Becky Anderson, an RA in Chancellors Hall, echoed Lechleitner's sentiments.
"It helps to be around other students," she said. "There are more resources between majors and people who have taken a certain class a student might be in. It's also easier to work on group projects because most classmates are living on campus."
Anderson said there are a lot of convenient places to study and living on campus keeps her in the academic mind set.
Lechleitner said it is very easy for him to study in his dorm room, but he sometimes works in Towers' study lounge or in Davies Center.
"The study room is open all night, so it makes it very easy to study," he said. "In the dorms, everything is so close, so concentrating on school work is not that difficult."
Overall, Major believes students' study habits have helped the residence hall GPA average to increase each semester.
"Students are in a very supporting and focused environment in the residence halls," Major said. "It's a great thing considering half of the students in the halls are freshmen and it is their first year in the college atmosphere."