<![CDATA[Abstract This study aims to examine the relationship between the absence of a laptop and delays in student assignment submission in higher education. In an increasingly digital learning environment, access to personal computing devices plays an essential role in supporting students’ ability to complete academic tasks and meet submission deadlines. This research specifically investigates whether the absence of a personal laptop significantly contributes to delays in assignment submission among university students, and whether this condition can be identified as an external factor influencing academic performance. A quantitative approach with a correlational design was employed in this study. The sample consisted of 120 active students from a public polytechnic in Indonesia, selected through purposive sampling based on limited or no access to personal laptops. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire with a five-point rating scale over a defined academic period. The data analysis process included validity and reliability testing, classical assumption testing, and simple linear regression analysis. The findings show that the absence of a personal laptop has a positive and statistically significant effect on delays in assignment submission. The regression results indicate that students without access to personal laptops are more likely to experience difficulties in completing and submitting assignments on time. The coefficient of determination demonstrates that 97.8 percent of the variation in assignment submission delay is explained by laptop absence, while the remaining 2.2 percent is influenced by other external factors such as internet access, learning motivation, and time management. This study provides original empirical evidence by highlighting digital device accessibility as an important structural factor affecting student academic performance, which has been less emphasized compared to internal behavioral factors in previous studies.]]>
