“Are The Study Habits of First Year Undergraduate Students Influenced By Where They Live While Attending College?”

Abstract This study was carried out in the Technological University Dublin with the co-operation of four experienced lecturers of engineering and fifty first year undergraduate engineering students. The main aim of the research was to establish if living away from the family home influences the study habits of first year undergraduate students. Many causes of attrition in first year are identified in the research. For this research project the four experienced lecturers were interviewed to capture their views and experiences of the study and learning habits of first year students. The data gathered in conjunction with my own personal experiences, and knowledge gathered from the research literature on the subject, served to guide and inform the selection of the questions which were used in a subsequent student survey. The analysis of the data gathered provides a detailed insight into the views of the engineering lecturers and the factors which represent barriers to the first year students study and learning. This chapter focuses specifically on the relationship between the students’ living arrangements and their study habits.