Silliman University

College of Business Administration

Management Department
Management 35 Business Research

A Comparative Study on the Preferences of Students of Silliman

University on the Place to Studybetween the School Library
and the Coffee Shops in Dumaguete City

Submitted by:
Buhisan, Carl
Bontog, AlfeosJee
Caluscusin, Noriel
Doria, Don Jovie
Emia, Jessa
Tenaja, Gail
Orillan, Lanz
Ventoliro, Jessa
Villanueva, Alexa Vania

Submitted to:
Prof. Mirabelle J. Engcoy

Date Submitted:
May 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page
Acknowledgement
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: The Problem and Its Scope
Introduction/ Rationale
Theoretical Background/ Review of Related Literature
The Problem
Statement of the Problem
Objectives
Significance of the Study
Scope of the Study
Definition of Terms
Research Methodology/Research Design
Research Environment
Respondents of the Study
Sampling Technique
Research Instrument
Data Collection Procedure
Chapter 2: Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation of Data
Chapter 3: Conclusion and Recommendation
Conclusion
Recommendation
Bibliography
Appendices
Sample Questionnaire for Student Respondents

CHAPTER 1: THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Introduction/Rationale
Many students are surprised at the differences in studying for college
courses versus how they studied in high school. Regular assignments are
replaced by vast midterms and exams which require knowledge about concepts
rather than simple memorization of facts. Students frequently discover they
need to adapt their study habits to the college setting.
Like any other, college students study. They study because they have to
learn and learning is why they are in college. College is your tool when you go
out to the real world and work. It teaches you all the stuff necessary for the
challenges that await you when you graduate. Youll be surprised at how
helpful it is when you need it and you wont even notice it till when youre done
applying it to whatever obstacle youre facing. That is why your parents do
whatever they can in order to put you in college because they know how
important and advantageous it is for your future.
Again, college is all about studying and taking it seriously. One has to
find a way to get the most out of the time for studying. But how should
someone do that? In college, you come across and get to know a wide variety of
people. People will come from different places and from different cultures with
different attitudes. People who live locally where the college is located will have
homes to study in while those from afar will go into either dorms or boarding
houses. Generally, neither of the two is going to help you get the most of your
parents money in terms of studying. At home, there are a ton of distractions
that are readily available once you start to sit down and open that textbook.
Who could resist the TV? Or the ever fluffy leisure your bed has to offer you?

Same goes to dorms and boarding houses. They are mostly noisy because they
arent really intended to be study places. You cant just tell your dorm mates to
shut up or stop whatever fun theyre doing. So where should you study?
Though there are a lot of other places a student can study, after all its based
on preference, but usually students prefer to study in a place where you get the
best results from --a place where you are comfortable, safe, quiet, etc. With this
in mind, the researchers have come up with a comparative study on two of the
most considered places in studying which are libraries and coffee shops.
Theoretical Background/Review of Related Literature
Creating a good study environment allows us to maximize our learning
efficiency. Combined with effective time management, high motivation, good
reading and note taking skills, and systematic test preparation, a good study
environment serves as a catalyst for productive effort. (The Univeristy of
Alabama, 2005)This is the first step towards effective studying.
A good study environment is a highly individualized matter. Whats right
for you may not be right for a friend or roommate. As much as possible, you
should designate a special place to study. This place should be uncluttered and
should provide few distractions to allow for maximum concentration. Needless
to say, some study tasks, must be done elsewhere, but having a regular "home
base" that you associate with studying helps to reinforce your self-discipline. It
also provides a place where essential materials can be stored. (National Library
of New Zealand)
Library
Most university has a school library. The school library is an important
part of the school community (National Library of New Zealand) where variety

of resources including books, encyclopedias, magazines, newspapers and etc.

are available for studying purposes. It is the traditional place for studying even
before the coming out of coffee shops or coffeehouses, because it was the only
place accessible and convenient, outside from home, for studying. Also it is
located in the school so students can just easily go there and study.
Coffee Shops
Most of us, if not all, have visited a coffee shop. According to MerriamWebster Dictionary, coffee shops or coffeehouses is an establishment that sells
coffee or other refreshments and that commonly serves as an informal club for
its customer to socially interact. It is also a cool place to have some
refreshment while drinking your favorite blend of coffee.
In addition, it is obviously a fast-growing business as what we can
observe, there are a lot of establishments putted up especially here in
Dumaguete and probably worldwide,because of the convenience, ambiance,
satisfaction and refreshment it provides and of course the coffee it offers.
Coffee which contains caffeine awakens and regenerates the drinker. It is
consumed at any time of the day during meetings and socializations. There are
different unique blends of coffee that gives the drinker the satisfaction they
need.
The Problem
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
1. How long do students study?
2. Does the time of the day students preferred to study affects their choice
on where they prefer to study?

