REVIEW RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter deals with the literature related to the exploring the college

students study habits this year.

STUDY HABITS

Study Habits are the regular tendencies and practices that one depicts

during the process of gaining information through learning. In simple terms

study habits are the habits when one study. A person with poor study habits

will not be able to learn properly. It is generally believed that a student learns

effective study habits in school. So college students are generally assumed to

have effective study habits. But the environment of school and college are

very different and need have effective study habits is even more at college

level as compared to school.

Study habits is a well-planned and deliberate pattern of study, which

has attained a form of consistency on the part of the students towards

understanding academic subjects and passing examination (Pauk, 1962;

Deese, 1952; Akinboye, 1974 cited by Oyedeji). Therefore, study can be

interpreted as a planned program of subject matter master.

 Study habits are at the core of academic success. It is an action like

reading, taking notes, conducting study groups that students perform

frequently, and regularly accomplishing the learning goals. It can be defined

as effective or counterproductive based on whether it serves the students well.

Thus, study habits are purchasing out a devoted and un-interrupted time to

apply oneself to the world of learning (Rabia, Mubarak, Tallat, Nasir, 2017).

Arieta, Gementiza, and Saco (2017) highlighted that study habits play a

significant role in students' life. The success or failure of each student

depends on their study habits. The study also says that study is an art and

requires practice and effort. The success of each student depends on the

ability, intelligence, and action of the students. Thus, many effective study

habits can help a student to improve. According to the study as cited by

Fouche (2017), he described good study habits like doing homework, actively

participating in class, managing time, staying focused, and working hard

showed a significant positive correlation on their academic performance.

Further, students need to develop study habits because these are study

strategies that are applied in learning. Without developing study habits,

students cannot perform and improve their academic performance (Ebele &

Olofu, 2017).

According to Crow and Crow, (2007), the chief purposes of study are: to

acquire knowledge and habits which will be useful in meeting new situations,
interpreting ideas, making judgments creating new ideas and to perfect skills.

Therefore, successful achievement in any form of academic activity is based

upon study, interpretation and application. Everyone has different study habits.

All often, students perform poorly in school simply because they lack good

study habits. In many cases, students do not know where to begin. Those

students in high school who succeed especially well usually study alone and

follow a study technique that has been worked out by them and that

incorporates desirable procedures. Good health, sufficient sleep, appropriate

exercise and nutritious diet are essential to achievement of good study results.

Study conditions that are unfavorable include inadequate lighting, extremes of

temperatures, humidity, poor posture, subnormal physical conditions and

emotional disturbance. Although habits differ from person to person, some

general principles can be derived about studying efficiently.

WHY EFFECTIVE STUDY HABITS IN COLLEGE?

There are four major reasons so as to why teachers should focus

helping their students in developing effective study habits. The very first

reason is that despite of availability of good study materials and the best

instructors, instructors often find students have not learned well The Second

reason is that many students do not know how to think and study properly.

Thus there is a great need to inculcate good study habits in students either by
the instructor by motivating them or students themselves by self-regulating

them. The third one being that many talents remain underdeveloped due to

less attention given to their academic and personal growth. The last one

states that there has been marked decline in average weekly study time for

college students.

Cardelle-Elawar and Nevin (2003) expound that study habit refers to

the conscious and purposeful use of one’s cognitive skills, feelings, and

actions to maximize the learning of knowledge and skills for a given task and

set of conditions. Cardelle-Elawar and Nevein (2003) consider study habit as

the application of an individual’s intelligence, emotions, and activities towards

the acquisition of knowledge and skills to accomplish an assignment.

Logically, effective study habit is contingent on keen intellectual competence,

stable emotions, and relevant activities deliberately directed to construct

knowledge and develop skills so as to attain a goal.

Furthermore, Crede and Kuncel (2008) add that review of material; self-

testing and rehearsal of learned material are constituents of study habit. The

views of these scholars suggest that study habit demands personal

commitment of students to grasp concepts, revise, and personally assess

one’s proficiency to ascertain the extent of consolidation of subject matter.

Wood and Neal (2007) conclude that study habits are approaches

applied to learning. Understandably, good study habits assist students to

apply their thought processes to identify relevant bodies of knowledge and

evaluation of same. Conversely, poor study habits impede students’ capacity

to engage in constructive intellectual exercise.

Kelli (2009) posits that for students to succeed in their studies, they

must be able to appropriately assimilate course content, digest it, reflect on it

and be able to articulate the information in written and/or oral form. What is

fundamental is the ability of a student to acquire effective study habits. Many

students feel that the hours of study are the most important. However,

students can study for hours on end and retain very little. The more

appropriate question is how students should study more effectively.

Developing good time management skills is very important. Students must

realize that there is a time to be in class, a time for study, time for family, time

to socialize and time to just be alone. The critical issue is recognition that there

must be an appropriate balance. Students should also have vision. A clearly

articulated picture of the future they intend to create for themselves is very

important and contributes to students’ success in school. This will promote a

passion for what they wish to do. Passion is critical and leads to an intense

interest, dedication and commitment to achieving career goals and objectives.

Marc (2011) explains that students with learning problems, however,

may still have generally inefficient and ineffective study habits and skills.

Becoming aware of your learning habits or styles will help students to

understand why they sometimes get frustrated with common study methods.

