How Does Commuting Affect the Academic Performance of a FEU Second Year Student?

Cadayona, Rovy Julianne S.

INTRODUCTION

Commuting has always been one of the main problems that college students have been

struggling with. In the Philippine context, the transportation crisis has not been resolved

since 2022. In the data presented by The Employers Confederation of the Philippines,

the lack of public transportation as well as the congestion in Manila already affects the

productivity of both the commuter and the worker(Pena 2002) . Furthermore, the road

transport in some provinces of the country was designed poorly which resulted in lesser

accessibility of transportation (Mantaring 2002) .The students who commute for long

prolonged periods tend to have less time to study and perform poorly in school (Jamil

et al., 2022). This study aims to determine if commuting has a significant impact within

the academic performance of a second year feu student. In this study the researchers

will conduct a survey among 20 second year students at Far Eastern University .

Job commuters tend to feel more stress and burnout. The study of (Evangelistaet al., et

2021) shows that the impact of commuting on the productivity of a job commuter

inadequately affects their attention during the job. The results of the study have shown
that the impact of commuting for an individual derives to make them feel burnout and

less productive during the work hours. Hence , their level of exhaustion and

disengagement during work hours are above average compared to the other individuals

who don't commute. The impact of commuting is above average and it causes job

burnout for those employees.

It was found that whether a student lived in a dorm or boarding home had no detrimental

effects on their academic performance based on the findings of Dioso, M.M., & Iglesia

A.B. (2021). On the other hand, it improved rather than weakened their academic

performance. The goal of the study was to examine whether there were statistically

significant differences in the opinions of fifty-two (52) respondents regarding how

living in a dorm affected their academic performance based on their gender, their

socioeconomic status, and the difference between Courses A and B. Additionally, based

on their research, students can function effectively when living alone as compared to

being with the family. Thus, the respondents' perceptions of how living in a dorm or

boarding house affected their academic performance was approved as Agree.

Mallari, E.F.I. & Delariarte, C.F. (2021) found a weakly negative correlation between

academic stress and enjoyment with the commute to school. On the other hand, there is

a weak positive relationship between travel satisfaction and psychological health. It was

also shown that commuters who were unsatisfied reported having worse psychological

wellness. Therefore, the mediation analysis revealed that students' contentment with
their commute to school has an indirect impact on psychological well-being through

academic stress, but that their satisfaction with their commute had no direct impact.

Additionally, Jamill et al., (2020) conducts research on the effect of commuting time on

student achievement. According to the study, there are statistically significant

correlations between commuting and a number of variables, including physical

challenges, stress, the frequency of accidents, sleep patterns, etc. It came to the

conclusion that students with longer commutes faced significant physical challenges,

higher levels of stress, and an increased risk of accidents. In addition, the researchers

discovered that students with longer commutes also appeared to experience frequent

sleep loss compared to those with shorter commutes. Additionally, the study shown

that long commutes degrade academic performance since they leave students with less

time for studying and less time to complete assignments.

Callo et al. (n.d.) interviewed 10 chosen students from the College of Business and

Accountancy in-depth about their experiences living distant from school and being

unable to live in a dorm. Because of this, students who "Leave Early" must make sure

they can get to class on time in the event of traffic, accidents, inclement weather, or

problems with public transit. According to the study's findings, participant's experience

as a student commuter is challenging, exhausting, and they get vertigo every time they

ride in a car. Moreover, long-distance travel has also affected participant studies;
students claim that it consumes too much of their time, and researchers found several

drawbacks of college students living away from their school.

The Philippines' public transportation system is in extremely poor condition. You will

encounter a number of challenges because it cannot handle a large number of

commuters. Lalu,G.P.(2019) claims that Metro Manila is presently dealing with a major

transportation problem. According to Lalu, G.P. (2019), Metro Manila is currently

experiencing a mass transport crisis.Additionally, a terrorist organization stated that just

one week after each of the three train systems in the capital region crashed. With Line

2 of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) still not operating on Monday, there aren't enough

trains to transport people to and from work and school. This is a notable instance of a

transportation catastrophe in the nation. The lack of funding for improvements also

prevented the transportation vehicles from being properly updated and maintained.

METHODOLOGY

The approach used for the study is presented in this chapter. This will also aid in

understanding the varied experiences of Far Eastern University students in their second

year, particularly those that commute, and how their productivity and mental health are

affected. This will clarify what prompted them to commute rather than rent a dormitory

room. Additionally, this will clarify how they dealt with and managed to thrive despite

the country's issue with transportation.

This study, which is a descriptive research design as defined as a type of research

method that describes the demographic characteristics in particular a survey research

design, has gathered a variety of data from a sample of people as they responded to the

questions the researchers have given them.

This study that was conducted by the researcher was made by means of a quantitative

method. The researchers aim to gather the answer of the respondents on how commuting

affects the academic performance of second year students.The collected answer of the

respondents will satisfy the requirements of the research problem and subsequently will

provide answers to the problem.