3. Among the given factors, what are the top five considerations of the
students in choosing the place to study?
4. What factors do students consider in choosing the place to study?
5. Where does the factors that students consider in choosing the place to
study satisfied?
6. Which of the following do the students prefer to study in: library or coffee
shops?
OBJECTIVES
1. To identify the preferences of students in a place to study between library
and coffee shops.
2. To determine the factors affect the students preferences in a place to
study.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The findings of this research could be beneficial to owners or managers of
the coffee shops in Dumaguete City because it can aid in the management of
their respective businesses. The result could as well benefit the management
of the school library and the school administration since the study will provide
them information about what are the aspects should they need to improve in
the premises.
This section of the study aims to guide concerned parties of this
research, such as:

1 Owners and managers of coffee shops The information from this research
will help in determining what featuresshould the enhanced and/or added to
the facilities in order to entice students to visit the establishment more
often.

2 Respondents/ Students of Silliman University With this study, the

respondents, specifically the students of Silliman University, will be able to
share their views on their preferred place to study and the factors that
would influence them in choosing the setting.
Scope of the Study
The study conducted served the purpose of knowing which place
students preferred to study between library and coffee shops. In order to meet
the objectives of this research, the group used data-gathering instruments
covering the whole population of Silliman University college students enrolled
during summer class of school year 2014-2015.
Below are the factors that were considered during the conduct of the
research:

Convenience
Accessibility
Security
Comfort
Spaciousness
Population density
Cleanliness
Music
Chatter
Silence
Food
Free wifi
Charging station
Accessibility of other study materials

Definition of Terms
Students - students of Silliman University enrolled in summer classes for
school year 2014-2015.

Coffee shop is a small, informal restaurant serving people usually with coffee,
tea, cakes, and other light refreshments. It is also a place where people (mostly
students) can go to study, do their homework or group work, or socialize with
other people.
Library

is

building

containing

collections

of

books,

periodicals,

publications, and other materials (such as videos and musicals) that can be
read or borrowed by students for study or reference; Silliman University main
library.
Study environment is the location preferred by a student based on its
comfortableness, quietness, atmosphere, and other factors than can possibly
affect the students working condition.
Study habits are behaviors or practices that are used or observed by a
student in preparation for tests or in learning an academic material.
Research Methodology/Research Design
RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT
RESPONDENTS OF THE STUDY
The respondents of the study are the students of Silliman University that
are taking up the summer classes for the term SY 2014-2015. Of the 2,388
overall population for the summer semester, the researchers opted to give
questionnaires to 210 of the student body as respondents of the study. The
respondents were selected randomly to acquire data. The researchers chose to
survey students from Silliman University because the university has a free,
world-renowned library in the campus and there are a lot of coffee shops which
are in close proximity to the campus, both of which are fully utilize by said
students during Prelims, Midterms and Finals.
SAMPLING TECHNIQUE

The researchers determined the total number of sampling size by using

the Slovens Formula as shown below:

n =

N
__________________
1 + Ne2

where:
n = sample size
N = total population
e = margin of error
The researchers used 7% as the percentage for margin of error. The total
population is 2833 which indicates the total number of students enrolled for
summer class in SY 2014 2015.
Using the Slovens Formula, it was determined that the sample size is
190. Shown below is the calculation of the sample size:

n =

2833
__________________
1 + [ (2833)(0.07)2 ]

n =

2833
__________________
1 + [ (2833)(0.0049]

n =

2833
__________________
1 + 13.8817

2833
n =

__________________
14.8817

n =

190.36804

190 students

In this study, the researchers utilized purposive and convenience

sampling, which are both a non-probability sampling technique, wherein the
respondents are those who are conveniently available to participate in the
study and were also chosen based on the judgment of the researchers.
RESEARCH INSTRUMENT
The researchers used survey questionnaires in collecting the necessary
data which would be useful for the study. The survey questionnaires were
distributed to 210 students of Silliman University who are currently enrolled in
the summer class of SY 2014-2015.
In the first part of the survey questionnaire was the transmittal letter in
order to inform the respondents about the research study. It also asked for
students profile which includes the course and year, gender and the name of
respondent, which is optional. It was then followed by sets of questions which
would help the researchers in the course of their study.

