Abstract:
Students transitioning from high school to university believe that they can separate and distinguish
themselves from their parents and realise their individual potential, find themselves, develop their voices,
follow their passions and influence the world. However, there are many challenges students face once they
enter the Higher Education system. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the sociodemographic
variables that impact on the overall study experience of second year Hospitality Management
students at selected Higher Education institutions in South Africa. In order to identify the socio-demographic
variables that could influence on the study experience of students, 228 participants from five selected
universities completed a questionnaire. To determine the variables that impacted on the study experience,
cross tabulations between categorical variables were tested for significance using Chi-square tests at the
5% level of significance. Results revealed statistically significant socio-demographic relationships for the
reasons participants worked part-time (<0.05) and the level of satisfaction participants experienced with
their current living arrangements (<0.009). Higher Education Institutions are therefore increasingly
challenged with ways to prepare students for success at university by assisting them to become part of the
educated population, by providing support to improve the determination of students to successfully
complete their learning programme.
