In Leisure College, USA: The Decline in Student Study Time, Philip Babcock and Mindy Marks explore the reasons as to why the amount of time college students study per week has decreased from 24 hours per week in 1961 to 14 hours in 2003. They explore various possibilities and review studies throughout the article, in hopes to pin point a reason as to why college students' study hours have decreased so significantly. Babcock and Marks explore the relationship between study habits and aspects of students' lives outside of school. They explore whether or not students are working for pay, how many hours a week they work if they are working, the level of education their father achieved and whether or not they are male or female. In addition to exploring those relationships, Babcock and Marks also continue to explore the standards of colleges to evaluate if there may be an existing relationship between lowered college standards and students study habits. “If standards have fallen at colleges, and if the explanation for this change is that colleges are catering to the leisure preferences of their students, this raises the question of why students would demand more leisure and fewer study hours in the first place. After all, time investment in college is supposed to benefit the students themselves.” In conclusion to their study, they find that colleges standards are falling short when it comes to academic time investment, and that is the reason for such a drastic decrease of student’s study habits.
Delaney,
ReplyDeleteYour summary covers a lot, walking your reader through many of Babcock and Marks' considerations for why study time has dropped. In this way the summary reenacts the article. Although there is no right or wrong to how your organize a summary, it may be more helpful to your reader to reverse the order and bring the article's conclusions to the front. Babcock and Marks do more than "explore"--they make claims as well. Showing that will better represent the source.
I think you've chosen an excellent quote as it speaks to the authors' central claims and concerns. Can you also frame the quote with an introduction and explanation? This way it won't stand apart from your writing and your reader doesn't have to guess at your purpose in including it.
How about that response?
kk