The first three questions asked how often the respondents study in a
week, how long the respondents study in a day and during what time of the day
does the respondents prefers to study. The next one provides a list of factors or
considerations in choosing the place to study and asked the respondents to
choose only five and rank them from 1, which is the highest, to 5, which is the
lowest. Next, the respondents were asked to check the box of the place they
prefer to study whether in the library, coffee shop, both or none in terms of the
factors or considerations in choosing the place to study. The sixth question
asked the respondents where they usually prefer to study whether in the
library, coffee shop or other places. The last one asked the respondents for any
recommendations/suggestions/opinions to further improve the study.
DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURE
This research focuses mainly on the Sillimanians study place preference
between libraries and coffee shops, so the researchers based the sample size on
the total population of 2,833 Silliman students taking up summer classes in
the school year 2014-2015. Next, the researchers used the Slovens formula in
determining the number of students they need for the survey.

Then, they

useda sampling or margin of error between five percent (5%) and seven percent
(7%) because these variances are believed to achieve better outcome. The
computation resulted to a number of 190 respondents but the researchers have
decided to distribute 210 questionnaires instead. The researchers then used
the survey method through questionnaires and were fairly divided among the
members. After which, the forms were given randomly to Silliman students. As
soon as the answered questionnaires, which only 203 forms were recollected,
the researchers classified the results sensibly and methodically for tabulation.

DATA ANALYSIS (STATISTICAL TREATMENT)

After tabulating the results of the survey, the group started to convert
these results into percentages to their respective variables. By doing such,
researchers were able to have an inclusive data analysis. Since this research
focuses on the students preference to study in a library or coffee shop,
conclusions will be derived from the results of the survey particularly from the
summation of answers from the 5th question in the questionnaire.
A graphical representation of the results of each question in the survey,
along with its description and the researchers interpretation is also shown in
this paper.
CHAPTER 2: PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
In the course of the study, the researchers have carefully analyzed the
gathered data obtained using the survey method.Survey questionnaires were
distributed to the sample size of 205 students in Silliman University who are
taking summer classes, and the data gathered are presented in pie graphs and
in tables.

Each graph and each table with results of the survey has been

studied and discussed by the researcher.

The researches observed that nowadays a lot of students go to coffee
shops in order to study or to work on their assignments and projects. Coffee
shops surround the Silliman University campus and it would be interesting to
find out whether students prefer to study in these establishments or in the
school library.

The following statements in this chapter will present the data gathered.
In addition, analysis and interpretation of such are given to further justify the
gathered information from the researchers' survey questionnaire.

How many days do you study in a week?

more than 6 days; 2% never; 5%

5-6 days; 9%
1-2 days; 34%

3-4 days; 49%

Graph 1. The Number of Days Silliman University students study in a week.

How many hours do you study in a day?

more than 6 hours; 4%
5-6 hours; 8%
less than an hour; 12%
3-4 hours; 29%
1-2 hours; 47%

Gra
ph 2. The number of hours students study in a day.
Graph 1 show that most students of Silliman University study in a week.
Of the 203 students composing the sample population, 95% said that they
study.

However, the number of days that students study varies from each

individual. The two largest portions of the student population say they study
in 3-4 days (49%) and in 1-2 days (34%).

And only a small portion of the

population (5%) says that they dont study.

The number of hours students study varies depending on the individual.
As shown in Graph 2, most of the students spend1-2 hours of studying in a
day (47%).The time spend for studying for the 29% and the 12% of the
population are 3-4 hours and 5 or more hours (of which is composed of 8% for
5-6 hours and 4% for more than 6 hours) respectively. Only a small portion of
the population (4%), spend less than an hour in studying. This means that
most students would study and prepare for their subjects for at least an hour.

