Life events as predictors of academic performance

As part of a larger study, information was obtained about the life events which had occurred in the one-and-ten-year periods prior to entrance into a study of 169 students at a large midwestern university. Different methods of calculating life change were utilized, and these measures were correlated with the students' subsequent grade point averages over the next three years. Results demonstrated a significant negative association between life change and academic performance for the first-and second-but not for the third-year grades. Further analysis suggested a threshold effect since the detrimental impact of life change appeared evident only after the occurrence of about 12 events in the one-year time period. Life change also was implicated as a factor in severe academic difficulty resulting in the initiation of formal academic sanctions. Specific events which occurred in excess among the poorer performing students also were reported.