University Student Participation in Out-of-Class Activities: Consequences for Study Career and Academic Achievement

Merging survey and administrative data, the paper aims at exploring the relationship between university students’ involvement in extra-curricular and out-of-class activities and two aspects of their academic performance: the regularity of their study career and their academic achievement. It also deals with the uneven participation in these activities according to students’ characteristics. The results of a set of multivariate analyses show that while students’ involvement in out-of-class activities with peers is associated with study regularity but not with academic achievement, students’ communication with faculty is related both to regularity and grades. A second set of analyses identifies the characteristics that favour or hinder students’ involvement in out-of-class activities. It also points out students’ characteristics that are not related to it, showing that three sets of out-of-class activities that are associated with study regularity and, at least partially, with academic achievement are largely open to students’ participation irrespectively of their individual traits.