Accurate Predictors of College Success - Report Example

Accurate Predictors of College Success Introduction Accurate college success is defined as students’ cumulative grade point average and timely graduation. Internal factors should be defined as students’ feelings of personal control of their academic environment and their choosing a study strategy that worked best for them. External factors comprised relationships with faculty and peers and engagement in their college classes. It has been reported that the internal factor of feeling in control shortened the time needed to graduate. The internal factor of choosing a personal study strategy increased the cumulative GPA. External factors such as relationships with faculty have a positive impact on academic achievement; however, peer relationships were divided: male achievement decreased as peer relationships increased, but female achievement increased as peer relationships increased. Student engagement was associated with a greater frequency of graduates and less time needed to graduate. The Categorical Claim GPA is the only valid and accurate predictor of success in college, and the higher the outcome in GPA the higher success. All other predictors become secondary factors that aid the most accurate measure mentioned here above. Everybody joins college to learn and the most effective measure of learning is attaining high grades. Poor grades reflect a lack of success, high grades in GPA implies high success, and modest GPA reflects modest success. On the other hand, High GPA means a higher chance in securing employment, which is the currency for a sound financial future. Hence all students with high GPA results are successful in college. This is the categorical claim, and according to Velasquez (195), the ‘All A is T’ is one of the syllogism of categorical claims. To check for the validity of a categorical claim, Velasquez(177) remarks that one should use the preceding rules in the following structure; ‘All A are B’, ‘No A are B’ , ‘Some A are B’, and ‘Some A are not B’. this means that in the case under study, this can be adjusted as follows all students with High GPA results are successful in College, Not all student with High GPA are successful in College, Some Students with high GPA are successful in college, and finally some students with high GPA are not successful in college. Description Predictors to success in college vary from one individual to another, yet the most important measure of success in college is the GPA. In most cases, time spent while studying can easily infer a high GPA. However, this is not always the case as other intrinsic as well as extrinsic factors affect a student’s performance. Plant et al (98), study on the relationship between a college students study time and GPA failed to find a significant positive correlation. Class attendance and GPA relationship have in the past been used to determine college success, and just like study time, the results have consistently showed a weak correlation between attendance class and GPA. As a result this paper shall seek to use other factors to investigate their influence student success. These factors identified as both intrinsic-self driven factors and extrinsic factors identified earlier will be evaluated against GPA and time between enrollment and graduation. The success in college is directly linked in sound financial futures, manifested in the ease of getting jobs. In this paper, high GPA falls is the subject term in the argument whereas success in college becomes the predicate term. The claim between the subject term and predicate term above is an affirmative one. Frequent researches have continually proven the assertion above to be true and valid to that extent. Students whether starting or halfway through college always have the desire to predict their success. However, this is complicated by the lack of discourse among researchers and educators on how best to define college success, or effectively measure this success. Thus, prediction of college success is done by application of several predictors, which brings it is the topic of this paper, “Accurate Predictors of College Success”. Some predictors used in college success include entrance exam scores in a college, measuring of GPA midway through the college and at the end, and high school GPA. Since such a topic contains many variables, its definition becomes challenging and controversial. Therefore, this paper applies definition argument on accurate predictors of college success. Definition argument provides away to critically think about issues and present them in a way that helps the public understand better. According to definition argument, the definition of accurate predictors of college success takes the form of operational definition. Operational definitions state that in order for an effective, safe, and useful, X must satisfy the requirement of Y, where X and why are elements that are equally important in the definition. In this case, X is the accurate predictors, which must satisfy the requirement of college success. This topic is controversial and arguable because it is not easy to determine which predictors can be used to effectively to determine success. Another point of argument is that there may be now particular way of determining the success of students in college. Success, thus, can only be measured once the college student has successful completed. Personal motivation is an important factor in enhancing individual performance in college, so far as GPA and college completion time become the subject of measurement (Hall, Smith and Chia, 1089). There is a significant link a close relationship between personal motivation and college success, and as a result personal motivation determines college success. Finally, peer relationship and college success have a significant relationship. Students grouped within the iconic nerd category have been known to have exemplary success, in lieu of GPA results. Hence personal motivation becomes a powerful factor influencing college success in students, hitherto ignored by several students. Personal motivation draws from the inner strength determine to direct one’s efforts to the goals set. Theoretical frameworks have always asserted the critical influence that positive and personal motivation plays on the life of a student. It is clear that external factors do not guarantee to success in college, as a student can align himself with a very group as well develop a strong bond with the faculty, but still the success in college shall eludes him. Students with high GPA and complete college on time are highly self motivated individuals than those students who record lower GPA and have fallen in time ahead of schedule. Intra personal and inter personal self are important to a college student success. However, since only the intra part showed a positive correlation, it remains the only component that can be relied upon. Nonetheless, peers form a significant part of a student’s life and can influence college success, perhaps if completion time can be relied upon. Certain students reported a higher interpersonal correlations and low GPA while others reported the converse and hence this result became frustratingly difficult to reply upon to draw a conclusive theory on the two relationships: peer influence and college success. Conclusion The results from this paper support the need for more emphasis to apply on the students so that they can draw a lot of self drive so that they complete college in time as well as achieve a high GPA. This paper did not disparage the other supposed factors that may influence college student success, it only failed to find a positive relationship between those factors and success. As a result they are as important as before the research, and therefore further quantitative research should be conducted to develop a mathematical relationship devoid of narrative analysis. Therefore, this paper firmly upholds that personal motivation factors (intrinsic) factors are important to college student success, in terms of academic result and college completion time, standard being four years. Works Cited Hall, Cathy, Kris Smith, and Rosina Chia. "Cognitive and Personality Factors in Relation to Timely Completion of a College Degree." College Student Journal. 42.4 (2008): 1087-1098. Print. Plant, E, K Ericsson, L Hill, and K Asberg. "Why Study Time Does Not Predict Grade Point Average Across College Students: Implications of Deliberate Practice for Academic Performance." Contemporary Educational Psychology. 30.1 (2005): 96-116. Print. Velasquez, Manuel G. Philosophy: A Text with Readings. Belmont, Calif: Wadsworth, 2013. Print. Read More