HOME VERSUS LODGING: How living quarters affect student nurses’ mental health and academic

performance

Background of the Study

A home is a resting place, a safe abode. A place to go home to after long hours of school or work.
And with higher education – college; some student opt to rent out living quarters over staying at home
for various reasons such as the school being far from home. This set up may affect a student’s academic
performance and stress levels either positively or negatively.

There is a difference between living at home with family and renting out living quarters. Nature and
nurture plays a big role in shaping one’s personality, habits and overall being. Several variables affect
student motivation which are: teaching methods, classroom management, parental communication
and certain student characteristics (Yilmaz, Şahin, & Turgut, 2017). Although a part of the student’s
habits and characteristics play a big part in their academic performance, living quarters are equally
as important as it should be a place conducive to studying since a majority of a student’s life is spent
at home, most specially during this current situation (Bosmion & Chua, 2020).

Family culture may break or make a person. According to a study, parents have a unique role in a
student’s academic life. To which it states that parents’ encouragement and motivation can either
negatively or positively affect a student’s academic performance. Furthermore, home environments
like a home full of love and warmth positively affects the student’s academic performance while its
counterpart, a less desirable home environment brings about a bad effect and is also considered as a
student’s stressor (Mayer,2010). A “warm homey” household includes parents that gives positive
encouragement, and boost their confidence and siblings or extended family members that provide
them a calm environment conducive to studying.

The shift from living with family to living alone or with other people and having to leave established
social networks and settling to another less, forming new social relationship and fitting in may be hard
to some students. Along with this, is the students becoming financially vulnerable, where they are left
with allowance to budget to accommodate their needs, and maybe at times want. The combination
of all these may cause a drastic change to an individual (Nerdrum et al., 2009; Eisenberg et al., 2012).
This then stresses an individual. Where, they would balance navigating the place: getting to classes,
shopping for necessities and others, and establishing new relationships. This does not only apply to
freshmen, students that belong in higher year levels also do experience stressors such as stressors
include the care of patients, assignments and workloads, academic evaluations, and negative or
hostile social interactions. Stress may lead to lower academic performance as well as trigger mental
disorders such as depression and anxiety or lead them to have sleeping disorders or vices. This may
lead to a compromise in patient care. Furthermore, depression and anxiety greatly affect memory and
concentration, which are necessary in written examinations and patient care. A decline in academic
performance feeds thoughts of inadequacy and hopelessness. This becomes a vicious cycle, going
round and round if no effective coping strategy or external help such as counselling is offered to the
affected individual. (Rice et al., 2006; Stallmann, 2008) However, anxiety is not always bad, with just the
right amount of anxiety and uncertainty of outcomes actually motivates some learners to do better
and to prepare. By doing so, there may be a improved results – the outcome of preparation and effort
(Andrews and Wilding, 2004; Nedregård and Olsen, 2014).

Another study shows otherwise, it is said that students that lived away from home has, according to the
participants, made them more independent and have affected their academic performance in a
positive light (Glory et al., nd).
Multiple studies show multiple results, some have good outcomes, some don’t. It varies with the different
participants and the culture & environment that influence them. Amidst that, It is still vital to collect
information and acknowledge that mental health is important and it should not be treated as if it were
nonexistent.

Statement of the Problem

It is known that nature and nurture craft a person to what he/she is today. Each individual carries certain
characteristics which can affect their academic performance and gauge their perceived stress level.
However, the environment also, do play a role. The problem in this research is to explore how the prior
affects their [nursing students] academic performance as well as stress levels; comparing students that
live in their own homes with family members and those who rent living spaces.
Conceptual Framework and Research Paradigm

The participant’s profile would be included in the formulation of surveys. Survey questionnaires are
then released then collected along with the data. Data are to be collated, reviewed and analyzed.
Here, the profile is used, as data from each group are compiled and compared. After Data analysis,
the results are discussed, concluded and recommendations will be written down. The results of the
study will be known to the participants.
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