The period of time spent in studying may differ but there is a common
denominator that all of the student have focus. Concentration is one of the
essential elements in studying. This is the most important thing that a student
should have upon studying for their subjects.

However, the level of focus a

person has would be different on each unique location he/she choose to study
at.

From the list of factors below, what are your top considerations when choosing
the place to study? Choose five and rank them from 1 (highest) to 5 (lowest).
O
Rank 1

Rank 2

Rank 3

Rank 4

Rank 5

Tt
l

Factors
N

Ql

Va

o.

ty.

l.

N
o

Conveni

97

ence
Accessi

9
1

5
42

bility
Securit

Comfort
Spaciou
sness
Populat

R
an
k

.
2

/a

7
5
0
6

Ql

Va

ty.

l.

N
o

54

.
3

7
1

0
36

5
17

8
1

5
12

Ql

Va

ty.

l.

N
o

Ql

Va

ty.

l.

N
o

ty.

V
al

48

.
2

2
1

0
28

0
1

0
12

0
24

9
1

5
22

2
1

0
13

2
3

0
60

5
3

5
46

3
2

0
22

8
1

0
7

0
26

h
1s

50
15

0
1

0
20

1
1

5
15

2
1

0
16

5
1

5
7

10
73

t
9t

14

15

80

th
5t

22

.
7

22

3r

0
2

65
12

d
6t

0
9

10
86

h
8t

4
4

66 11

ion

Density
Cleanli

32

40

24

31

13

3
1

5
27

0
12

5
10

90

40

70 h
57 12

5
4

20

5
2

0 th
28 14

ness
Music
Chatter
Silence

Food

25

20

.
1

Ql

6
2

0
20

40

10
15

10

12

52

31

10

22

75

90

17

28

21

16

1
1
5
1

Free

57

38

25

19

Wifi

40

70

10

18

Chargin
g

Station
Accessi

17
5

10
5

3
0
3
5

th
2
n
d

94

7t

15

4t

30

42 13
5

th

bility of
Other
Study

17
5

12
0

66 10
5

th

Table 1. Factors that could affect students preference on the place to study.
Note: See Data Analysis in Chapter 1 for the computation technique.

Each individual considers different features in choosing their preferred

place to study.

It would beneficial for the study to determine what factors

would affect most of the students preference.

fourteen

(14)

factorsConvenience,

The researchers recognized

Accessibility,

Security,

Comfort,

Spaciousness, Population Density, Cleanliness, Music, Chatter, Silence, Food,

Free Wifi, Charging Station, and Accessibility to Other Study Materials-- that
could have an impact to the students in their studying that would influence
their preference.
From the results shown in Table 1, the top 1 factor that students
consider in choosing a place to study in is comfort which have the biggest value
(2610 points) among the given factors.

Proper air ventilation, lighting and

availability of comfortable furniture are important for the student to be able to

concentrate in studying. The study atmosphere of the area must be conducive
for studying in order students to have focus on what they are doing.
The second factor that students consider is silence (2290 points). Silence
plays a great role in getting focused. In a test conducted by psychologists in
Florida on how fast a group of students wrote essays with and without music in
the background, it gave a result that it is difficult to cope well with listening
and writing simultaneously. (www.dailymail.co.uk)Therefore, proving that
sound can distract people in studying.
The next factor in the rank (3rd) is convenience, having 2265 points. The
time allowed for students to stay in the area is also essential for students to
prepare for their classes. Having a longer period of time to stay in the place
means more time for them to study. Moreover, it would also mean that they

dont have to hurry in studying just because they have to leave the premises at
a specific time.
Even with the research that says that music can only distract individuals
in the process of learning, there are still people who are more comfortable to
study with the presence of music in the background.

However, the results

depicted in Table 1 shows that only a few of the population would commend to
listening to music while studying since it is one of the least (ranked 12 th out of
14) considered factors in choosing where to study.

