Undergraduates' Time Engagement And Academic Achievement

This essay describes current situation of timing allocation of the undergraduates, using data from Student Experiences in Research University Survey in Hunan Univer-sity 2011.It discusses the impact of timing allocation on academic performance, analysis and critical thinking,social skills,self-awareness and understanding, which includes having classes,extra learning,extra-curricular activities, social and recreateational activities, working responsibility and commuting.The study finds: The undergraduates use the most time to classes, followed by social and recreational activities, at least for part-time. Time allocation varies from the demographic characteristics of students. The higher-level students, the less time for classes, extra-curricular learning, more time to social and recreational activities. Science students use more time for working responsibility,less time for extracurricular learning and extracurricular activities; Humanities and Social Sciences student spend more time on extra-curricular activity,but less time on commuting; engineering students spend the most time in class, social and leisure activities, but at least working responsibility. In terms of gender differences,female students, the more time spent on learning activities(classes and extracurricular learning), but male students use more time on extra-curricular activities, social and leisure, working responsibility, commuting activities. Affluent and less affluent students spend less time on classes students than other sectors of the students, more time on extra-curricular learning, extracurricular activities, social and leisure time activities; low-income groups ues more time on working responsibility than other sectors(except the wealthy). The first-generation college students allocat e more time on working responsibility and commuting non-first students, non-first-generation students engage more time in classes, extra-curricular learning, extracurricular activities and social and recreational activities.Further regression analysis shows: class time has positive influence to student achievement, social skills, self-awareness and understanding, but has no significant effect to critical thinking and analysis; extracurricular learning time is helpful for student academic performance and ability development; extracurricular activities time has no significant influence to student academic performance and self-awareness and understanding, but it helps to develop students' analytical and critical thinking and social skills; time engaged in social and recreational activities has negative infiunce on student academic performance and ability development; working responsibility time have negative impact on student self-awareness and understanding, but the impact on performance and the other ability is not obvious; time spent commuting only has a negative impact on students' social skills,it has no significan impact on other learning effect.The study suggests that: colleges and teachers should provide students with a wealth of extracurricular activities and creat meaningful learning experiences; Respect for different groups of time allocation feature and impose classification guidance; Enhance the academic challenges and guide students engaged in learning; Build a platform for teachers and students,enhance learning resource building,the students after school tutoring and create a good learning atmosphere.