The Journal of College & University Student Housing Vol. 47 No. 1 - 99

Impact of Relationships with Hall Mates, Tutors, and Wardens

that encourages senior students to pair up with
first-year students in a similar field in order to
provide them with academic support.
Overall, this study has certain inherent limitations that should be highlighted. First, only
undergraduate students in one institution were
included, which may limit the generalizability
of results to populations from other institutions and to other types of residential students
such as postgraduates. Replication of the study
across a broad range of institutions is needed
to ensure that any findings are not exclusive
to the environmental and cultural factors of
this institution and undergraduate population.
Another limitation is that the current study did
not consider any pre-college characteristics,
such as past academic performance and aptitude, to more precisely measure the advantages
and disadvantages provided by residence halls.
Moreover, this study used a self-report questionnaire that measures perceived personal development rather than the actual development
itself. Therefore, some bias on the subjects'
parts and some inaccuracy is inevitable.
Finally, regarding the quantitative data collection method used to measure the negative
influence of residence halls, only yes or no questions were asked to evaluate which aspects were
adversely affected. More convincing evidence
would emerge if the question design included
Likert scales to measure the extent to which hall
life negatively influenced each aspect.

CONCLUSION
This study explored a unique feature of residence halls that encourages residents to build a
close rapport with peers and hall staff and thus
achieve desired outcomes related to academic
performance, interpersonal outcomes, and per-

sonal development. In particular, residential
students who have close relationships with hall
mates and hall staff tend to reap greater gains
in interpersonal outcomes by developing better
social communication skills, conveying their
own thoughts more easily, interacting with
others more skillfully, and better understanding
the feelings of others. In addition, residential
students manifest more awareness of their own
strengths and weaknesses, a greater willingness
to see things from different angles, and greater
confidence in new situations. Academically, students who have close relationships with peers
and hall staff were found to be more motivated
to achieve academic excellence and to have experienced more intellectual stimulation.
Despite the limitations mentioned, the
results obtained have important implications
for educators and policymakers to further
promote the holistic development of residential
students. Student affairs practitioners should
strive to mitigate the negative effects and maximize the positive impact of residence hall education. It would help undergraduates to reflect on
whether their hall life fulfills their expectations
and needs, which would be useful for future
students when deciding whether to stay in a hall
or some other form of university accommodation. This finding reinforces the necessity of
creating a harmonious living environment in
Hong Kong with opportunities for meaningful
engagement by residential students.

REFERENCES
Arboleda, A., Wang, Y., Shelley, M., & Whalen, D.
(2003). Predictors of residence hall involvement.
Journal of College Student Development, 44(4), 517-
531. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2003.0036
Astin, A. W. (1999). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of
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https://www.doi.org/10.1353/csd.2003.0036

Journal of College & University Student Housing Vol. 47 No. 1

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