In terms of the following factors, check the box of the place you pr
Librar
Coffee
Bot
y
Comfort
Silence
Convenience
Free Wifi
Cleanliness
Accessibility
Food
Security
Spaciousness
Accessibility of Other
Study Materials
Population Density
Music
Charging Station
Chatter
Total

73
151
96
61
97
123
10
119
131

Percentage Shops
0.36
55
0.74
18
0.47
43
0.30
56
0.48
26
0.61
25
0.05
162
0.59
21
0.65
20

Percentage h
0.27
56
0.09
15
0.21
38
0.28
66
0.13
58
0.12
32
0.80
15
0.10
39
0.10
35

Percent
0.28
0.07
0.19
0.33
0.29
0.16
0.07
0.19
0.17

142

0.70

21

0.10

25

0.12

118
22
95
24
1262

0.58
0.11
0.47
0.12
0.44

34
115
31
114
741

0.17
0.57
0.15
0.56
0.26

21
18
49
30
497

0.10
0.09
0.24
0.15
0.17

Table 2. The place students prefer in terms of the given factors. (Arranged
according to rank based on Table 1.)

Table 2 shows which between library and coffee shops do students prefer
to study in relation to the given factors. The result shows that only Music,
Food and Chatter have a greater preference in the coffee shop while the other
remaining factors were preferred in the library. Obviously, these three factors
are permitted in coffee shops while discouraged in the library.

Thus,

supporting the result why students would prefer the presence of the factors -Music, Food and Chatter in the coffee shop and not in the library.
In connection with the Convenience factor, determining the time of the
day students prefer to study would be beneficial. Aside from that, the time of
the day students prefer to study and the time business opens and closes may
have an effect in choosing the place.

What time of the day do you prefer to study?

early morning (12:00 AM- 5:59 AM)

morning (6:00 AM - 10:59 AM)

18%

36%

8%
afternoon (1:00 PM - 5:59 PM)
4%

noon (11:00 AM - 12:59 PM)

12%
23%
evening (6:00 PM - 8:59 PM)

late evening (9:00 PM - 11:59 PM)

Graph 3.The time of the day where students prefer to study.

The graph presents that most students (36%) prefer to study at late
evening from 9 PM to 11:59 PM. The next preferred time is in the evening from

6 PM to 8:59 PM and in the early morning from 12 AM to 5:59 AM which have

the 23% and 18% of the total vote of preference from the population. 23% (8%
from morning, 4% from noon, and 11% from afternoon votes) says they would
like to study in between the period from 6 AM to 5:59 PM. This suggests that
almost half of the population, 46%, (23% of whichis from the evening
preference and the remaining is from the combination of the morning, noon
and afternoon preferences) would be inclined in studying during the hours that
the library is open and available for the students use.
Depending on the business/operating hours of the different coffee shops
scattered in Dumaguete City, the result shown in Table 2 suggests that from
almost all of the time preference stated except for the early morning preference,
students can study in these premises since these establishments usually opens
at 10 in the morning and closes at 10 in the evening.

Where do you prefer to study?

Others; 11%
Library; 38%
House/Dorm; 24%

Coffee Shop; 27%

Graph 4.Place in which students prefer to study.

From the graph above, it shows that the Library have a bigger percentage
(38%) over the percentage of coffee shops (27%) in the students preference of
the place to study. Having 24% of the vote, house/dorm is still one of the top
options of students on where to study.
The mixture of the results found from Table 1, Table 2, Graph 3, and
Graph 4 would tell that despite the convenience factor and the time of the day
that students prefer to study, they would still prefer to study in the library than
in any other places.
CHAPTER 3: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Conclusion
This comparative study determined which area is the more preferred
place of students for studying. It also includes which of the factors influenced
their choice the most in choosing the place and how their study times affect