As stated in (University of Southern California 2023) quantitative method, the

gathering and analysis of numerical data is the foundation of quantitative research.

Inferential statistics are used to measure and generalize the findings.

THE RESPONDENTS OF THE STUDY

The participants in the study are composed of second year students from Far Eastern

University. All of the participants that were gathered by the researchers were selected
through a random sampling. This method involves a single random selection that uses

randomization.

The chosen respondents accommodates (20) respondents selected through a different

institution in Far Eastern University. The Institute of education , Institute Accounts

Business and Finance, and Institute of Business Administration which are all in a

second year level. These participants that were gathered by the researchers were chosen

since they are the main purpose of the study.

RESEARCHER INSTRUMENT

The survey questionnaire was used as the main - data gathering instrument. The data

gathering instruments that were used by the researchers focus on answering the main

problem of the study. How does commuting affect the academic performance of a

second year student. The questionnaire contains (11) questions. This questionnaire will

be equally distributed among the participants of the study.

The data gathering instrument was arranged in the form of a survey question. Yes if

they agree on the statement , no if they don’t agree on the statement and others if there

are further answers that are not shown in the questionnaire are the provided answers for

the questionnaire of the respondents. These provided survey questionnaires will help

the researchers to gather the result of the conducting data gathering.

After evaluating the validity and reliability of the data collection process, developing

the study's questions, and making any modifications that were required to the selected

responder, (20) links for the Google Form survey were distributed and successfully

completed. In accordance with the consent of the respondents and the researchers, their

corresponding answers to the inquiry are thus recorded.

The information was gathered and organised and based on the statistical analysis that

was performed and was handed by the researchers using Microsoft Excel.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

TABLE 1

Table 1 presents frequency and distribution of the respondents based

on their age

Age Frequency Percentage

19 1 6.65%

20 9 39.10%

21 6 28.60%

22 3 19%
 24 1 6.65%

TOTAL 20 100.00%

The demographic information for the following FEU second-year commuter students is

shown in Table 1. 6.65% of the 22 respondents who took part in the study were under

the age of 19, 39.10% were between the ages of 20 and 22, 28.60% were between the

ages of 22 and 22, and only 6.65% were over the age of 24.

TABLE 2

Table 2 presents frequency and distribution of the respondents based on

gender

Gender Frequency Percentage

Male 18 82%

Female 4 18%

TOTAL 22 100%

The data above shows the gender demographic of respondents. Out of 22 respondents

18 were male - having a rate of 82% while 4 were female having a rate of 4%.
TABLE 3

Table 3 "How often do you go to school?"

Frequency Percentage

1-3 days a week 2 9.5%

4-5 days a week 14 66.7%

6-7 days a week 5 23.8%

TOTAL 21 100

The data reveals the demographics of second-year FEU students who responded

regarding how frequently they go school each week. 9.5% of the 21 respondents

responded 1-3 days per week, 66.77% 4-5 days per week, and 23.8% 6-7 days per week.

TABLE 4

Table 4 "What factors led you to choose commuting rather than

renting a dorm?"

Frequency Percentage
 1 4.5%

Financial reasons 7 31.8%

15 68.2%

Others 3 13.6%

TOTAL 22 118.2%

The figure above shows the reasons of commuting rather than renting in dorm,

dominant of the respondents answered due to their parents reasons, they do not want

their child to be separated from them with the rate of 68.2%, while the next reason is

because of financial reasons with a total rate of 31.8%, while 4.5% said they live close

to school and lastly 13.6% answered because of other reasons.

TABLE 5

Table 5 "How long does it take to you to get to school?''

Frequency Percentage

30-50mins 7 31.8

1-2hrs 15 68.2

5hrs or more 0 0
TOTAL 22 100

The time spent commuting by FEU second-year students going to school is shown in

the data below. From the 22 respondents, 31.8% responded in 30 to 50 minutes, 68.2%

in 1 to 2 hours, and no one else in 5 or more hours.

TABLE 6

Table 6 "How long does it take you to go home?"

Frequency Percentage

30-50mins 4 18.2

1-2hrs 13 59.1

5hrs or more 5 22.7

TOTAL 22 100

The table represents the time respondents take to go home from school. It shows that

59.1% took 1 to 2 hours, while 18.2% stated 30 minutes to 50 minutes and lastly, 22.7%

answered 5 hours or more.

Table 7 "Do you feel unmotivated to do your school

requirements after hours of commuting?"

Frequency Percentage

Yes 15 68.2

No 7 31.8

TOTAL 22 100

The table presented that 68.2 percent of the students feel unmotivated to do the school

requirements after hours commuting.

Students face challenges when it comes to commuting since it will provide convenience

and comfortability for students. Their efficiency to be able to study decreased as soon
as they arrived within their house.Students with longer commutes faced substantial

physical challenges, higher levels of stress, and a higher chance of accidents.

