Gender studies

The idea of women attending college was, at a point in the not-so-distant past, dismissed, if not ridiculed. How the times have changed.

In 2004, women studied more and did comparatively better in academics than their male counterparts, a recent study of college student academic habits and performance revealed.

The key findings show that female students are likely to study more, get A’s and party less in comparison to the males.

The study was commissioned by the Association of American Publishers and researched by Student Monitor, the only nationally syndicated research company to focus on the college student market. Eighteen thousand students from 10 colleges across the country were interviewed in the study. The purpose was to analyze the efficiency of textbooks and other tools in the academic achievement of students, according to Stacy Scarazzo, assistant director for Higher Education for the AAP.

“We want to make better teaching and learning tools,” Scarazzo said. “The universities are under growing pressure. There’s a lot of adjunct faculty, there’s a lot of part-time faculty and teaching assistants that are teaching courses right now. State funding has decreased, so as publishers we’re doing everything we can to make a difference on campus.

“We’re excited to see that the textbooks are improving grades and that the materials do make a difference when used correctly with the course. It produces results, so that’s a positive,” she added.

While the colleges used in the study are confidential, the results don’t exactly stand in line with some students at USF.

“I definitely think that part of partying for male college students has to do with female college students, because, who wants to be at a sausage party?” said Nyssa Hanger, a religious studies major. “But then, thinking about male college students that I know, they seem to be the ones more eager to get drunk on the weekends.”

As far as females getting better grades than males, “For my immediate friends, I would say that this is true,” Hangers said.

International business student Marco Escalera has similar thoughts.

“I guess females do better in school, but they party just as much as males,” he said. “Maybe they do put more time into their work.”

The study does not delve into the reason for the inequities, but lists study habits and use of textbooks as primary factors in success.