their decision. Both are significantly different from each other but nonetheless,
both are major options for students for studying especially during major exams
like Midterms and Finals.
Based on the data collected from the survey, the top five factors that the
students consider in choosing a place to study are comfort, silence,
convenience, cleanliness and accessibility. In all the top five factors, the library
was the more preferred place. Overall, the library is the more preferred place to
study for students than coffee shops and other places.
Recommendation
Information gathered in this research showed some factors affecting
study habits. Hence, for further study, other factors should also be considered
factors that do not just belong on the comfort or convenience aspect. One
example may be the aroma or the interior design of the place (factors that may
possibly affect the psychological part of the students). The aroma of the coffee,
for some people, may trigger their brain to gear up and their body to move. The
placement of the furniture, as believed, can also influence the students focus.
(Therefore, research relating to this study should also be open to other factors.)
The students level of productivity may also differ depending on what type
of work they are doing in a certain place. For example, a student who closely
studies (reading notes or memorizing) may prefer staying in a very quiet place
(depending on the preference) in order for him or her to retain the information
that he or she have read. But for a student, for instance, who is working on a
paper or solving a math problem may rather go to a not-so-quiet place to be
with his or her groupmates to be able to brainstorm. Thus, such study
regarding on the productivity level of a students studying location can be put
into consideration in addition to this research.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080616092116.htm
APPENDIX
Sample Questionaire

SILLIMAN UNIVERSITY
DUMAGUETE CITY, PHILIPPINES

April 16, 2015

Dear Respondent,

We are students from Silliman University currently enrolled in

management 35 (Business Research).
To fulfil a requirement of our subject, we are conducting a study on the
topic The Preferred Place to Study for Students: Libraryor Coffee Shops.
In line with this, we seek your assistance to answeringthe questionnaire with
utmost honesty.
We assure you that all information you provide will be kept confidential
and will be solely used for the purpose of the said study.

Respectfully yours,

CARL BUHISAN
BBA MGT-III

ALFEOS JEE BONTOG

BBA MGT-III

NORIEL CALUSCUSIN
BBA MGT-III

DON JOVIE DORIA

BBA MGT-III

JESSA EMIA
BBA MGT-III

GAIL TENAJA
BBA MGT-III

LANZ ORILLAN
BBA MGT-III

JESSA VENTOLIRO
BBA MGT-III

ALEXA VANIA VILLANUEVA

BBA MGT-III
Noted by:
PROF. MIRABELLE ENGCOY
Management 35 Adviser

Name (Optional) :
Course and Year :
Gender

INSTRUCTIONS: Check the box corresponding to your answer.

1. How often do you study in a week?
1-2 days
3-4 days
5-6 days
More than 6 days
2. How long do you study in a day?
Less than 1 hour
3-4 hours
More than 5 hours

1-2 hours
5-6 hours

Never

3. During what time of the day do you prefer to study? (Check all that apply.)
Early Morning (12:00 AM 5:59 AM)
Morning (6:00 AM 10:59 AM)
Noon (11:00 AM 12:59 PM)
Afternoon (1:00 PM 5:59 PM)
Evening (6:00 PM 8:59 PM)
Late Evening (9:00 PM 11:59 PM)
4. From the list of factors below, what are your top considerations
when choosing the place to study? Choose five and rank them from 1
(highest) to 5 (lowest).
Convenience
Accessibility
Security
Comfort
Spaciousness
Population Density
Cleanliness
Music
Chatter
Silence
Food
Free Wifi
Charging Station
Accessibility of Other Study Materials
5.

In terms of the following factors, check the box of the place you
prefer.
CONVENIENCE (no time limit to the place)
Library

Coffee shop

Both

None
ACCESSIBILITY (nearer to school)
Library

Coffee shop

Both

None
SECURITY (located in a safe area; equipped with CCTV, etc.)

 Library

Coffee shop

Both

None
COMFORT (ventilation, lighting & furniture)
Library

Coffee shop

Both

None
SPACIOUSNESS
Library

Coffee shop

Both

None
POPULATION DENSITY (number of people within the area)
Library

Coffee shop

Both

None
CLEANLINESS
Library

Coffee shop

Both

None
MUSIC (background music)
Library

Coffee shop

Both

None
CHATTER (allows people to discuss)
Library

Coffee shop

Both

None
SILENCE
Library

Coffee shop

Both

None
FOOD
Library

Coffee shop
None

FREE WIFI (availability and speed)

Both

 Library

Coffee shop

Both

None
CHARGING STATION (availability and cost)
Library

Coffee shop

Both

None
ACCESSIBILITY OF OTHER STUDY MATERIALS
Library

Coffee shop

Both

None
6.

Where would you prefer to study?

Library

7.

Coffee shop

Others, please specify:

Any recommendations/suggestions/opinion to improve this study?