Additionally, we discovered that students with longer commutes appeared to experience

sleep loss more frequently than those with shorter commutes (Koca 2016).

TABLE 8

Table 8 Would you rather rent a dormitory than commute to

school

Frequency Percentage

Yes 13 59.1

No 9 40.9

total 22 100

The table 8 shows that 59.1 percent of the students would prefer to rent a dormitory than

commute to school.
Students who commute on their daily basis prefer to settle in a dormitory during the

semester. Having the students settled in a dormitory for the school year would increase

their academic performance. The average semester GPA increased by nearly one full

letter grade during the semester before the study was conducted due to living on campus.

Additionally, there is evidence that staying on campus has long-term benefits, even after

students have moved off campus. According to estimated statistics, living on campus at

any point in the past raised students' cumulative and semester GPAs by over a quarter

of a letter grade (Callo 2021).

TABLE 9

Table 9 "Where do you feel motivated to study ? "

Frequency Percentage

House 7 31.8

School 11 50

Cafe 4 18.2

TOTAL 22 100

The table 9 shows that 50 percent of the students feel motivated to study in school rather

than in a cafe and their house.

reinforcement for every student's accomplishment. Hence , studying at school would

not accumulate most of their energy .Every stage of the learning and accomplishment

process involves motivation. Students' motivation is influenced by a variety of factors,

including their individual goals and interests, external rewards, and learning

environments in schools (Koca 2016).

TABLE 10

Table 10 "Does commuting affect your mental health

stability?"

Frequency Percentage

Yes 15 68.2

No 7 31.8

TOTAL 22 100

Table 10 shows that 68.2 percent of the mental health stability of students have been

affected since they commute often.

Commuting had an significant impact within the student's mental health. Most of the

students would feel exhausted as soon as they arrived at their house which would lead
them to be uninterested within themselves. A lot of pressure is already placed on degree

taking students.stress and pressure. The commute they must make adds to that

tension.endure just to get to school each day. navigating Metro Manila They encounter

additional stress from traffic in order to attend they teach in(Mallari et al 2021).

TABLE 11

Table 11 "In what aspect do you feel commuting is

exhausting?"

Frequency Percentage

Distant 2 9.1
 Traffic 16 72.7

Waiting time for

the vehicles 3 13.6

all 1 4.5

TOTAL 22 99.9

The table 11 shows that 72. 7 percent of the students feel the exhaustion of commuting

when they encounter traffic.

Traffic causes delays for the commuters. In the amount of hours of traffic that the

commuters endure it will cause them to fully decrease their energy and time to

accomplish task.The daily problem of commuting may cause tiredness due to stress,

both physically and mentally. One reason for lacking energy at work and even at home

is having to endure hours of waiting and uncomfortable travel(Polintan 2022).

TABLE 12

Table 12 "Do you still able to accomplish school works despite

having to spend more time to commuting?"

Frequency Percentage

Yes 19 86.4
 No 3 13.6

TOTAL 22 100

The table 12 shows that 86.4 percent of students who commute have been able to

accomplish tasks despite spending hours commuting.

Students feel pressure within complying with the academic premises. Often they would

not have a complete amount of sleep as soon as they arrived from commuting since they

have school work to accomplish. Travelling affects the students time to rest. The group

of researchers accumulated answers from the students that lived far from school and

would sometimes come home late.Students' time of rest is sometimes not enough and

they have to sacrifice it if they do not have time to comply with requirements so the

students sometimes experience sleep deprivation (Malari et al 2021).

TABLE 13

Table 13 "Do you recommend commuting rather than renting

a dormitory?"

Frequency Percentage

Yes 7 31.8
 No 15 68.2

TOTAL 22 100

The table 13 shows that 68.2 percent of the students recommend renting a dormitory

rather than commuting.

It was determined that boarding or dorm living had no negative effects on students'

academic performance. It had a more favorable effect on their academic performance

than a negative one. Instead of staying with their family, they performed better when

living independently.(Dioso et al 2021)

CONCLUSION

Commuting has affected the students' academic performance since most of their energy is spent

within commuting. Majority of the students who often commute feel exhausted and less

motivated to comply within their academic premises. In this study that was conducted for the

second year students it shows that Majority of the students prefer living or renting in a

dormitory rather than commuting. Hence, most of them also feel unmotivated to comply within

academic premises after hours of commuting since commutes had already accumulated most

of their energy to be productive. Lastly is that the majority of the result of the study shows that

commuting had a significant impact within their mental health stability. In conclusion, students

who publicly commute most of the time from school to their house often feel demotivated and

it impacts their academic performance in school. Constructing a solution to ease the difficulties
of students who commute to school should be highly prioritized by the school administrators.

Based on the results, it is recommended that collaboration between the school and students

plays a critical role in guaranteeing a safe and convenient journey for students who are

commuting to school. These collaborations may include transportation services by the school

in picking up and dropping off the students who have the same location.

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Journal of International Education and Leadership, 6(2).

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