Academic Achievement and Emotional Intelligence: Predicting the Successful Transition from High School to University

Abstract

This study examined the impact of emotional intelligence (El) on the successful transition from high school to university. The short form of the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) was completed by 1,426 first-year students attending four different universities within the first week of classes (September). At the end of the academic year (May), the students' cumulative GPA was used to identify two groups of students: academically successful (ii.e., GPA of 3.0 or better; n = 590) and academically unsuccessful (ii.e., GPA of less than 2.0; n = 289) students. Results revealed that academically successful students had significantly higher levels of several different emotional and social competencies. These findings suggest that emotional intelligence plays an important role in the successful transition from high school to university.