THE EFFECTS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ON THEIR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: CAN FRIDAY CLASSES HELP?

Nazanin S. Tootoonchi
Frostburg State University

Ahmad Tootoonchi
Eastern Washington University

ABSTRACT

Overall, excessive consumption of alcohol has subsided among American Adults;
unfortunately, it has gone up among college students. Drinking to intoxication among young men
and women at American colleges and universities has become a hot topic for discussion and
research, especially during the past decade, because it has contributed to a high rate of
emergency room visits, hospitalization, death, sexual and other forms of physical assaults, and
poor academic performance. Colleges and universities used various strategies to resolve the issue,
but none of them produced positive outcome, except scheduling more classes on Fridays. Friday
morning classes lead to less consumption of alcohol by students on Thursdays, more participation
in class activities, and better academic performance (Hanson, 2007; Wood, Sher, and Rutledge,
2007; Kullgren, 2013).
This study utilized a survey approach to determine the impact of Friday morning classes
on how students spend their time on Thursday evenings, the amount of alcohol they consume on
Thursdays, their attendance and engagement in Friday classes, their academic performance in
Friday classes, and their overall academic performance in colleges and universities. The results
revealed that Friday morning classes have positive impact on how college students utilized their
times on Thursdays. It also led to less consumption of alcohol on Thursdays, as well as better
academic performance in Friday classes and in colleges and universities overall.

Keywords: Alcohol consumption, College students, Friday classes, Academic Performance