Report: college women study better than men

By Sean Mulhair
The Collegian

Female college students are more likely to graduate earlier, receive higher grades and actually read their textbooks than male students according to a recent study of 1,800 students by the Student Monitor.

Eric Weil, managing partner of the Student Monitor, said women are 35 percent more likely to study daily than men. Men also tend to skim through a textbook whereas women tend to read each chapter thoroughly.

Reports from the Student Monitor said one in four men end up doing last minute cram sessions the night before a major exam. Men also party 20 percent more often than women.

Stacy Scarazzo, assistant director for higher education at the Association of American Publishers, said men fill up their studying time with parties and other distractions. Women study more efficiently and have a prepared homework schedule.

Scarazzo said many male students study after midnight while women usually study in the evening shortly after classes. Late night studying has little effect on improving test scores.

“My advice to all students is to read your textbook thoroughly, study daily and be sure to use additional materials like the Web,” Scarazzo said.

Fresno State Career Services Center student assistant Eric Armento said female students are more mature and less distracted than males.

“Women seem more organized and focused on one task before they take on another,” he said.

Bruce Hildebrand, the executive director for higher education at the Association of American Publishers said only half of all public four-year university students, mostly women, actually graduate in four years. The rest of the students who remain, the large majority male, increase their academic debt and put a strain on new enrollment. Universities are under growing pressure to improve student engagement and help them graduate earlier, Hildebrand said.

Hildebrand said publishers are being called upon by universities to update and produce better products that will interest students.

“We’ve generally taken for granted that hitting the books translates to better grades and a more successful college experience. This research confirms that hard work matters, and quantifies the difference between those students with a set of solid study habits and those without,” Weil said.