COUNSENESIA Indonesian Journal of Guidance and Counseling
Vol 7 No 1 (2026): COUNSENESIA 2026

Differences in academic achievement and psychological well-being based on major selection status

Anggraini, Weni (Unknown)
Suwidagdho, Dhanang (Unknown)
Sari, Arlina (Unknown)
Kurniawan, Fandy (Unknown)
Hananto, Ipung (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
24 Jun 2026

Abstract

Choosing a college major is one of the most important decisions in a student's educational journey. In reality, however, many Indonesian students enter their study programs not based on personal interest, but due to exam-score requirements, family expectations, or limited options. A mismatch between interests and major is related to students' psychological well-being. This study aims to determine whether there are differences in psychological well-being (PWB) and academic achievement (GPA) between Biology students who chose their major based on interest and those who did not, in terms of psychological well-being (PWB) and academic achievement (GPA). Using a quantitative comparative design, data were collected from 90 Biology students. PWB was measured with Ryff's Scales of Psychological Well-Being, and GPA was obtained from official university records. After confirming normality and homogeneity of variance, an independent samples t-test was applied for PWB and a Mann-Whitney U test for GPA. The independent samples t-test revealed a statistically significant difference between the two groups, t(88) = 4.361, p < .001. And the Mann-Whitney U test showed no statistically significant difference in GPA between the two groups, U = 1003, z = ?0.077, p >.001. These findings indicate that major selection driven by personal interest is meaningfully linked to students' psychological well-being, though not to their academic grades. The implications for academic guidance and counseling practice are discussed.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

CIJGC

Publisher

Subject

Religion Humanities Education Social Sciences Other

Description

Jurnal COUNSENESIA Indonesian Journal of Guidance and Counseling adalah jurnal yang diterbitkan oleh Program Studi Bimbingan Dan Konseling Universitas Tunas Pembangunan Surakarta yang berfokus pada penyebaran dan pengembangan bidang ilmu Bimbingan dan Konseling. Secara spesifik ruang lingkup ...