GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

This study investigates how the progression of a collegiate academic school level could affect academic performance and how the severity of the level of problematic substance use alters the college student’s academic outcome. Previous studies observed that the effects of problematic substance use included negative impacts on cognitive functioning and academic performance. Our findings suggest that academic performance generally improves as students advance through their collegiate years, with a noticeable improvement between the sophomore and junior years. This increase is likely due to developing more effective study habits and time management skills. On the other hand, academic performance was found to be lower among students reporting higher levels of problematic substance use. As substance use severity increased, academic performance, including GPA, tended to decline. These results highlight the need for early identification of substance use issues and intervention to support students’ academic success.