The impact of non-academic variables on the study experience of second year Hospitality Management students at selected South African Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

Many variables can impact a student's experience during the transition to university from high school. Hence, the objective of this study was to determine the non-academic variables that impact on the overall study experience of second year Hospitality Management students at selected higher education institutions in South Africa. In order to identify the non-academic variables that could influence on the study experience of students, 228 participants from five selected universities completed a questionnaire. To determine the variables that impacted on the study experience, cross tabulations between categorical variables were tested for significance using Chi-square tests at the 5% level of significance. Results revealed statistically significant non-academic relationships for the social adjustment of students when starting university (<0.01) and the fear students had towards unemployment after graduation (<0.04). Higher education institutions are therefore increasingly challenged with ways to prepare students for success at university by assisting them to become part of the educated population, by providing support to improve the determination of students to successfully complete their learning programme.