He observes that good study habits are essential to educational success; as

they contribute to a successful academic future. Good study habits lead to

good grades while good grades lead to admissions to better colleges and

universities, possibly with a scholarship thrown in. This in turn, will lead to a

great career. Developing good study habits to Marc is very crucial for every

student irrespective of his level of education. It boosts students’ ability to be

self-disciplined, self-directed and ultimately successful in their degree

programs. The sooner a student starts practicing and developing good habits,

the better chance he will have that he will continue with them. Procrastination

can be overcome with proper study habits and improving one’s study habits is

the key to better studying. Being organized and having homework routines are

the most important things in helping a child/student develop good study habits

for life. Developing good study habits help spell success and a student will find

himself working more efficiently and experiencing lesser stress in the process.

He adds that having effective study habits creates a more efficient academic

environment. Planning your study schedule as a student in advance and

faithfully sticking to it saves time. When students have good study habits, they

tend to be less stressed. Students who are anxious on exam day are typically

the procrastinators who come unprepared. Students who organize their lives

and stick to their established study schedules are confident and relaxed at

test-taking time (Marc, 2011).

 Effective studying is critical to success in college, and many new

college students quickly find that their prior study habits need major

adjustments. To begin making the change, find a quiet, organized space to

study. Study with a positive attitude and specific goals in mind. If you need

help, there's no shame in asking. Your professors and peers are there to help

you learn. You can develop excellent habits that help you navigate the

difficulties of college.
 EFFECTIVE STUDY HABITS

ALTERNATE YOUR STUDY PLACES

Although some people swear by the library, cognitive scientists suggest

that alternating study spaces is a more effective way to retain information.

Memory is colored by location, and changing your study locales increases the

likelihood of remembering what you’ve learned.

ACTIVELY ENGAGE YOUR BRAIN

Students should keep on actively engage their brain either by taking

down notes or practicing questions side by side. It has been proved that

people retain 75% of the information when they write while they read

TAKE TESTS

Consistent testing can help us relearn and recall information, and it

pays off when preparing for final exams.

SLEEP

A tired mind is a slow mind. Students should take enough sleep and

watch the CGPA rise.

DON’T CATEGORIZE YOURSELF

Students should not categorize themselves as auditory or visual

learners or as left brained and right brained thinkers. It is more important to

figure out which study strategies work for you than to worry about where you

lie on the learning spectrum.

GO TO CLASS

Students should go to class regularly. It is often seen that students

usually miss their classes either due to the disinterest in the subject or due to

disliking for the instructor.

MANAGE YOUR TIME

The only thing worse than having a deadline is missing a deadline.

Students should stay organized, cut down on procrastination and their work

load will feel much more manageable.

 Students cannot perform efficiently without proper learning. For

learning, every student uses different techniques and methods on a scheduled

and regular basis, these habitual practices for studying can be termed as

study habits or study skills used by students (Khurshid, Tanveer & Qasmi,

2012). Study habits and skills vary from one person to another. According to

Azikiwe (1998), study habits are the approaches and ways a learner employs

during his personal study time in order to achieve the mastery of the subject.

Study habits and skills are the learning techniques that learners use to learn

individually. Effective study habits assist students to gain mastery of a topic to

learn and ensure the good performance in academics.

Effective time management skills include studying on daily basis,

forming timetables, study plans and utilizing time properly. Spending extra

hours for studying with lack of concentration does not define the appropriate

utilization of time. Concentration is also a significant dimension of study habits.

It is the ability to give attention and avoid distractions while studying. Note-

taking is not just writing the lecture in fact it also needs attention and listening

ability to properly note down the lecture. Strategies used to memorize the

learned material are also attributes of study habits. Effective textbook reading

is not only reading the material but also comprehending the reading material

by constructing themes and main ideas (Ayesha & Khurshid, 2013; Congos,

2010; Osa-Edoh, & Alutu, 2012).

 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

This study is based on Barry Zimmerman in the 1980s self-regulated

learning (SRL) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Self-regulated learning

emphasizes how students actively control their own learning process through goal-

setting, self-monitoring, and reflection. This theory posits that effective study habits

are developed when students are able to regulate their behaviors, motivations, and

cognitive processes in pursuit of academic success. The study habits observed

among college students may thus reflect their level of self-regulation, which impacts

their academic performance.

The theory of planned behavior complements SRL by explaining how

students' attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived control over their study

habits influence their intentions and behaviors. According to TPB, students

who believe in their ability to manage time, use effective study techniques, and

meet academic expectations are more likely to engage in successful study

practices. By identifying specific study habits and their impact on performance,

this study can provide insights for interventions designed to enhance self-

regulation and motivation, ultimately improving students' academic outcomes.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

INDEPENDENT VARIABLES

STUDY HABITS

Time spent in studying

Taking notes Outcomes

Attending classes regularly Variables

Concentrating on study SEMESTER GPA

Time management
CUMULATIVE GPA
Alternate your study places

FIGURE 1: This shown the Relationship between Study Habits to their Academic
Performance.

This diagram shows that if a student performs an effective positive or

negative study habits will reflect on their academic achievements.

The concept of study habits focuses on the student's achievements in

school. It is the students' hard work and effort to achieve better academic

performance in their studies. Study habits are part of a student's everyday life
in school. It contributes significantly to the development of knowledge and

perceptual capacities. Study habits tell a person how much he will learn, how

far he wants to go, and how much he wants to earn.