Voluntary Class Absences and other Behaviors in College Students: An Exploratory Analysis

In a survey of 120 sophomore and junior undergraduate college students, we found that those who admitted to cutting class for no reason during the previous month had a lower mean GPA than those who reported no voluntary absences. Cutting class was related to reports of getting drunk, speeding, breaking the law, and visiting home, although reports of speeding, getting drunk, and breaking the law were not related to GPA. The 11 students who reported feeling depressed had a lower GPA than those without depression, while the 18 students who had not visited their families in the previous month had higher GPAs than those who had visited their families. Implications for scale development are discussed.