Success is a predetermined goal for any university student undergoing studies, however the transition to university is a difficult one, and can become quiet challenging. The critical foundations can subsequently become difficult to be formed, resulting in students deciding to drop out. According to Tinto (1993), the majority of students (75%) leave college during the first two years, and 57% of them do so without graduation. Reasons behind leaving university can range from a number of reasons, GPA being one of the major responsible factors for early drop-outs from college (McGrath & Braunstein, 1997). Academic self-efficiency also plays a vital role in success, as the transition to university can seem quiet daunting and pose struggles for those who aren’t as self-efficient as required. This can cause a variety of negative emotions and outcomes like frustration, and subsequently hindering success from students due to clouded perspectives on universities.
University’s which decide on being more selective in terms of academics when selecting first years, concluded that greater success is met along with retention among first-years. Similarly, Ting (1998) included high school GPA, SAT verbal scores, quantitative scores along with 38 psychosocial and demographic variables in a study of students’ collage GPA and retention. Found that it is mainly the GPA that is the most significant of first year collage success. These results mainly originate due to the fact that students with a higher GPA, tend to be more intelligent. Therefore, better equipping them self’s with skills and the tools to overcome obstacles and perceiver to success. However, throughout the study, the predictive validity of the high school GPA, as well as SAT scores, were influenced by a range of factors such as gender, financial situation and race. Ting’s (1998) study indicated that it is apparent that when selecting students based on higher academics, it can result in higher success rates at university along with greater achievements being acquired by students.
Academic self-efficiency is a term that suggests with respect to academic behaviours, may influence scholastic performance and persistency Hence why academic self-efficiency is arguably one of the most vital skills required throughout university in order to achieve success. A number of studies have proven this, with research generally showing that students with a higher level of academic self-efficacy achieved higher university GPA. Proving that there’s an importance in academic self-efficiency in regards to academic success. The result’s found by Lent, Brown and Larkin (1984). from a variety of studies conducted on academic self-efficiency are best summarised by Brown, Lent and Multon (1991). Their results from the meta-analysis conducted, proved that there’s an outlying positive and significant correlation around academic self-efficient ideologies and academic performance. Research consistently reiterates similar results showing that students who practised high levels of academic self-efficiency tend to achieve higher university GPA and commonly persisted on their academic journey through out university longer, than those who perceived not to be able to obtain academic self-efficacy.
Conclusion
Concluding that from both themes discussed in the literature review, there are many factors proven in studies to assist in obtaining success. GPA, a determined academic score is persistently proven that with a higher GPA comes a higher rate of success at university. Even though in some research the predictive validity isn’t as strong. Many other researchers have proven that with higher academics comes consistent success and goals achieved at university. Self-efficiency has mainly been proven across the board to be a vital skill required for success at university. As most researches do admit that in their findings in order to reach conative behaviour, self-efficiency plays an important role. With the combination of both self-efficacy and a high GPA, proves from researchers that a student’s chance of success at university is defiantly improved. Concluding that both self-efficiency and GPA are undeniably a positive factor in achieving success at university.