Study habits and the level of alcohol use among college students

Abstract

This paper draws on the 1997 and 1999 waves of the College Alcohol Study to examine the effect of alcohol consumption on the study habits of college students. A generalized least squares estimation procedure is used to account for the potential correlation in the unobserved characteristics determining drinking behavior and study habits. Our results reveal that failing to account for the endogeneity of the level of drinking leads to an over-estimate of its effect on the likelihood that a student misses a class or gets behind in school. We also find differential effects of drinking on the study habits of freshman students and their upper-year counterparts. © 2004 Taylor and Francis Ltd.