Strong Positive Correlation: Study hours show a positive correlation with exam scores (r = 0.825), but with diminishing returns.

The Sweet Spot: Study performance starts to reach its peak and maintain its position after approximately 4 hours of daily study. According to Zubair et al. (2024), 4-6 hours of focused daily study is the optimal range.

Conclusion: Maximizing performance is not about studying more, but studying smarter. Quality and consistency within the optimal range are more effective than simply logging more hours (Zubair et al, 2024).

Remarkable Positive Correlation: Mental health rating witnesses a significant positive correlation with exam scores (r = 0.322).

Performance Gap: Students with excellent mental health (rating 8-10) score an average of 13 points higher than those with poor mental health (rating 1-3).

Academic Risk Factor: Poor mental health (rating 1-3) affects 30.1% of students in our dataset, representing a significant at-risk population.

Conclusion: Mental wellness is not separate from academic success—it’s a fundamental component. Students with better mental health consistently demonstrate higher academic performance (Garces et al., 2024).

Negative Correlation: Excessive daily screen time (social media + entertainment) records a negative correlation with exam scores (r = -0.238).

The Performance Penalty: Students with low screen time (<3 hours/day) score an average of 12.7 points higher than those with high screen time (4+ hours/day).

Conclusion: Unmanaged screen time is a significant liability. Setting clear boundaries for digital entertainment is essential for academic focus and success (Rahaman & Saidi, 2024).

Weak but Consistent Correlation: While the correlation between class attendance and final exam scores is relatively weak (r = 0.09), the practical impact is still meaningful.

Practical Impact: Students with high attendance (90%+) score, on average, 3.3 points higher than those with low attendance (<80%), despite the modest statistical correlation.

Foundation Building: This finding suggests that attendance acts as a foundational habit rather than a direct performance driver—it enables other success factors to work effectively (Lu & Cutumisu, 2022).

Conclusion: While attendance alone won’t guarantee high performance, it creates the necessary foundation for academic success by ensuring students don’t miss crucial information and maintain engagement with course material (Gump, 2010).

Noticeable Correlation: Sleep hours illustrate a positive correlation with exam scores (r = 0.122), highlighting the importance of adequate rest for cognitive function.

Performance Gap: Students who get adequate sleep (7+ hours) score an average of 4.6 points higher than those who are sleep-deprived (<6 hours nightly).

Conclusion: Sleep isn’t just recovery time—it’s when the brain processes and consolidates learning. Consistent, adequate sleep is a non-negotiable foundation for peak academic performance (Fonseca & Genzel, 2020).