Hostel Life Challenges, Peer Support, and Academic Performance among University Students: A Correlational Study

Abstract

This study examined the relationships among hostel life challenges, peer support, and academic performance of university students residing in hostels. A quantitative, correlational, and comparative design was used. Data were collected from 300 students (150 male, 150 female) living in public and private hostels in Faisalabad using a self-developed, expert-validated questionnaire (Cronbach's α = .850–.891). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and independent-samples t-tests were used to analyze the data. Hostel life challenges, peer support, and academic performance were strongly and positively intercorrelated (r = .833 to .921, p < .001). Together, hostel life challenges and peer support accounted for 87.3% of the variance in academic performance scores, R² = .873, F(2, 297) = 1021.04, p < .001, with hostel life challenges the stronger predictor (β = .681) and peer support a smaller but significant predictor (β = .288). No significant differences were found in hostel life challenges between public and private hostels, or between male and female students in hostel life challenges, peer support, or academic performance (all p > .05; |d| ≤ .12). The very high correlations, the unexpected positive association between challenges and performance, and the weak, non-significant relationship between the performance scale and self-reported CGPA suggest that common method variance may have inflated the associations, so the findings are provisional. Because the design is cross-sectional and single-source, no causal inference is possible. Universities are encouraged to address food, sleep, and noise concerns in hostels and to develop structured peer-support programs.