The Problem and its Setting

This chapter presents the introduction of the study, the statement of the problem, importance, the scope and limitation and the definition of terms.

Introduction College students around the world commonly have problems in studying and getting high grades. Study habits, sleeping pattern eating pattern and night life are the factors that affect the academic performance of students. Aside from these four, there are still other reasons like family problem, finances, peer pressure, lack of confidence and genetic predisposition Talking about lack of study habits, one has to establish number of hours, frequency and time to studying. The number of hours is very important for studying because while studying will take time to process information in the brain. One has to concentrate and during concentration, he or she must focus on what he or she studying and this requires time. Frequency of studying in important because there are subjects that needs time. For example, in mathematics and other subject that require skills, one has to perform the operation several times so that he or she can master the process. Time for studying is important because one is affected by mood, stress and hormonal activities for the day. Early in the morning most of the senses not yet prepared for heavy mental work so one need is to warm up so that one’s senses will also prepared. But this will require habit because some people like to study early morning when they are not yet tired or in the evening when they are not pressured to prepare for school activities. Academic performance of students is also affected by sleeping pattern. Sleeping pattern can be described by number of hours in sleeping, continuity in sleeping and use of sleeping enhancers. All of them can affect the academic performance because it is during sleeping that the body repairs the different cells. The body also rests to have more energy for the next day, that is why one feels tired and not in the mood to study the next day if one lacks to sleep is one of the factors that may affect academic performance of students. Lack of sleep may also lead to the lack of concentration in the classroom and one has the tendency to sleep that will make he or she miss the discussion. Aside from the study habits and sleeping pattern, academic performance can also be affected by night life and vices. Among the vices that students have alcoholism and smoking. Some of them may also involve in drug, computer game addiction and even prostitution. This may happen sometimes if the student living away from their parents where they are free to do what they want. If the student is active at night most of the time, chances he or she will fail to study. If he or she fails to study, he or she cannot participate in the class activities. He may also be sleepy all the time, thus, he may get low scores in quizzes, recitation, assignment and exam. The situation of students may not be different from other schools because due to active night life and vices. Students look haggard, sleepy during class, unprepared in coming to school, have low grades due to lack of class participation. In some of the observation, those students who are very active during the night do not perform well in the classroom and they are always late in coming to classes. Also, as observed, they are always absent because they feel very tired the next day. Based on some personal interviews, it is their way of coping because of family problems and other factors that is difficult to handle. This is clear case when in study habits, sleeping pattern, eating pattern and night life and vices interact to affect the academic performance of students. The school being concerned about the welfare of students has PGS program and academic counseling to monitor the academic status, and to help the students in their adjustment to college life. Thus, researcher motivated to investigate low study habits, sleeping pattern, eating pattern and night life can affect the academic performance of college students.

OBJECTIVES:
This part represents the objectives of the study. The study will primarily determine how the study habits, sleeping pattern, eating pattern and night life of college students are related to the academic performance, specifically their Grade Point Average.

Stamen of the problem: This part represents the main problem and the sub-problems of the study. The study aims to describe the study habits, sleeping pattern, eating pattern, and night life of college students in General Santos City. Specifically, the study will answer the following questions: 1. What are the study habits of college students? 2. What is their sleeping pattern? 3. What is the eating pattern of college students? 4. What is the status of the night life of the students? 5. What is the Grade Point of Average of the college students? 6. Is their significant relationship between: 7.1 Study habits and Academic Performance. 7.2 Sleeping pattern and Academic Performance. 7.3 Eating pattern and Academic Performance. 7.4 Night life and Academic Performance.

Significance of Study The importance of this study describes the study habits, sleeping pattern, eating pattern, night life and Academic Performance of college students. This study aims to develop the activities of the college students to increase the academic performance. To the students, this may also benefit the student for they are given chance to know what kind of patterning which is more beneficial to their academic performance.
To the school, this study helps them in providing program appropriate which to develop the habits of the students to achieve their educational aspirations and improve their academic performance. To the researchers, this study helps them widen their knowledge and get information about the study habits, sleeping pattern, eating pattern, night life and Academic performance of college students, and which will later on help them as future educators. To the teacher, this study beneficial for them to give information why students felt tiredness in school.

Scope and Delamination of the Study This study focus on study habits, sleeping pattern, eating pattern, night life and academic performance of college students. The scope of the study covered the different school of General Santos City which is Notre Dame of Dadiangas University, Ramon Magsaysay Memorial College, Holy Trinity College and Mindanao State University. The 40 participants are chosen randomly from four different college of General Santos City. Enrolled for the second semester of the school year 2014-2015. The study was delimited only on the responses of the participants during the experimental period and on the information that the participants given during the evaluation after the experimentation is conducted.

Definition of Terms To give readers a clear understanding of the frequently used terms in order to emphasize the thoughts of the study, the researcher defined them operationally and conceptually. Study habits. Is the habitual practice one uses to help them study and learn. Sleeping pattern. Our habitual pattern in sleep, 8 hours straight, 24 hours period or a daytime nap.
Eating pattern. The way person of what types of food are eaten, in what quantities, and when.
Night life. Social activities and forms of entertainment that are available at night in bars, and nightclubs.
Academic performance. Is the outcome of education — the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has achieved their educational goals.